WAI Wānaka

05/10/2026

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Our monthly newsletter is packed with upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, inspiring community stories, and practical ways to support healthy waterways in the Upper Clutha.

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30/09/2026

Kā mihi nui Radio Wānaka and National Transport and Toy Museum, Wanaka for the delicious cake. Happy 10 years to us! 💙🎂

National Transport & Toy Museum Celebration Cake winner!

Last week we celebrated a pretty special local milestone, 10 years of WAI Wānaka🎉

Originally established in 2016, WAI Wānaka has now been part of our community for a whole decade, so what better excuse for some cake!

Congratulations to the whole WAI Wānaka team on 10 years. We hope you enjoyed your Celebration Cake! 🍰

Got something worth celebrating? A birthday, anniversary, achievement or special milestone?

📱 Text your celebration to 2442 and you could be our next Celebration Cake winner!

30/09/2026

October is here! And there's plenty going on. Here's where you can find us this month:

💧Wednesday 14: Microplastic Lab (2-3pm). Get hands-on with citizen science and discover what we're learning about microplastics in local waterways.

💧Thursday 22: Beach Clean up: Wānaka Lakefront, (10am - 11.30am). Help protect the lake we love while contributing to Aotearoa's Litter Intelligence programme. Shout out to The Sauna Wānaka for kindly donating vouchers as giveaways.

💧Thursday 29: Better Building Day, Wao Aotearoa Summit. Join us at the Better Building Breakfast and Trade Show at 7.30am. Come and chat with us to about freshwater, community action and creating a more resilient future.

💧We'll also be at the Better Building Tour (1pm to 5pm). Join WAI and Reset Urban Design as the tour visits Bremner Bay and Kirimoko. Together, we'll explore water and catchment thinking, and how the ways we design, build and live shape the health of our waterways and communities. WAI will share local research on stormwater and its impacts on water quality. Discover how thoughtful urban design can help create healthier waterways, communities and ecosystems.

Head to https://waiwanaka.nz/events/ to learn more.

📷️: Deanna Gerlach

30/09/2026

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24/09/2026

Something exciting has been brewing... 🌿

We're thrilled to announce a new partnership with the wonderful team at Eco Adventures, who share our commitment to protecting the health of Lake Wānaka and the ecosystems that depend on it.

As part of this partnership, one Eco Adventures Wanaka - Lake, Island & Mountain Adventures trip each week will help monitor the water quality of Lake Wānaka using WAI's Secchi disks, contributing valuable long-term data that helps us track the health of the lake.

Eco Adventures will also donate $1 from every guest booking to support WAI's work protecting local freshwater ecosystems. So when you book a trip, you're not only experiencing some of the rohe's (region's) most spectacular places with passionate local guides, you're also helping invest in the future health of Lake Wānaka.

Last week, some of the WAI team were lucky enough to join an Eco Adventures trip to Mou Waho Island and see their conservation efforts in action. Every trip includes the opportunity for guests to plant a native tree on the island, directly contributing to the restoration of this special predator-free sanctuary.

Partnerships like this show how tourism and conservation can work hand in hand to create positive change for our local environment.

If you've been looking for an unforgettable way to experience Lake Wānaka while giving back, we can't recommend the Eco Adventures team highly enough. 💙

🔗 Learn more or book a trip: https://ecowanaka.co.nz/

16/09/2026

Water is life and when it's safe and healty, so are we. 💧
In celebration of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, let's take a journey through the Upper Clutha Te Hurihanga Wai (water cycle) and learn a few kupu (words) along the way.

Like us, wai (water) is constantly on the move, travelling from the sky, through whenua (land), plants and kā awa (rivers), in a never-ending loop. This is Te Hurihanga Wai.

Nature's ultimate recycling system is powered by te rā (the sun) and gravity, transforming puddles into clouds and clouds in ua (rain). As wai moves through the cycle, it is shaped by the environment around it and the actions we take on the whenua (land).

👉🏼 Swipe through to learn some of the te reo Māori kupu that help tell its story.

🔗 Want to know more? Head to https://waiwanaka.nz/upper-clutha-water-cycle/ to explore the Upper Clutha water cycle.

15/09/2026

Please join us in welcoming two outstanding new trustees to the WAI Wānaka Board. 👏🏼

We're thrilled to announce the appointment of Professor Ross Thompson and Dr Greg Ryder, whose combined expertise in freshwater science, environmental monitoring and governance will help strengthen our work to protect Upper Clutha's freshwater ecosystems.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have trustees of Ross and Greg’s calibre joining our Board,” says WAI Wānaka Chief Executive, Cat Dillon.

With deep knowledge, strong networks and a shared commitment to freshwater protection, Ross and Greg will play an important role in shaping WAI's future direction and impact.

👉🏼 Learn more about our newest trustees: https://waiwanaka.nz/about/wai-team/

08/09/2026

Planning on heading up to TC on Friday? Swing by our WAI Wānaka x Treble Cone Car Wash from 1pm to 4pm.

Look out for the FREE Carwash signs at the bottom of the Treble Cone Ski Area access road, stop in for a wash, support a great cause, and learn more about how we can protect local waterways from stormwater pollution.

👉🏼 Keen to lend a hand? We're looking for one more volunteer to bring posi vibes, greet customers and help wash cars. And thanks to our mates at TC, you'll also score a day pass to enjoy a few laps on the mountain as a thank you for your mahi.

🔗 Head to https://waiwanaka.nz/events/ for event info, including how to sign up to volunteer.

01/09/2026

September has sprung and with it brings beach clean-ups, a WAI x Treble Cone carwash, Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and World Rivers Day.

It also marks one whole decade of WAI Wānaka. And we think that's pretty special. 💙

Here's what's on this month:
💧 Beach Clean up: Beacon Point, Penrith Park, Thurs 3 Sept
💧 WAI Wānaka x Treble Cone Car Wash , Fri 11 Sept
💧 Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, 14-20 Sept
💧 Beach Clean Up: Bremner Bay , Thurs 24 Aug
💧 World Rivers Day, Sun 27 Sept

We're looking for two more volunteers for our WAI x Treble Cone Ski Area Carwash next Friday 11 September, from 1-4pm. Volunteers will receive a lift pass for TC for the morning of the event. Sign up at link below.

🔗 To learn more, head to www.waiwanaka.nz/events
See you out there!

📷: Deanna Gerlach

27/08/2026

Happy World Lake Day! Now in only its second year, World Lake Day raises global awareness about the importance of lakes and the need to conserve and protect them.

Healthy lakes don't happen by accident. The good news? Looking after them is something we can all be part of.

Whether it's picking up rubbish, respecting freshwater ecosystems, or simply learning more about the challenges these lakes face, every action matters.

A quick update: Due to the weather forecast, today's beach clean-up at Beacon Point has been postponed. Join us next Thursday 3 September instead, from 3.30pm to 5pm. We'd love to see you there as we come together to care for the lake we all love.

Thanks to New Zealand Motor Caravan Association Inc - NZMCA Greenfund for supporting this event, and to Cook Brothers Construction for kindly sponsoring waste disposal.

📷️: Deanna Gerlach

United Nations UNESCO