NZ TRIP: Glenorchy

I’ve had a bit of a break away from publishing NZ Trip posts but time to get back to it!

DAY 10 (22 May)

Today we took a day trip to Glenorchy, a small town at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, around 45 kms from Queenstown. It’s home for around 200 people. Glenorchy was named after Glen Orchy, a valley in Argyll, Scotland. It’s famous for its sweeping, rugged landscapes that inspired filming for Lord of the Rings. Also, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian were also filmed nearby, as was the very dramatic, dark drama, Top of the Lake. It’s no surprise really that this area has been chosen so many times to be the backdrop of such epic productions, when you consider the beauty found here. We only scratched the surface with a couple of easy walks and a look around town.

On the drive to Glenorchy from Queenstown we dropped in at Bennetts Bluff Viewpoint. It was a short but steep climb to the viewpoint and well worth it as you can see from the two photos below, and there’s a short video of the view as well.

Coming up below you’ll see a couple of photos of the Glenorchy Wharf Shed (otherwise known as ‘the Red Shed’) which was originally built by NZ railways dept as a goods shed for freight carried on the steamers between Queenstown and Glenorchy.

You’ll also see photos showcasing how beautiful the landscapes around Glenorchy are. Most were taken from walking tracks (particularly from the Glenorchy Lagoon Walkway) or around town. We were blown away by the gorgeous scenes we saw on our walk and would love to go back another time to explore and see more. As well as the beautiful landscapes and water scenes we saw, we came across some beautiful horses in paddocks and encountered plenty of bird life, including black swans, paradise ducks and Canada Geese.

We had a small lunch at Mrs Glen’s Cafe (I had a bacon and egg muffin which interestingly had some chickpeas on the side!) and coffee later at Mrs Woolleys General Store where we also enjoyed a nice peruse of their Gifts, Homewares, Arts & Crafts while there.  

For dinner tonight we ate at Pier Restaurant situated at Steamer Wharf in central Queenstown. We sat outside to start with, under a heater, because it was so beautiful out there by the water with all the twinkling lights … BUT … it was freezing!! We were given blankets and tried to manage but the cold became too much (even for me!) and we headed to a table indoors. I had Beef Wellington and The Tennis Player had lamb shanks – both delicious!

This was to be our last night staying in Queenstown and I can say with certainty, I was sad about that! I absolutely LOVED Queenstown. I’d heard it was for young people and for thrill seekers and really thought I’d feel out of place. I know we were there between seasons – not quite winter (ski season) and certainly no longer summer (water sports and thrillseeking activities) but the vibe I felt in Queenstown was welcoming to one and all. There was something for everyone and so many fabulous places to go for day trips, including Glenorchy as featured in this post! It was a happy place that was extremely picturesque and felt magical and uplifting! All up we had 4 nights in Queenstown and I know that I would go back again in a heartbeat and I’d stay longer. There’s so much more to discover, explore and enjoy, and I want more of that Queenstown vibe!

Early start in the morning as we head off next to Te Anau.

Ciao for now,

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NOTE FROM MIN: This is my week over with Mum so I won’t be able to read and comment on posts that are linked up to this week’s #WWWhimsy until Thursday evening or Friday. I will do my best to reply to any comments on this post whilst over there though. Thank you for linking up and have a wonderful week!

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