I’m certain of it: Wanaka and Lake Hawea boast New Zealand’s best day hikes and the world’s most amazing mountain-lake panoramas. The two places are set a 15-minute drive apart, on the shores of their respective namesake lakes in the South Island’s Otago Region and share the same close proximity to crystal-clear water and soaring snow-capped peaks. Not only that, but between them, they also flaunt a dozen day hikes.

And not just any day hike but the very rare kind of trail that gains more than 1’000m in altitude to the summit of a 1’500m peak on a pram-friendly walkway, signposted and straightforward all the way to the top.

Yes, it’s still a relentless slog up (you’ve got to get up there somehow) but I’ve yet to find another place that makes peak bagging as easy as Wanaka. You could even relish bird’s eye views of both lakes in one day, by hiking Roys Peak and Grandview Mountain back to back for instance; that is if you can manage a 2’500m elevation gain and loss in one day.

Wanaka is located in Otago’s well-loved Queenstown-Lakes District but sees significantly fewer tourists than neighbouring Queenstown. The birthplace of adventure tourism is bigger, more popular, and insanely action-packed and draws a huge crowd of adrenaline junkies every year.

If instead, you’re looking for a small, less commercialised, and more laid-back place, Wanaka fits that bill perfectly, plus, it’s big-time outdoorsy. With everyone outside hiking, cycling, and walking, there’s an unmistakable bounce to this small resort town that reminds me of Queenstown twenty years ago, when I first visited. Before overtourism struck.

There’s plenty of hiking and walking tracks in Wanaka to suit all skill levels, but none of the day hikes in this post makes for a rough backcountry wilderness experience. If that’s what you’re after, consider the multiday trails in the area, like Rees-Dart Track, Cascade Saddle Route, or Gillespie Pass Circuit in Mt Aspiring National Park.