Lake Hawea

An easy, scenic 15 minute drive from Wanaka and on the road to Makarora and the West Coast, is Lake Hawea. A place of vivid beauty, mountainous extremes and legendary fishing spots. Lake Hawea is an outdoor adventurers’ paradise and a great place to boat, swim, kite surf, kayak, ride, walk or just laze about on the beach. From Lake Hawea township you can find an excellent walk by following Timaru River Road to Timaru Creek, a picnic and camping area. The trail that begins here leads through a valley of beech forest until it flattens onto a braided river bed or hike to the majestic Rob Roy Glacier walk and picnic by a cascading waterfall with native alpine parrots for company, while listening to the cracks of the hanging glacier high overhead. With magnificent views of the surrounding peaks, and a lake to cool off, Lake Hawea offers a welcome respite from the long hot months of summer.