Wanaka is a town in the Central Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, adjacent to the outflow of the lake to the Clutha River. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park.
According to the 2001 census the permanent resident population is 3330, an increase of 804 since 1996.
The town is part of the Queenstown-Lakes district and was called Pembroke until 1940. It was originally settled during the gold rush excitement in the 19th century. Forestry was important as props were needed for the mines.
These days, with its beautiful lake and mountain views, Wanaka has become a popular tourist resort, favoured by many for being less commercialised than Queenstown. Nearby skifields include Treble Cone, Cardrona, SnowPark, and Wairau Snow Farm , the latter including New Zealand's only commercial Nordic skiing area. Other attractions in the area include Puzzling World and the biennial Warbirds over Wanaka air show, which has become a major attraction for national and international guests. Indeed, some fear that the very rapid development is threatening the area's serenity.
In April 2004, Air New Zealand Link commenced daily passenger flights from Christchurch to Wanaka in a Beechcraft 1900D Airliner.
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