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Nestled right on the edge of one of New Zealand’s most spectacular lakes, Wanaka was one of the absolute highlights of our South Island road trip. Most travellers treat this serene lakeside town as a quick pitstop on the way to Queenstown, but it deserves so much more than a drive-by.
Even if you only have one night to spare like we did, there are plenty of cool attractions here that you won’t find anywhere else in the country. If you are tired of the standard hiking guides and want to experience the quirkier side of town, here are the best unusual things to do in Wanaka that prove this destination is delightfully unique.
Quirky and Unusual things to do in Wanaka
We were only in Wanaka for one night, but it ended up being the perfect place for a little relaxation before we hit the crazy adrenaline capital of New Zealand (aka Queenstown). While many people flock here just to see the famous Wanaka Tree or hike Roys Peak, we wanted to track down the more unconventional highlights.
If you are looking for unique things to do in Wanaka, add these two offbeat attractions to your South Island itinerary:
Watch a movie at Cinema Paradiso
What’s so special about a cinema? I hear you ask. Well, this one has SOFAS and retro CARS inside the theatre!
Hubby and I used to be quite avid cinema goers and always joked that we should have our own private sofa at the cinema. At Cinema Paradiso, our wish finally came true. Before we even arrived in New Zealand, we decided that we’d go and see the latest Hunger Games movie at some point during the trip. As luck would have it, we found ourselves in Wanaka shortly after its release date. Perfect timing!
The cinema is small and intimate (it only features 2 screens), so advance booking is highly recommended. We popped in just before lunch to book our tickets for the 5:00 PM showing and managed to snag the very last 2 tickets! Seating isn’t pre-allocated, so it operates on a first-come, first-served basis.
Top tip: If you’re planning on a cosy movie experience with your significant other, make sure to choose a distinct two-seater sofa. Otherwise, you may find your romantic evening for two gate-crashed by a third random movie lover when the staff try to squeeze the latecomers in!
My favourite thing: Besides the novelty seating, I loved how affordable the drinks were here, especially compared to cinema prices back home in the UK.
Something to note: There is an old-school interval halfway through each film where you can go and buy freshly baked, warm cookies. I actually found this a tiny bit annoying as I was getting into the flow of the film and wasn’t quite hungry enough for a cookie yet, though everyone else raved about them!
Get Mind-Boggled at Puzzling World
Puzzling World is kind of hard to describe. It is like a bizarre museum of optical illusions and eccentricity that proudly describes itself as “Wanaka’s Wonderful World of Weirdness”. You can instantly tell what you’re in for just by looking at the slanting architecture of the building itself!
There are incredible holograms and optical illusions dotted about on the walls throughout the experience. One of the first spaces you enter is the Tilted House, where the floor is built at one dramatic angle while the walls appear to be slanting at another. It features a chair lift that seemingly travels uphill against gravity, alongside all sorts of other mind-boggling oddities. I couldn’t actually spend too long in this specific room as the skewed perspective made me feel a bit seasick!
Puzzling World is truly one of those places that is better experienced than described. It doesn’t take very long to walk around, but it is fun, interesting and a decent way to spend a morning (which we did right before we left for Queenstown). Even the public toilets here feature optical illusions painted onto the floor. Plus the cafe has puzzles to play with while you stop for a refreshment.
Top tip: Keep your eyes open when browsing some of the local tourist magazines for discount coupons. You can usually find these magazines in hostels or information centres. They come in pretty handy when you’re exploring New Zealand on a budget.
My favourite thing: The Ames Room is awesome. You enter through one door and your friend enters through the other. Even though you are both standing in the exact same room, a clever forced-perspective illusion makes one of you look like a towering giant and the other look teeny tiny! You can ask a passer-by to take a photo for you, or you can watch your hilarious movements back on the tv they have there. Check out my video at the bottom of this post to see what I’m talking about.
Something to note: There are several entry ticket options for Puzzling World. It costs $26.50 for the Illusion Rooms, $22 for The Great Maze or $32.50 for both. Prices vary for children, seniors and family groups. Because we had a tight driving schedule later in the day and weren’t sure how long we’d get lost in the maze, we opted to just pay for the Illusion Rooms.
Book your tickets for Puzzling World on Viator.
Here’s a short and sweet video we made at Puzzling World. The Ames Room is at the end. Enjoy!
Plan Your Trip to Wanaka, New Zealand
If you are mapping out your own South Island road trip itinerary, here are a few quick tips for spending a night in this beautiful lakeside town:
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How Long to Spend in Wanaka: While a single night is enough to tick off these quirky attractions, giving yourself 2 to 3 days will allow you to explore the local wine regions, kayak on Lake Wanaka, or tackle famous hiking trails like Roys Peak.
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The Best Time to Visit: Summer (December to February) offers gorgeously warm weather perfect for lakeside dining, while winter (June to August) transforms the town into a bustling ski hub. We visited in November and while the weather in our previous stop (Franz Josef) was rainy, Wanaka gave us beautiful sunshine.
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Getting There: Wanaka is a scenic 4 hour drive south of Franz Josef glacier, or just over a 1 hour drive from nearby Queenstown.
Whether you love classic movies with comfy sofas or mind-bending illusions, stepping off the beaten path reveals that some of the absolute best things to do in Wanaka are the ones you least expect.
WOW Puzzling world looks like so much fun! Shame it’s the other side of the world from here!! #lifelovinglinkie
Yeah it was really cool! Something a bit different 🙂
Love the cinema idea!! Looks so cosy! Puzzling World looks very interesting!! #LifeLovingLinkie
It was. I wish all cinemas were like that!
I love that cinema. It looks like a really fun place to watch a film. Suits you, it’s very quirky!
Sally @ Life Loving
#LifeLovingLinkie
That cinema was so much more comfy than your average! We loved our sofa 🙂
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