Wanaka was a place I went purely because they have an incredibly unique cinema that I'd seen in my early New Zealand days. Thus leaving it a place that has been on my list for so long I just couldn't stand being In the South Island and not going. It also conveniently fitted in with my bus route down to Queenstown.


I didn't really do much research on Wanaka before I got there due to the whole cinema thing. I knew there was a lake opposite my hostel and that was it. I didn't realise they'd be unreal views of mountains all around me and the lake. I didn't realise the quirkiness of the high street, or the amount of activities you can do around Wanaka. (I knew this due to the high number of shops renting gear.)

I got into Wanaka pretty late due to my bus being delayed by almost an hour. So I quickly went to countdown, bout a pizza and went back to the hostel to snuggle on the couch in the cinema room and watch some simpsons.


The next morning I checked out at 10am dropped my bag there and walked up and down the street of Wanaka. Before heading down to the lake to watch all the kayakers, and a parasailer flying high up in the mountains.
I sat watching for a few hours while I munched down on some breakfast I had bought. Before I decided I'd brave it myself and do a solo kayak for the first time. I mean what the worst that could happen?


It was one of those decisions that id been sitting on for the past hour as I knew I could kayak but my biggest fear was toppling over in a kayak. And I'd watched a few people being very rocky on the water, I also then clocked on to the fact they didn't know what they were doing.
So I put my big girl pants on and heading into the log cabin on the beach front to rent a solo kayak for an hour for 15dollars. An absolute bargain!


So an hour on the water and impressing myself a lot with my ability to kayak on my own. I came back to land with a feeling it was time for some lunch before the movie. What better than classic fish and chips either? Wanaka I did like your style. I would have liked to venture into one of the waterfront bars/pubs but surprisingly they were always pumping and being someone who looks like there 12 and has a bit of an anxiety problem, it doesn't go well with busy pubs.

So I sat in the park opposite the hostel instead watching the kids ride there skateboards and scooters around the ramps. Before it was time to collect my bag from the hostel and head the cinema which was right next door.


The staff at cinema Paradiso were some of the friendliest nicest people I'd encounters so far. They even let a few of us look in there famous room with car parts as cinema seats.

Oh did I forget to mention the epicness of this cinema?
It's made up of recycled seatings. Car, airplane chairs, couches, insanely comfy couches, recycling chairs, there was even a dentists chair just chilling at the front of my screening. It truly is an unreal experience. And to top it off they have an interval during the movies where
they have bakes a fresh Bach of cookies for you to purchase or maybe your more into they're home made ice cream. But I do t know how anyone can resist the smell of freshly baked cookies or the taste of them when they're still warm in the middle. Oh my. This experience all together was just wonderfully pleasant and I even cried my eyes at at the movie I saw.


All in all. I went to Wanaka purely for a cinema which was everything id have hoped it had been. And I left feeling like Wanaka was one of my favourite stops on my little 5day adventure.


Room 1 at Cinema Paradiso.