HIKE INFO:
LENGTH: 16.4 km (10.2 mi)
ELEVATION GAIN: 1180 m (3879 ft)
TRAIL HEAD GPS: -44.46135832, 169.24564968
This style of post is a bit new for this blog, so pardon me if I fish around for the feel of the narrative. The goal is to communicate both my usual feelings as well as some more pragmatic information about the hike. The boring stuff.
I hiked Isthmus Peak on January 22nd, 2025. It is a peak that is located on the isthmus that separates Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka and is supposed to have one the best views in the area. It is way less popular than Roys Peak in Wanaka, which can be an absolute poop-show during high season. I was more interested in something a bit more low key.
The night before, I camped the Kidd Bush Reserve which is along Lake Hawea. It is a reasonable campground with quite a bit of space, although when I was there it was a bit crowded and noisy with boats and people. The area along the lake is nice, but all the camper vans have left a fair amount of trash and toilet paper there. Boo!
The trail head is located on Highway 6, on the north end of Lake Hawea about a 10 minute drive from Kidd Bush and 45 minutes from Wanaka. There are actually 2 parking areas for the hike, so if the small one is full just go a little further south and you will almost certainly find space at the larger one.
I got up around 6:15 AM to get an early start as it was going to be a warm day and there is next to know cover on the hike. You will get roasted. I got to the parking area, finished my coffee and headed up the trail. There were already 3 other cars there.
One thing that I had not found reported anywhere, but is for many an important detail, there is a toilet at the beginning of the trail — you just can’t see it from the parking lot. You need to hike about 3 or 4 minutes up the trail and there it is. While on the topic, there is also another toilet on the hike after you reach about the 800 meters of climbing point. Just an FYI.
The trail climbs up steeply for a bit through some trees and then traverses parallel to a fence line where it intersects a valley. From here, the real climbing begins. The trail is really a 4×4 road and not really a trail. Mostly the footing is good with a few loose rocky areas — it’s just steep.
As I was going up a party of 3 passed me and the dude said “Hey, nice Canon! What body?” I told him D6 Mark II. He had an R5. Turns out he was a professional wedding photographer and clearly had good gear. A little further up, a woman ran by me like I was standing still. Ooooppph. I guess the record up and down is just over 2 hours.
Although the view doesn’t change a lot as you climb, the rock outcroppings along the way are pretty cool, especially as the light angle changes.
There was a 4×4 vehicle parked way up on the road. That must have been quite a drive up to get there. I do not think I would take Susanne on that drive! I presumed it must be some hunters.
It was getting pretty hot as I got up near the top, so I was glad I had started early in the day. Although the afternoon lighting would be nice, the heat would be tough.
I made it to the top in about 2 1/2 hrs. It has a great view of Lake Wanaka, Lake Hawea and back into the Mt. Aspiring National Park. I chatted with the photographer dude, Warren, for awhile at the top. He has a pretty sweet gig. Evidently, unbeknownst to me, Wanaka is the wedding capital of New Zealand. I guess one of the popular things to do is to get flown in a helicopter to the top of some peak and get married there. Warren gets to fly up there and do all the photography. Now that is a an office worth visiting!
After a little food, I headed back down. The down is always the hardest for me, but it wasn’t that bad as the footing was mostly good. The total hike took just over 5 hrs with stops. I liked the hiked and it wasn’t the crowded zoo that Roy’s Peak is in Wanaka. It’s a good hump, but not killer.
wannabekiwi.com 
Let me know what you think!