Wānaka (That Wānaka Tree & Roys Peak)
That Wānaka Tree / Roys Peak Track
A lone willow in the lake and a famous ridge view
⚠ Roys Peak closed to 10 Nov
- Hours
- Tree always accessible; Roys Peak Track closed 1 Oct–10 Nov (DOC)
- Tickets
- Free
- Address
- About 1 hour 15 minutes' drive from Queenstown; the tree is on the lakeshore west of town, the Roys Peak track starts on Mount Aspiring Road
A single willow stands a few metres out in Lake Wānaka, and photographers from around the world set up tripods for it before dawn. It's smaller than you'd expect, but on a still morning with its reflection underneath, you get why. If your legs are willing, take on the Roys Peak Track: 16 km return and uphill the whole way, ending on a ridge with the lake and its islands winding below, a view that turns up on half the postcards in the country. The town is calmer than Queenstown, and plenty of people stay a night.