Wanaka : New Zealand Episode 5

If you haven’t read the previous episode yet, click here first.

1. Another Beautiful Town in New Zealand — Wanaka

We finally made it to Wanaka.

Our schedule was pretty packed,
so we just did a quick grocery run first.

We also stopped by to see the famous Wanaka Tree!
…Although honestly, I could barely appreciate it because I was so tired.

There it was, standing all alone in the lake,
but at that moment?
I felt absolutely nothing. Pure exhaustion 😂

We also bought some snacks to eat with beer back at the house.

The picture on the package showed it completely stuffed with filling,
so naturally, it looked amazing.

But the moment we opened it…
total scam.

I was devastated.

Meanwhile, my wife found the whole thing hilarious
and took three separate photos as evidence 🥲

After grocery shopping, we completely passed out.

The “scam” snack…

2. Our Airbnb Stay in Wanaka

This accommodation was honestly amazing 🥰

The host was incredibly kind,
and the homemade food they prepared for us was seriously so good.

But more than anything, they were just so warm and welcoming.

When we mentioned we were planning a BBQ,
they literally went into the garden and picked fresh vegetables for usㅋㅋㅋ

The next morning, we had avocado + jam toast
that we bought the night before.

The butter and yogurt were ridiculously good too —
and yes, unlimited refills 😂

(If anyone wants the accommodation info, leave a comment!)

Other than the plums,
they picked garlic, onions, green onions, zucchini… basically everything for us 🥹

3. Wanaka Travel Course #1 — The Secret Sauna

We decided to start the morning properly and be productive for once,
so after a quick wash, we headed straight to The Secret Sauna.

📍 1208 Makarora-Lake Hawea Road, Lake Hāwea, Wānaka 9382, New Zealand

We went as walk-ins without a reservation,
and somehow got insanely lucky —
there were exactly two spots left.

Seriously, make a reservation if you plan to go!

I usually dislike swimming because of my skin condition,
but after going there…
I still think about it all the time. Highly recommend.

You wear your swimsuit and spend 15 minutes in a 90°C sauna,
then immediately run out and jump straight into the freezing cold Lake Wanaka.

The sauna smelled amazing because of the aroma oils too.

Swimming in the lake while your body is still burning hot from the sauna?
Crazy experience.

15 minutes (sauna) + 5 minutes (swimming) = 1 session

There were 3 sessions in total.

You could also rent towels,
which we eventually did at the end.

(30 NZD per person / 3 NZD per towel)

4. Wanaka Travel Course #2 — Rippon Winery

After getting back home,
we took a quick shower and headed straight to the next stop!

Rippon Winery 🍷

📍 246 Wanaka Mount Aspiring Road, Wānaka 9305, New Zealand

It was only about a 10-minute drive from our accommodation,
so we had booked it in advance before coming to New Zealand.

First of all… the view in front of the winery?
The open scenery? The garden?
Everything was just beautiful.

As of January 28, 2026,
the weather was actually pretty chilly.

We spent around 30 minutes tasting four different wines,
while getting what basically felt like an English listening class…

And honestly?
I understood absolutely nothing 😂🤪

Still, the atmosphere alone made it worth it.

We ended up buying a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc
to drink throughout the rest of the trip.

(They also provide separate spit buckets for drivers — sip, swirl, spit, repeat.)

After that, we headed back to the supermarket
to buy meat for our BBQ,

and the fresh vegetables?
Our host picked them straight from the garden for us 🥰

We grilled the meat on the pan,
then grilled the vegetables right after.

And one thing I learned in New Zealand:

Beef is way better than pork here.

We drank beer, finished off the wine,
and once again… passed out for the night.