Wānaka op shop & adventure guide

🏔️ Wānaka

Wānaka is a lush, boutique-style town in the lower half of the South Island, and — in our humble opinion — it’s the perfect family getaway.

Surrounded by alpine lakes that shift between unreal shades of blue and turquoise, Wānaka is postcard-pretty no matter the season 🌴

It’s also the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, part of the majestic Southern Alps — offering a world of forests, glaciers, snow-capped mountains, and adventure around every corner.

Whether you’re chasing sunshine in summer or snow in winter, Wānaka serves up pure magic for families, wanderers, and slow-travel lovers alike.

And of course — treasure.
Treasure in the form of op shops, recycling centres, and vintage stores tucked all around town. So yeah... we highly recommend a getaway to this little paradise.

What also makes Wānaka extra special is its year-round appeal — from hot, golden summers perfect for lake swims, to the crisp, snow-dusted magic of winter adventure.

All-round? Perfection.

Wānaka is a small town with a population of around 9,000 — but don’t let the size fool you. It’s absolutely bustling with funky cafés, delis, restaurants, bars, public spaces, playgrounds, and local markets.

There’s definitely no shortage of fun to be had in Wānaka — and to soak it all in properly, you’ll want to stay at least three nights.

Oh — and Wānaka has four op shops ☺️
Each one is an absolute treasure trove.

Adventure

🏞️ Rob Roy Glacier Track

Goodness me — this walk was unreal!

We’re always on the hunt for wild beauty and intrepid nature, and this one had been on our bucket list for a while ✨

Located in Mount Aspiring National Park, just an hour’s drive inland from Wānaka, the Rob Roy Glacier Track is nothing short of mind-blowing 🌴

Towering peaks, glacial views, lush forest, swinging bridges — it’s the kind of hike that makes you feel tiny in the best possible way.

Our experience of the Rob Roy Glacier Track wasn’t exactly the “easy walk” the NZ DOC website suggests 😆

It starts with a steep 2km climb in, and it’s definitely more of a solid uphill mission than we’d envisioned… but honestly? So worth it.

Frankie was 7 years old at the time and she smashed it. We saw a few other families along the way too.

At one point, we were huffing and puffing and wondering how far we still had to go — when we met a grandfather and his two grandkids, about 12 years old, heading back down. Their excitement about the glacier and their sweet encouragement to Frankie was just what she needed — she literally took off running, leaving Mum and Dad panting behind her 😂

About halfway in, the forest opens up and you get your first proper glimpse of the glacier and waterfall and you’re like: 😳 wait, what!? is this real?!
So you keep going. Obviously.

We highly recommend this walk!
Here are some tips based on our adventure:

💧 Bring water – but you can refill from the stream halfway up (crystal clear and cold!)
☀️ Bring sunscreen and hats – there are a lot of exposed sections
🥾 For us, it was about a 3-hour return hike from our car to the lower viewing platform

🗺️ You’ll find the car park at Raspberry Flat – get the Google coordinates HERE [insert link]

🏊‍♀️ Lake Swimming

We LOVE a good lake swim — and over the years, we’ve developed a bit of a checklist for the perfect spot:

✔️ Instantly deep so we can dive straight in from the edge
✔️ A little beach area where Frankie can play safely
✔️ Easy car access so we’re not lugging gear a kilometre in flip-flops

And honestly? Lake Hāwea – John’s Creek ticks every single box.
It’s just a short 20-minute drive from Wānaka, and it’s an absolute dream for lake bathing.
Find the google coordinates HERE

Glendhu Bay is another stunning spot — perfect for a scenic walk followed by a swim. And don’t miss the Lake Wānaka township waterfront — there’s a floating raft anchored just offshore that’s perfect for swimming out to and leaping off with wild joy.

♨️ LandEscape Wānaka

We’re always on the lookout for hot tubs, hot pools, saunas, and spas — and the more intrepid and unique, the better, we say!

LandEscape Wānaka delivers exactly that.

Their private wood-fired hot tubs are surrounded by crystal-clear lakes and snow-capped mountains, making it a pretty magical experience — especially in winter. It’s the kind of soak that feels like you’re in a postcard.

You can also park your caravan or campervan overnight, and even hire e-bikes to explore some of the stunning nearby trails.
landescape-wanaka.nz

WATERFALL EQUESTRIAN

Are you into horse riding?
Waterfall Equestrian offers stunning trecks through vineyards and forests.
waterfallequestrian.com

Snow

Sadly we have not spent a winter in Wānaka yet, but we have made the effort to drive to Lindis Pass for day trips to experience snow - Wānaka’s winter would be absolutely magical with its world renowned ski fields and winter life and we cant wait to experience it.

SLEEP

THE TURRET HOUSE WāNAKA

Find all the info on the home, including airbnb link to book at this website...
www.turrethouse.co.nz

Want a 10% discount to stay?
Mention Anna from She Hunts Op Shops
Email Sandy direct….
bookings@woodstays.com.au

Turret House socials
Instagram
Facebook

The Turret House was so superb and perfect for our little family.

We strongly recommend this home for your stay if you spend time in Wānaka, New Zealand!

Firstly - it's fully stocked! It's so annoying when you go away with intentions of cooking meals to save money - only to find your airbnb has no cooking oil or no cooking equipment 😟

The Turret House has everything you need to cook at home — which, for us as a budget-conscious family, means everything.

Before our holiday, I did a big grocery shop and spent the afternoon prepping three dinners to take away with us — meals we would’ve bought and eaten anyway if we were home.

As much as we love eating out, it can get jolly expensive. We prefer to spend our money on a beautiful place to stay, rather than fancy restaurants.

So I packed up breakfasts, snacks, and dinners, and we ate out just once in town as a special treat 🙂

The kitchen at Turret House was luxurious and open plan, connected to the rest of the house — and I just instantly knew where everything lived.
(The dream, right? Yay for intuitive kitchens!)

Location is everything for us when we sneak away on a much-needed break. We always bring a trailer packed with our bikes, kayak, big beach rug, and other adventure bits — and the Turret House has a huge double garage with easy access. The trailer lived safely in there all week: handy, secure, and stress-free.

With a 7-year-old in tow, biking around town is our secret weapon — and this house is only three blocks from the lakefront, with beautiful mountain views to wake up to.

We’d eat dinner at home, then hop on our bikes for a sunset swim and maybe even a cheeky cocktail — because we’d saved a small fortune by not eating at a fancy restaurant 😉

I love the care and effort Sandy has poured into her home — especially her commitment to keeping it plastic-free.

She’s thought of everything:
🫧 Six reusable water bottles, so you don’t need to buy single-use plastic
🛍️ Reusable shopping bags, in case you forgot yours
♻️ Clear bins for recycling, landfill, and glass — all easy to find and use

It’s a shoe-free home, and honestly? It deserves to be. The whole space has this calm, floaty energy — like you’re gliding from room to room in a beautiful eco-friendly daydream.

OP SHOPS, TREASURE STORES & WASTEBUSTERS

Wānaka has 5 amazing places to hunt for treasure in! And if you are heading to Wānaka via the Lindis Pass its worth a little stop into Mrs Robinsons in Tarras.
In no particular order - here is my Wānaka op shop and treasure hunting guide.

WāNAKA WASTEBUSTERS
Ballantyne Road, Wānaka 9343
Open 7 days a week
9am - 5pm
DIRECTIONS
WEBSITE

UPPER CLUTHA HOSPICE TRUST
11A Brownston Street, Wānaka
Closed on Sundays, shuts at 1pm on Saturday
DIRECTIONS
WEBSITE

HOSPICE SHOP
9 Gordon Road, Wānaka
Closed on weekends
DIRECTIONS

SALVATION ARMY FAMILY STORE
Unit 3/10-12 Umbers Street,
Three Parks, Wānaka
Closed on Sundays
DIRECTIONS

THE LITTLE OP SHOP
* By appointment
follow their Facebook page HERE for info

MRS ROBINSONS
* if you travel through the Lindis Pass
2820 Tarras-Cromwell Road,
Tarras 9383
DIRECTIONS
WEBSITE