Wanaka

Lodging: We stayed at the Wanaka Homestead Lodge, which is a small comfortable lodge a few meters from Lake Wanaka. You can walk to downtown Wanaka.

About Wanaka: It's a beautiful small town in front of a large lake surrounded by mountains. The center of town is full of restaurants, bars and shops. There are hiking trails around the lake and most of the town's activity is about the lake and its beaches. It is quite a place to visit.

Food: We had dinner at the Bistro Gentil, which is located up on a hill across from a golf course and it has phenomenal views of the lake and mountain from above. The food was simply superb. I had the best lamb I've ever tested. The Cardrona lambs roam free eating grass. The meat is super tender and tasty. We also had some of the best salmon we've ever tasted.