Wanaka's early history includes being a small Maori settlement, and a stop over en route to the West Coast on their quest to gather greenstone, or pounamu to make tools and artefacts. The first Europeans arrived in the area in the mid 1850's, and after a brief gold rush,  the attention has turned to farming and tourism. It is a favourite place for many generations of Kiwis to go on holiday due to it's relaxed and laid back atmosphere. 

Is easy, as international and domestic flights with Air New Zealand and Jetstar fly directly into Queenstown from Sydney and Brisbane, and domestic flights into Wanaka with Air New Zealand. International links from Asia and the Northern Hemisphere land in Auckland or Christchurch, and then utilise a domestic flight to Queenstown or Wanaka

Wanaka is a 50 minute drive from Queenstown airport, and the Wanaka airport is a 5 minute drive from the town centre.

Rental cars if required are available in Queenstown and Wanaka, or we can pick you up when possible, or arrange shuttle transport.

Conditions are generally settled during the summer (December - March) and Autumn (April-May) months. During Spring (September, October and November) the weather can be more unsettled, and the Winter months (June - August) are generally cold, but the weather can be settled with blue skies and light winds.

The annual rainfall is 682mm, just half the national average, with most occuring in the spring months.

The average summer temperature is 24C, and winter drops to 10C.

Wanaka is based close to the mountains, and the weather can change rapidly when we are out on the rivers. For this reason, we always head off prepared for a changeable day, with some extra clothing and a raincoat if the weather turns suddenly.

As with all fishing areas in New Zealand, the wind can blow down the river valleys, making casting difficult for the inexperienced angler. We spend alot of time re-enforcing the principals of good casting technique to combat this problem, and in fact many times we manage to use the wind to our advantage.

Apart from fly fishing, activities include golf, scenic hikes, bushwalking, mountain biking, beauty spas, and wine tasting, as well as a wide range of water based pursuits such as canyoning, kayaking, rafting, kite and windsurfing and waterskiing.

In between all this, there is a lively cafe and bar scene to help you take a breath. Also, one should never rule out the option of sitting on the lakefront reserve with a good book and your feet up...

Photography is also a very popular pursuit. The clear air and vibrant colours combined with the spectacular scenery make it quite hard to take a bad picture here!

 

We are confident that however you decide to spend your time around Wanaka, you will find it a special place. We do.

 

Artwork  - the illustrations of flies used on this website are by Michael Scheele. Michael is a gifted artist and fly fisherman http://www.streamdance.co.nz