Activities button



Welcome to Glenorchy
New Zealand:

Gateway to the Mt. Aspiring National Park :

Mountainland Rovers 4WDThe little village of Glenorchy can be found at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu. The jagged peaks of the snow-capped mountains act as a spectacular backdrop to this tiny South Island village, which is approximately a 45 minute drive from Queenstown. Click here to view the area map.
View from Queenstown Genorchy Road

View from Bennett's Bluff on the Queenstown to Glenorchy Road.

The trip here is a treat. The road from Queenstown to Glenorchy is one of the most spectacular drives in the world. The road skirts Lake Wakatipu for most of the way and climbs broad hills with views of snow-capped mountains. Catching a fish in these parts can be as simple as tossing a line in the Lake.

Maori passed through the Glenorchy area on their way to the west coast in their search for Pounamu (Jade or Greenstone as it is known locally) but it wasn't until 1862 that settlers arrived, using the broad river flats for grazing. Some 3,000 goldminers Rees River flatssoon followed but yields around Glenorchy proved less spectacular than in other regions.

The miners left and in the 1890s tourism evolved. A number of guest houses were built for adventurous European visitors travelling up the lake from Queenstown. The discovery of Scheelite (for making Tungsten, a metallic element used in weapons) in 1905 saw more than 50 workers extracting the ore right through until the 1980s.

Glenorchy has a population of just over 200 people today and it has evolved into a centre for eco-tourism. The town is also gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, which covers 355,543 hectares and is part of Te Wahipounamu (South West New Zealand World Heritage Area) Te Wahipounamu means "Place of Greenstone".


  "Queenstown, the Activity Capital of the World"  ©  

Destination Queenstown logoCanyoning on the RouteburnView looking towards GenorchyLake WakatipuParadise north of GlenorchyLake Reflections
Line

Glenorchy has many outstanding walking tracks in the area: Routeburn track and Greenstone Valley walks both start from here. The Routeburn track is a three day hike from Kinlock across the Harris saddle (10,280 feet) and on to the Milford road. This would be one of the most stunning hikes in New Zealand.

After leaving Glenorchy, travelling on the Paradise road you will come across many filming sites of Middle Earth in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Many tours leave from here also. Dart River Safaris run several tour options leaving from here, travelling many kilometres way up the Dart River deep into the Mount Aspiring National park. Most tours cover at least some areas of the filming sites. This is a highly recommended area to visit.
Glenorchy Air's new aircraft.Another way to see this beautiful area is by air. Glenorchy Air run numerous trips from here including their "Trilogy Trail"® They were also involved in flying actors and supporting staff during the filming of The Lord of the Rings in this part on New Zealand. Glenorchy Air also have one of the newest flight-seeing aircraft in Queenstown. It is a Gippsland Airvan-GA8. To see a map of many LOTR filming locations click here. Just hold your mouse over the links and a Red dot will show up on the map of its' location.
Horses during a river crossing Another popular tourist attraction at Glenorchy is Horse Trekking. Dart Stables are situated here and can take you on various treks in this stunning environment.

Lake Vista Bed and Breakfast staff can arrange all tour bookings in this area for you.

Email: