General information
WanakaWanaka township is the closest town to Cardrona Alpine Resort which is only 30 minutes drive from the mountain. With a population of approximately 4000, Wanaka is a town that attracts people to its mountains, lake and surrounding areas. You can choose to come to Wanaka by plane, bus, or private car, and the following information is to help you before coming to New Zealand.
Transport by planeQueenstown and Wanaka airports are serviced by both Air New Zealand www.airnz.co.nz and Qantas www.qantas.co.nz airlines. Queenstown Airport is around 1 hour from Wanaka and is a great place to begin your New Zealand experience. If you fly into Queenstown, its easy to spend a few fun days here and you may decide to purchase a car or come to Wanaka by shuttle www.wanakaconnexions.co.nz.
Transport by bus
It is common to arrive into New Zealand to Christchurch City from your international destinations. Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island with a population of around 400,000. There is much to see and do in the city and a great place to purchase any items you may need for the winter, especially if you’re in the market for a vehicle.If you purchase your own vehicle to drive to Wanaka this journey will take you 5-6 hours depending on whether you make stops ie: Lake Tekapo/Mount Cook. It is important to remember that in NZ you drive on the left side of the road and that speed limit is 100km on the open road and 50km in residential areas. There are many companies that operate bus/shuttles to and from Christchurch to Wanaka, this trip takes around 7 hours by bus:
Wanaka Connexions www.wanakaconnexions.co.nz
Southern Link Shuttles www.southernlink.co.nz
Atomic Shuttles www.atomictravel.co.nz
AccommodationDuring the winter season accommodation is in high demand in Wanaka. We strongly advise you to find accommodation prior to coming to Wanaka by arranging this with friends, contacts, accommodation agencies.The following property management companies have a range of rental properties:Professionals Wanaka: www.professionalswanaka.co.nzWanaka Accommodation www.accommodationwanaka.co.nzOr check out the Upper Clutha Messenger online for flatmate wanted adshttp://www.printit.co.nz/messenger.shtml