Ten minutes' walk from Wanaka shopping centre, this well-kept 6.5-kilometre track affords breathtaking 360-degree views of Lake Wanaka, Hawea and Mount Aspiring National Park. The walk will lead you through patches of manuka bush which in summer will provide wafts of a honeyed scent and add a little sweetness to your journey. The loop takes around two hours and climbs 545 metres to the summit of Mount Iron.
While there are some steep parts, it's a relatively straightforward walk. So whatever your age or fitness level, it's worth giving the Mount Iron Loop Track a crack and exploring the New Zealand wilderness on your own two feet. It's worthwhile noting that every meter of the track is clay, not gravel, so it's best to avoid the track on rainy days. Also, it's a dog-friendly loop and there are plenty of puppers on the walk — which is, frankly, not a problem at all for us.