The Wānaka Lakefront is on Roys Bay, with an attractive 2 km sand and pebble beach backed by a reserve that separates it from the main road, Ardmore Street. The beach is popular for typical beach activities, including swimming and short-term kayak hires.
The centre of the town is on the south side of Ardmore Street, at the east end of the Lakefront. Pembroke Park occupies most of the space on the south side of Ardmore Street heading west. There are parking bays in several locations on the Lakefront reserve.
It is easy to walk the length of the beach with a shared walking and cycling track through the reserve. A separate shared path beside Ardmore Street, the Millennium Path, was developed in 2000 to commemorate the millennium. The path includes tiles noting famous historical events over 1,000 years, although there are a few gaps further back in time.
The lakeside is a photographer’s paradise, with views of the lake, mountains, and foreshore landscape. This includes mature willows and poplars, which are especially spectacular in Autumn. The marina, just past the Bullock Stream outlet to the lake at the east end of the bay, is attractive. The famous Wānaka Tree is at the west end of the bay and is best visited at dawn or dusk. Spend a few days on the Lakefront, and you will probably end up with a fabulous series of photos recording an amazing range of conditions.
It only takes about 15 minutes to walk from town to the Wānaka Tree. Then, you can continue to Wānaka Station Park, the site of an early homestead with well-established redwoods and other exotic pines planted by early European settlers.
From there, you can hike to take the Glendhu Bay Track to Glendhu Bay or venture in the opposite direction toward Eely Point, Beacon Point and the Outlet Track. The Lakeside is also a section of Te Araroa.
