Wanaka

A single willow stands rooted out in the shallows near the shore. A line forms to photograph it, and notices ask people not to climb it.

Six hours there and back, almost all of it uphill, with the lake and its islands from the ridge. The track closes in October and November to protect the lambing.

A leaning house, illusion rooms and a maze are gathered on one site. The maze runs about an hour, with escape doors partway through.

A swing bridge and three hours of valley walking reach the base of the glacier. Even in summer the sound of ice breaking off carries down the valley.

An hour up above a small lake opens the whole of the large one. It is shorter than Roys Peak and is what people pick when time is tight.

Old sofas and armchairs stand in place of cinema seats. An interval is kept partway through, and freshly baked cookies are sold in it.

A timber hotel from the gold years still stands beside the road. In winter it sits on the way to a ski field, and the traffic reflects that.

The jump takes place above a view of the southern alps and three lakes. Two altitudes are sold, and the higher one gives a longer drop.

Fifteen minutes away lies a second lake whose water reads darker. A camping ground that costs nothing sits on its shore under a very dark sky.

A flat cycle route follows the shore and continues as far as the river. Gravel sections favour a wider tyre.

A rounded rocky hill just east of the town centre, about 90 minutes for the loop up and down. From the top, Lake Wanaka, the town and the Clutha River lie spread out together. Far shorter than Roys Peak, it is a good leg-stretcher on the evening you arrive.

A bush walk on the road to Haast Pass ends at blue pools of glacier meltwater so clear every pebble on the bottom shows. The path crosses two swing bridges, and from them you look down on trout. Sandflies swarm, so put on repellent first.

A summit on the thin strip dividing Lake Wanaka from Lake Hawea, so both lakes show together from the top. The track zigzags up farm slopes with almost no shade. It sees fewer people than Roys Peak, so summit photos come out less crowded.

A private collection packing several hangars beside the airport with old cars, aircraft and toys. The toy cabinets run on and on, and adults linger hunting for the toys of their own childhood. It is a good rainy-day outing with children.

Arethusa Pool lies near the top of this island in Lake Wanaka, water held within land held within water, all on the South Island. It is predator-free, and flightless weka wander close to visitors. Only boat tours go, and they include planting a tree.

A lakeside bay a 15-minute drive along the western shore, facing the ranges towards Mount Aspiring. In summer its campground fills with tents and campervans. With fewer people than at the town willow, it is a quieter spot to photograph the lake.

When a dam formed Lake Dunstan in the early 1990s and flooded the old town centre, some old buildings were rebuilt by the new shore. Cafes and craft studios fill the stone cottages. At the town entrance a giant sculpture of piled fruit is the photo stop.

A 152km cycle trail laid on an old railway line, opened in 2000 and the first of New Zealand's long-distance rides. Being a railbed, the gradients are gentle and it passes old tunnels and viaducts. Some tunnels are unlit, so fit a front light to your bike.