This little-known track tours one of the rare publicly accessible, yet undeveloped, shorelines of Lake Wanaka. Fabulous lake/mountain views greet each turn of the track the entire route. On a warm calm sunny Wanaka day this remote track to Colquhouns Beach is a dream come true, as the surroundings are 100% pure NZ—not a house in sight! Unlike most of the tracks near Wanaka, this one doesn’t require any steep climbing—it simply ungulates about 7km along the sparse hillsides about 100m above the lake before finally escorting you onto the mile-long Colquhouns Beach. The walk is mostly on an old farm road, which is good—the wide flat surface allows your gaze to wander over the mountains and coves and blue-blue lake without having to watch your steps. Arriving at Colquhouns Beach you’ll find a long scenic sweep of white-pebbled “beach” with mountains all around and Mou Waho Island front and center in Lake Wanaka. Mou Waho is the famed island which has a lake upon the island which has islands in the little lake. From the beach 2,339m Mt Alta peeks from high left. There’s more driftwood on the beach than you could burn in a lifetime, so maybe bring hotdogs and a lighter for a fun BBQ picnic. The odd boat may venture past, but chances are that it’ll be just you on this heavenly reach.
If you’re not up for a 7km oneway walk and maybe want an easier outing, then Homestead Bay, where the track begins, is a nice spot to picnic where the Matukituki River pours into the lake. Also, along the track just 10 minutes is an accessible swimming cove—the only one on the Colquhouns route.
This track would make a great overnight backpack excursion—at Colquhouns you’ll find flats for tents and plenty of wood to burn. Also, this track is a gem for Mtn bikes or trail runners.
WALK: There’s a mapboard at the carpark showing the route, but the map states that Colquhouns is only 4km away. It’s wrong—the beach is more like 4 miles, or 7km, taking a solid 90-minute one-way walk. The short path to the down to the actual beach is signed towards the northern end of the bay.
