Glenorchy travel guide

North of Queenstown (48 km) via the superb Wakatipu Lake scenic drive is the tiny former frontier village of Glenorchy. Backed and surrounded on both sides by the rugged peaks of the Fiordland and Aspiring National Park, the glacier-fed Rees and Dart Rivers and ancient beech forests, it is little wonder it has been labelled the ‘Gateway to Paradise’. Indeed, part of the attraction here, other than the pure scenic delights or activities is a visit to Paradise itself – an aptly named little farming settlement 20 km further north. So stunning are the mountain backdrops around here and so lacking in any signs of human habitation that the Dart River Valley became a principal filming venue for the Lord of the Rings trilogy as Isengard, home of the evil wizard Saruman, and the forests of Lothlorien.

Activities available in Glenorchy include jet boating and horse trekking. The village also serves as the main access point to the Routeburn, Greenstone/Caples and Rees-Dart tramping tracks. Both 4WD and scenic flight tours from Queenstown explore the Lord of the Rings film locations .