Wanaka (pronounced like Wanna)

This is a charming town. Only 4000 people, but it is to Queenstown whan Canmore is to Banff. Only Wanaka is about 45 minutes away.

It sits in the heart of ski country with 2 nearby hills, and it also sits on a huge, and I mean HUGE lake. I think it's about 45 km long. So it also has lots of summer sports and tourism.

We really liked it here, and on the spur of the moment, had a realtor take us around a bit. Housing is shockingly expensive considering there are no basements, no heavy insulation, no central heating, etc. However, it was fun to check around though we didn't buy anything, so don't book your flights to NZ yet!

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