For several years, NZA Simulations has been one of the most productive scenery teams working in New Zealand and Australia. Their output has often been highlighted by the community for its detail and scope, giving MSFS pilots access to a wide network of richly-detailed airports, remote strips, heliports and landmark-rich regions.
That ongoing effort continues now with the release of Wanaka Region V2 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. NZA Simulations describes this as a complete rebuild of last year’s package. According to the developer, the new version was created from the ground up to align with the tools and visual standards now available in MSFS 2024, and it is offered as a free upgrade for existing owners.
The package covers more than 5,000 square kilometres of the Southern Alps and includes nine airports and heliports. A small agricultural strip on the shores of Lake Hāwea is a new addition in this version. Wanaka Airport (NZWF) itself has been entirely reconstructed. The developer says the airport now features new tarmac displacement techniques and updated photo-real surface textures across the runway, taxiways and aprons.
Every 3D model in the region has been rebuilt. The team states that all assets now include optimized LODs intended to improve performance in MSFS 2024. Airport structures are fully enterable, which enables users to explore interiors with the simulator’s avatar mode. The broader region has also been refreshed with high-resolution aerial imagery and updated terrain data, including the Mount Aspiring / Tititea area.
More than 20 mountain huts are included across the Southern Alps, several of them recreated with interior detail. Locations such as Whare Kea Chalet, French Ridge, Colin Todd and Brewster feature prominently in the package. The developer has also added a collection of regional landmarks, including the well-known “That Wanaka Tree,” the Red Bridge and the National Transport & Toy Museum, which appears with custom static aircraft and vintage vehicles.
Familiar sites from the earlier release return here as well. These include Makarora, Hawea Flat, Dingle Burn, Branches Station and Minaret Station, along with associated heliports and lodge pads. Additional items such as a new agricultural loader model, realigned rivers and lakeshores based on recent Bing data and an animated hangar door at the Makarora heliport are part of the upgrade.
The product requires the New Zealand World Update for full compatibility.
Wanaka Region V2 is available now through the NZA Simulations Store and Orbx Direct, with a Marketplace release planned.
