On our recent short stay in Queenstown, we took the short drive to the small township of Glenorchy. The drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy is a majestic drive indeed, along a beautiful smooth road. It follows the northern shores of Lake Wakatipu, and is about 46km and takes around 45 minutes. I reckon this road is one of the best pieces of driving I’ve done in NZ. The road is in great condition and there are enough twists, turns and undulation to keep you well awake.
For the entire length of the drive, we were never too far from the lake and are afforded magnificent views the whole way. We were constantly oohing and arrh’ing as another stunning sight rolled into our view, each one seemingly more magnificent than the last. And the day was clear and cold with crystal blue skies, snow capped peaks and the deeper foreboding blue of the lake. Meanwhile on the other side, plenty of untouched forest and beautiful greenery to drive through.
Glenorchy itself is a tiny little town. Around 300 people live there. It’s the place where if you have enough money, you put up a nice little holiday house and spend your days enjoying the beautiful, pure environment. But you certainly need to have a good firebox and fully stocked wood pile. It can get brutally cold in these parts of NZ. There is a general store, cafe, pub and not much else. It’s really quiet and peaceful. And it’s not overrun with tourists. It’s basically the opposite of Queenstown. Just a few people strolling around taking in the magnificent scenery and crisp, clean, alpine air.
It’s not surprising that Glenorchy and it’s surrounds have been used as a location for movie and TV shoots over the years. It sure is a photographer’s paradise and we took lots of photos. There is a small jetty and from here you can just prop up and enjoy looking at the lake and the mountains. We saw lots of big trout cruising around in the cold, clear and still waters of the lake. All too soon, we were back in the car, and looking forward to experiencing the beautiful views again in reverse!
I had been many times to Queenstown, but like most others, I never bothered pushing further to have a look at Glenorchy. I’m glad I was able to make this trip for the first time with my partner Kess, as we have a wonderful memory of our trip to Queenstown. I really recommend taking this beautiful drive and experiencing a piece of pure NZ.
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