Wanaka is in the Southern Lakes region of the South Island of New Zealand and is a 3 hour drive from Dunedin.  It  is located on the shores of the beautiful Lake Wanaka and is just a 1 hour drive from Queenstown.  It is renown for it's spectacular alpine environment being on the gateway to the Mount Aspiring National Park , has 4 ski resorts within a 30 minute drive from Wanaka town and is part of the Central Otago wine region.  It is therefore both a summer and winter playground.  Activities include lake cruises, jet boating, kayaking, sailing, rafting, water skiing, canyoning, river surfing, trout fishing, hunting, numerous day walks, tramping, mountaineering, ice climbing, rock climbing, horse riding, mountain biking, scenic flights, sky-diving, para-gliding, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, heli-skiing, snow-boarding, wine tasting,  warbirds airshow (Warbirds over Wanaka), Puzzling World, Transport Museum, Fighter Pilots Museum,  golf, driving tours, and excellent dining.

Here is a link to a web site that has a lot of practical information on New Zealand hiking and climbing conditions.  In particular the calendar and advise sections have information hard to find anywhere else.

New Zealand Wild Walks