Getting Around, Wanaka Travel, Transport and Car Rental

(Wanaka, Otago, South Island, New Zealand)

The town of Wanaka is extremely well serviced by public transport, with door-to-door shuttle buses being a popular way to travel to and from your chosen destination. Wanaka really is a very compact town, and so many prefer to simply travel between places of interest on foot, such as local cafes and shops, while for longer distances, InterCity bus transport is on hand.

There are several travel operators within Wanaka who provide car hire and for the more adventurous, mountain bikes are also available for hire. Taxi cabs are readily to hand and connect the popular ski resorts of Cardrona, Treble Cone, Snow Farm and Snow Park, although taxi transport is certainly not cheap.

Queenstown International Airport (ZQN) / Arriving by Air

Address: Kawarau Road (State Highway 6), Frankton, Wakatipu Basin, New Zealand, NZ
Tel: +64 03 441 4870
Queenstown International Airport is the closest international air facility to Wanaka and lies around 60 km / 37 miles to the south-west, in nearby Frankton, south of Arrowtown. Each year, Queenstown Airport handles approaching one million passengers and features mainly domestic airlines, such as Air New Zealand and Qantas. These airlines connect Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington in New Zealand, and also the cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, although some of these destinations are seasonal. Airport transport comes in the form of car hire, buses (operated by Connectabus and Connexions), shuttles (Kiwi Shuttle and Super Shuttle) and also taxis, all of which allow you to travel to Wanaka easily and affordably.

Wanaka Airport (WKA) / Arriving by Air

Address: 11 Lloyd Dunn Avenue / Albert Town-Luggate Road (NZ State Highway 6), Luggate / Wanaka, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3 450 9031
Although the township is actually home to its very own air facility, Wanaka Airport, this is really only used to service the neighbouring ski fields, for sightseeing flights and for hosting the biennial Warbirds over Wanaka event. However, Aspiring Air is also based at Wanaka Airport and does provide quick 20-minute flights to and from Queenstown (three times a day), suiting those who are in a bit of a hurry and don't mind splashing out a little.

Car Rental

Renting a car is always a popular mode of transport in New Zealand and many holiday makers choose to collect their hire car from Queenstown Airport, with Wanaka being less than an hours' drive away. Hiring a car offers an unsurpassed level of freedom and is perfect should you wish to properly explore Otago and travel all around the South Island. Those with their own set of wheels will easily be able to travel to nearby destinations such as Alexandra, Cardrona, Fiordland National Park and the Mount Aspiring National Park. If you have the time, consider driving to Christchurch (six hours), Dunedin (just under four hours) and Invercargil (around three hours).

Book your Queenstown Car Rental here.

Buses and Coaches

Buses from all of the major cities on New Zealand's South Island travel to Wanaka and offer many useful connections, including Christchurch, Dunedin, Greymouth and Queenstown. The stop for InterCity buses is to be found on Helwick Street, while shuttle bus transport can be arranged at the Lake Wanaka Visitors Centre, off Ardmore Street. Those in town during the winter and headed for the ski resorts of Wanaka will find the buses operated by Alpine Coachlines to be the best bet, travelling to the splendid ski fields of Cardrona and Treble Cone, as well as Raspberry Creek.

Taxis

'Wan A Cab' taxi offers a very convenient way to travel around Wanaka and this is actually the town's one and only taxi services.

If you are able to share the journey with others, then the cost will ultimately also be shared and therefore reduced. 'Wan A Cab' taxis are happy to travel to surrounding attractions, such as both Lake Hawea and Luggate.