“Well, I’ve made up my mind, anyway. I want to see mountains again, Gandalf.”
― The Lord of the Rings
Wānaka is a smaller, less commercialized resort town compared to Queenstown, with a population of around 13 000, but it's as exciting.
On my way to Wānaka, I've had a quick stop at the Crown Range Lookout, which offers an amazing view over the Queenstown area — especially during the golden hour.
Once reaching a cozy hostel in Wānaka, I was greeted by a fitting name tag that has been selected for me.
The main "hub" of the town is scattered around Lake Wānaka, where you chill or do some water-based activities.
Probably the most popular spot in Wānaka is That Wānaka Tree, a willow tree surrounded by water from the lake. Yes, that's the official name coming from the #ThatWanakaTree social media hashtag. During the day, the place is too crowded to take a good photo of "New Zealand's most famous tree", but after the sun goes down, you have this place all to yourself. Put your camera on a tripod, hope for a clear sky, and you can get some magical shots.
Lord of the Rungs
The activity I was looking for the most was Lord of the Rungs by Wildwire, a via ferrata next to a waterfall. With 450 meters, it is the highest waterfall via ferrata in the world. You can choose from three levels, differing in length and price. It's a single track with early exits, so level 3 continues after completing the first two levels. I was concerned about the difficulty of level 3, but I went all-in.
Surprisingly, hanging on the side of a cliff and looking down didn't scare me as much as I thought. Quite the contrary: it enforced my wish to transition from bouldering to rock climbing in the future. I've once had a fear of heights, but over the years, I seem to have mostly cured it. Now I enjoy the thrill.
During the tour, we've crossed seven suspension bridges. On some, we've suspended ourselves by the rope and let go for the extra thrill.
The first two levels are fun, but I didn't find them physically challenging. The third level is what makes this activity one of my highlights in New Zealand. It included steeper sections and one overhang. With my bouldering experience, the track was fun but rather cozy. Others were visibly struggling, but still managed to complete the climb. At one point, we walked behind a 60m waterfall — a truly memorable experience.
Once we've reached the top, a helicopter picked us up. It wasn't my first time flying in a helicopter, but I've never been on board during landing 😄. The descent was quick but exciting. In total, it took us around five hours to complete the via ferrata (including the preparations).
Roys Peak
Wānaka is also a great base for hikers. One destination that has been mentioned over and over was Roys Peak, along with its less famous sibling Isthmus Peak. I wanted to see the mountains again and decided to go with the more popular option. Both hiking tracks are described as somewhat demanding, but after the Tongariro Crossing, I was up for the challenge.
Many backpackers went for the sunrise, but this meant waking up around 3:30 am. Due to my planned night activity (see next section), I wasn't willing to do that. However, I did like the idea of starting a hike before the sunrise, and I also had to justify buying a head torch in Queenstown 😄. I decided to start around 6 am. What seemed like a lose-lose scenario (waking up early but not seeing the sunrise at the peak) was actually a great decision. I still experienced the sunrise during the hike, which was maybe even more beautiful. More importantly, the otherwise crowded peak was mostly empty: the early birds were hiking down, while regular hikers haven't arrived yet.
I was aware of the demanding hike, but the first challenges came before even reaching the starting point. First, I was greeted with a frozen windshield. With no ice scraper in the car, I had to improvise one with a credit card, which worked pretty well. Another problem was finding a parking spot. I arrived at 6:30 am, and the official parking lot was already full, even at the end of peak season (pun intended). I found a somewhat sketchy spot and was once again glad I rented a compact SUV car. Later I discovered a paid parking lot that I could have used.
The hike is straightforward yet steep. I only needed my head torch for the first half an hour. After an hour, I could enjoy the sunrise with a beautiful view. A few curious sheep completed the scenery.
After 2 hours and 20 minutes, I've reached the famous lookout. I already briefly mentioned Instagram factories, and this is a huge one. You can observe one person after another walking or running to the end of a short path. I didn't intend to take the famous shot, but as mentioned, the spot was almost empty (compared to midday). We were maybe 10–15 people in total.
I took my telephoto lens with me just in case, and I was glad I did. I offered a group of people an offer they couldn't reject. After taking turns, each of us got a "unique" photo (as unique as taking the same photo hundreds of times a day can be). Luckily, a cloud has formed out of nothing right behind the spot, adding a little bit of mystery. While I did make a few poses, the best part was the actual view. It's a little bit cliché, but this spot feels like standing at the top of the world.
Now, when people talk about Roys Peak, they often think about the Instagram spot. In fact, from all the people I've met and talked to, only one person reached the actual top. I obviously had to do it. After all, it's called Roys Peak and not Roys Instagram Lookout 🤷 It took me another 30 minutes to reach the top, and it was definitely worth it. I think this section offers equally great (and more unique) photo opportunities.
On my way down, I saw a few paragliders launching from the mountain.
It took me 2 hours and 10 minutes to walk straight from the top to my car. I've met lots of hikers going in the opposite direction again, especially from France.
Total lunar eclipse
This year's total lunar eclipse was mainly visible in New Zealand and Australia. Even after my long hike, I was definitely not missing that, especially as the sky was almost clear. I was fortunate to experience this spectacle in real time.
Once the earth shadow fully covers the moon, we get what is called the Blood Moon, due to its red color.
This is not to be confused with the honey moon in June, which has only a slight yellow/red tint.