Is Isthmus Peak actually better than Roys Peak? | Wanaka Hiking Trail, New Zealand

Third and final hike in my quest to find alternatives to Roys Peak near Wanaka! Today I am tackling Isthmus Peak, which is a great, less-crowded trail with views of both Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. 📍 What’s in this video: Hiking the Isthmus Peak Track Reflecting on the three alternative hikes (Sawyer Burn, Corner Peak & Isthmus Peak) Views of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea 🥾 About the Isthmus Peak Track: Distance: ~16 km (out-and-back) Duration: 6-8 hours total. Elevation Gain: 1,100 meters, reaching an altitude of 1,385m at the summit. Difficulty: Moderate IMO (According to AllTrails “hard”, and according to DOC it’s an “advanced tramping track”) Location: Wanaka area, Otago region, South Island, New Zealand. 🗺️ Time of Visit: March 2026 📌 Timestamps 00:00 Hiking the Isthmus Peak Track 03:34 Similarities to Roys Peak 05:36 Walking the ridge 06:55 Made it to the summit! 09:03 Final thoughts on the three alternatives to Roys Peak 👋 About me Hi, I'm Sara! I am an adventure traveler, storyteller, and lover of all things outdoors. I’ve only just started creating small documentaries about my journeys, so bear with me as I grow in the process. But if you enjoy my work, I’d love some encouragement to keep going, so don’t forget to hit subscribe to join for more! ❤️ Support my channel If you find my videos and trail guides helpful, you can buy me a pizza slice here: http://paypal.me/sarafondo – thank you for the support! 🥝 Epic New Zealand Adventures This is my third time in New Zealand, and I love this country so much. I’ve done a lot of other epic adventures (some which will be documented on this channel, others on my blog and socials), but here are some must-do things if you ever find yourself in this magical country, too: Heli-hiking the Franz Josef Glacier (this is the company I went with): https://viator.tpo.li/UFANeMsz Milford Sound Cruise (I went with Mitre Peak which is a small boat, so you get up and close): https://viator.tpo.li/xLjRdtdh Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves in one day (two flies with one swat, as we say in Danish): https://viator.tpo.li/WXFJXeOd Whale watching in Kaikoura (another boat day, yay!): https://viator.tpo.li/9NDu5wqt (If you book a tour through these links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you!) 📲 Let's connect! Stay tuned for behind-the-scenes moments, adventure updates, and extra travel tips: Blog: https://sarafondo.com/ Substack: https://sarafondo.substack.com/ Instagram:   / sarafondo   TikTok:   / sarafondo   🎥 Gear used for creating this video This is all my tried and tested gear that I swear by: DJI Mic 3: https://amzn.to/4e5AUL0 DJI Osmo Action 6: https://amzn.to/4aybm8q DJI Protection & Accesories: https://amzn.to/4o8Ryy2 MicroSD for DJI Action 6: https://amzn.to/3QmTBSM Samsung Galaxy for B-Roll: https://amzn.to/4dSZrEz JOBY Gorillapod: https://amzn.to/4uTK44N Lacie Rugged Harddrive: https://amzn.to/4uUKBTO Waterproof Camera Sling-Bag: https://amzn.to/3RRCgSr Thank you so much for watching, and see you on the next trail! #hikingtrails #newzealand #southislandnz #isthmuspeak #royspeak #wanaka #hawea #review #outdoors #roadtrip