Heatwave

Located on Dunmore Street in Wānaka, Heatwave is a community hub as much as it is an outdoor lifestyle store.

Owned by Alice and Fionn, the store offers a thoughtfully curated selection of equipment and apparel designed to enhance your time in nature – especially on the slopes, trails, and lakes of Wānaka – while respecting the environment.

Heatwave sources products from ethically minded brands worldwide, focusing on quality, durability, innovation and sustainability. They prioritise sustainable, recycled, and organic materials wherever possible and have maintained a PFA-free policy on waterproof products since day one. To champion women’s representation in outdoor sports, Heatwave offers a balanced mix of apparel for all genders across activities like hiking, biking, running and climbing. With styles that fuse functionality and urban design, it’s a bonus that everything looks great too.

If you’ve wandered Dunmore Street during the week wondering, “Where on earth is this place?” – here’s the fun twist. Heatwave appears only on weekends. Using their DIY skills, the team transforms General Service, a local coworking space, into a sleek pop-up store. They assemble temporary walls, hang shelves, and create a retail haven – only to pack it all up by Sunday afternoon. It’s an unconventional and hands-on approach that reflects Alice and Fionn’s passion and dedication.

It won’t take long for you to clock that Heatwave is more than a place to buy outdoor gear. Alice and Fionn have created a space where people can connect, engage, and find inspiration through events that promote fitness and mental wellbeing. From run clubs and yoga sessions to nutrition workshops, they’ve built an inclusive calendar of activities. Most recently, Heatwave partnered with After Laughter, a local non-profit mental health organisation, to provide free training for Queenstown Marathon participants. Talk about a bunch of legends.