Lake Hawea Hostel

Lake Hawea and Wanaka offers some great mountain biking. Whether it's a leisurely cycle or a downhill single-track feast, there is something for everyone. There are plenty of family friendly off-road trails by the lakes, rivers or through the woodland. Bring your own or rent a bike from the expert local bike shops; guided bike tours are also available. Lake Hawea Hotel can provide you with packed lunches. From Lake Hawea Township you can find an excellent family friendly bike ride along the Hawea River track to Albert Town and Wanaka. For the more energetic riders Lismore Park jump park and the exhilarating Lake Wanaka downhill tracks in Sticky Forest are a must or head to the. Deans Bank Track (starting from Albert Town) is a purpose built mountain biking track and is great fun for whole family.
See here for full details of tracks.

Each year the Contact Epic mountain biking race is held in April, starting and finishing at the Lake Hawea Hotel. The 125km race involves the circumnavigation of Lake Hawea, riding through the Hunter Valley and Dingle Burn high country farming stations. The course is undulating and varied with river and stream crossings, lots of short climbs and long descents. There is also a 95km option for those not ready to take on the whole lake.

Racers Edge can help you with all of your biking needs including bike hire, sales and servicing.

Bells and Whistles has all of your front and rear bike lights at great prices and also stocks a wide range of other urban cycle accessories. Also check out their pedal straps and range of locks.

FreerideNZ offers mountain biking tours around Lake Wanaka – from day trips including heli biking to multi day tours.

Lake Hawea Hotel is on the doorstep to six international ski areas and the largest heli-skiing area outside North America. Making the Lake Hawea Hotel the perfect base to experience some of the South Island and New Zealand's best skiing and snowboarding, and is the ultimate destination for a South Island and New Zealand ski holiday. For the best skiing, snowboarding and ski accommodation Wanaka packages, check out our hotel ski packages for the 2012 winter.

Wanaka, fifteen minutes from Hawea, boasts four world-class ski areas – Cardrona Alpine Resort, Treble Cone, Snow Farm and Snow Park, with Coronet Peak and The Remarkables just an hour away, giving you the most varied New Zealand skiing and snowboarding experience. Whether you're into fun family skiing, peaceful cross-country touring, adrenaline pumping off-piste, park jibbing or mind blowing heli-skiing, you'll find it in Wanaka.

The New Zealand ski season usually starts in June and goes into October. Exact dates depend on the snow and the conditions, and differ for each ski field depending on their location. Check out the individual ski fields' for their ski season opening dates.

Now with OnePassNZ, you have the flexibility to enjoy the best that the Wanaka region has to offer. Eight ski areas gives you access to a massive 2230 hectares of combined lift-serviced terrain, and also offers tourists access to some of the South Island's biggest adventure attractions.

Cardrona: Cardrona Alpine Resort is a 25 minute drive from Lake Hawea Hotel and is a great family friendly ski area for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. It has a ski and snowboard school, and features New Zealand's best facilities for kids, with excellent terrain for developing skills and confidence, offering all types of ski and snowboard lessons for all kinds of kids. A range of half-pipes and terrain park facilities complete the picture and keeps the freestylers coming back for more. Cardrona also offers the country's most comprehensive, on-mountain, fully licensed early childcare centres (http://www.cardrona.com/ski-snowboard/kids-5). Catering for those aged 3 months to 4 years old, so you can have fun on slopes.

Treble Cone: Treble Cone is a 30 minute drive from Lake Hawea Hotel and offers a real New Zealand snow experience, boasting long un-crowded slopes, legendary off piste terrain and unrivalled views. And it has the longest vertical rise in the Southern Lakes with far reaching boundaries spread over two large basins. The terrain is varied and exciting with fun gullies, wide faces and exhilarating runs.

Snow Farm: Snow Farm is New Zealand's only cross-country ski area, and caters for all levels of skier.

Snow Park: Snow Park is a boutique mountain resort and is renowned for its world class terrain park and awe-inspiring views. Snow Park is also a 30 minute drive from Lake Hawea Hotel.

Coronet Peak: Coronet Peak offers exhilarating skiing and riding for all levels. It has a dedicated learner and novice area and is a social and fun venue with regular live music and a range of world class events. Coronet Peak is a 55 minutes drive from Wanaka.

The Remarkables: The Remarkables is also a 65 minute drive from Wanaka and is a great choice for beginners, novices, youth and entire families. Its high alpine location, fantastic terrain parks, great snow and friendly, relaxed nature makes it a true alpine experience for all ages.

For the more adventurous, there are plenty of Heli-Ski/Board operators in the region:
Southern Lakes Heliski
Back Country Helicopters
Harris Mountains Heliski
Alpine Helicopters

Lake Hawea and Wanaka offers some of the best hiking in New Zealand, from short walks along the lakes and rivers to multi-day guided adventures in Mount Aspiring National Park. Lake Hawea Hotel is on the doorstep to 12 different walking tracks. There are walks to suit everybody – ranging from 10 minutes to 6 hours. Lake Hawea Hotel can provide you with packed lunches, and our courtesy coach (max 10 people) can deliver you and pick you up from your walk/hike.

From Lake Hawea township you can find an excellent walk by following the Timaru River Road to Timaru Creek, a picnic and camping area. The trail that begins here leads through a valley of beech forest until it flattens onto a braided river bed.

Walking tracks skirt the southern edge of Lake Wanaka.

The walk up Mount Iron is a good choice if you're interested in geology. The mountain shows classic signs of glaciation – rounded on its upstream face and steep and craggy on the downstream side.

Mt Aspiring is Mount Aspiring National Park's highest mountain at 3,033m and was known to early Maori as ‘Tititea' or ‘glistening peak'. Since the age of mountaineering began in New Zealand it's been a draw card for climbers the world over.

Hike to the majestic Rob Roy Glacier walk and picnic by a cascading waterfall with native alpine parrots for company, while listening to the cracks of the hanging glacier high overhead.

The lakes and rivers surrounding Lake Hawea Hotel are a popular playground for fishing.

Many regard Lake Hawea as the best freshwater sports fishery in the South Island. Fish stocks include brown and rainbow trout, and landlocked Chinook salmon.

Surrounding rivers close by also offer world class fishing including the Hunter, Dingle Burn, Hawea and Clutha Rivers.

The main season runs from November to May.

More info – Hawea river on nzfishing.com
Fishing guides include:
Craig Smith – Hatch Fishing
Harry Urquhart – Lake Hawea Fishing and Farmstay, 03 443 1535
Ian Cole – A Fly Fishers Guide
Chris Riley – Eco Wanaka Adventures
Riversong guides
Greg Dougherty – Alpine fishing Guides
Mark Buckingham – Southern Lakes Fishing Safaris
Paul & Jake – Southern Rivers Fly Fishing Guides

Skydive in Wanaka is one of the most sensational activity to do! Fun, adrenaline, amazing and great memories. The view over the Southern Alps, the lakes, is just breath-taking. Definitely one of the must-do experience you want do to.