Glenorchy

Glenorchy itself is a little town at the tip of Lake Wakatipu and the Dart River. It is home to about 200 people, many of whom are 4rth and 5th generation, but it is growing. There was some construction on the road and we found out that a new subdivision was going in.

At one time, the only way to get to the town was by steamship. People came from Queenstown by boat for picnics and a day out, and then often took a very bad track to the even tinier village of Paradise. We didn’t feel we were quite ready for heading to Paradise and certainly weren’t interested in the drive no matter how good the destination was, so we passed on that trip ... for now.

Glenorchy is situated in a very pretty, flat location with a mountain range and a river that weave around it. We tried to imagine owning a sheep farm and raising a family in such a isolated and scenic place. It wouldn’t have been easy.

Glenorchy has a wonderful, long jetty that we could walk out on and enjoy the views and the peacefulness.

Driving around the village, we noticed several quirky places - a tiny library, a general store, a school, a couple of cafes and some accommodations. Not really very much.

It started to rain a bit on our way back home but we had pretty good weather for most of the day.
It was worth the drive.Read more