17+ Pros and Cons of Living In Wanaka (Explained)

The city of Wanaka in New Zealand is quite a “laid-back” Town, nestled in the mountainous region, at the southern end of Lake Wanaka. Lake Wanaka holds the fourth position among the largest lakes in the country. Wanaka is housed on the South Island, in the Otago region.

Even though it has it’s similarities with Queenstown regarding beauty, it does not have any of the heavy traffic or Queenstiwn’s hustle and bustle, making Wanaka a gem of a town to live in. Wanaka enjoys relatively mild weather, with the temperatures in winter reaching only a few degrees below zero (Celcius).

Benefits of living in Wanaka	Drawbacks of living in Wanaka
It’s calming on your nerves	Rent Prices are very High
The feeling of a true community	Local Businesses go for a toss
You get lots of exercise
It is a centre of opportunity
A lot of places to visit
A break from overpopulation
Cleanliness is of the essence

Table of Contents

Advantages of living in Wanaka

It’s calming on your nerves :

Wanaka, located beside Lake Wanaka in New Zealand, is filled with turquoise lakes along with incredible sceneries that include snow-capped mountains.

In the hustle and bustle of our everyday “modern” lives, something that we have had to completely let go of, is a bit of peace and quiet. But that is exactly what you get, living in Wanaka. You can live life at a far quieter pace, and it will not feel like the world is passing you by.

The feeling of a true Community :

Cities across the globe are very densely populated. So much so that, you might not even know your own neighbor. So it is very hard to build a true sense of a community in cities generally.

However, the city of Wanaka is a community, in the true sense of the word. Living in Wanaka you would not be surprised if you found your doctor shopping alongside you in the grocery store. It’s almost as if everyone knows everyone else personally.

You get lots of exercise :

The whole Community of Wanaka is very physically active as a whole. People of age can be found participating in various physically demanding activities.

All around the year you can see people in Wanaka taking part in a multitude of outdoor sports like Rock Climbing or Snowboarding or Tramping or Mountain Biking or Cycling or Skiing, etc. Children are often encouraged to take up sports from an early age and there is no pressure on them to give it up.

It is a centre of opportunity :

Wanaka, owing to its infamous “Laid-Back” approach to life, can be seen as a real center of opportunity. The reason is that in Wanaka you are successful if you are patient, and think creatively.

Their lifestyle choice of taking things slowly makes their behavior among the friendliest in the world. The whole vibe is very relaxed. So everyone is trying to be innovative, rather than competing against each other the whole time. This can give birth to really effective, futuristic ideas.

A lot of places to visit :

It does not matter when you are an adrenaline junkie, or you are a hiker, or you are just a wine lover who loves to travel a bit in your spare time.

When you are living in Wanaka, you will always find a beautiful place where you would be able to enjoy life, like you want to. There’s Roy’s Peak, with breathtaking views and 16km round-trip, or you can enjoy a glass of wine at the infamous Rippon Winery, etc.

A Break from Overpopulation :

Cities around the world have gotten immensely populated over the years. For example, Tokyo in Japan is the most populated city in the world with a whopping 38,140,000 people. New York-Newark in the United States of America has around 18,604,000.

Such huge populations in the same city can make a human lose his/her sense of self. But, with only 8000, living in Wanaka can make you feel you can breathe freely.

Cleanliness is of the essence :

The small population is one of the major factors of Wanaka being a very clean place to live in. As the population increases, so does pollution. However, with only around 8000 people, Wanaka has very little pollution.

Moreover, to attract tourists and sports enthusiasts for the sports activities happening year-round, every area is made sure to be kept spic and span. Groups like the “Wanaka Wastebusters”, comprising only of civilians, also lend a helping hand to keep their city clean.

Disadvantages of living in Wanaka

Rent Prices are very high :

People living in Wanaka find it really hard to do anything much with the money they have left after having paid their rent. A whole lot of people often end up in severe debt, just trying to pay their rent for each month, living in Wanaka.

The median rent, recorded in Wanaka, stands at an even 550$, for each week. This rent price is way more than the majority of all the central suburbs located in either Christchurch or Wellington.

Local Businesses go for a toss :

Owing to the fact that affordable housing is more or less non-existent in Wanaka, it is incredibly hard for the local businesses to find decent staff who will stay in Wanaka.

The staff simply cannot afford any housing on their employees’ salary. Frustrated employers have gone to the extent of renting or at least subsidizing their employees’ rents.

However, this is in no way a long-term solution and most businesses would run at huge losses if they tried this technique.

One of the main attractions of Wanaka would be the infamous Wanaka Tree. It is a willow tree that stands in the middle of a lake. The Wanaka tree is a symbol for Hope and even Endurance for the people of Wanaka, as the tree has stood upright through all these years through rain or shine.

Wanaka is a beautiful and peaceful place to live in. But it has a few problems that you might have to face if you try to become a resident in Wanaka. So weigh out your options and then take a decision.