That Wanaka Tree, New Zealand

After we’d said goodbye and many thanks to our Franz Josef Glacier Guide, Megan, Matt and I quickly packed the car because we had a four hour drive to our bed-and-breakfast in Cromwell that night, and it was already 4pm! Our drive took us through the Southern Alps, so it was totally gorgeous, but as it was getting late, we only had time to make one stop in Wanaka, right before Cromwell.

Wanaka is known for many things: it’s a gorgeous ski resort in winter and a lakeside oasis in the summer, as it is home to NZ’s fourth largest lake, Lake Wanaka. When we arrived in Wanaka, however, my goal was to see one thing:

#ThatWanakaTree

“That Wanaka Tree” is the most famous tree in all of New Zealand. It’s a straggly little willow tree on the shores of Lake Wanaka, and the newspapers think it’s about 80 years old. For some reason, thousands and thousands of photographers, both amateur and professional, have decided that it is the most photogenic tree in the world. It even has its own Facebook page and Instagram handle. We took photos of the lil guy, none as stunning as the professional ones I’ve seen on Instagram, but I was pleased to have seen this #NewZealandMustDo.

After Wanaka, we drove 45 minutes south to our charming bread-and-breakfast in Cromwell, where our gracious host at Printer’s Bay welcomed us to a feast of local cherries and sodas. Exhausted, we hit the hay, knowing the next two days would be whirlwinds of adventure!