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Glenorchy Pages by kiwi
| Page Views: 2,576 Last Visit to Glenorchy: March, 2007 | GLENORCHY by kiwi - last update: Jun 26, 2008 |
Glenorchy mystique | Looking uplake to Glenorchy. |
The mountains are gorgeous, no matter what the weather. Glenorchy is away from the rat race and a very special place. Maoris of course were here first, but the first European settlers arrived in 1862 and begun setting up farms on the river flats. There was a brief period shortly later when the population blossomed to over 3000 with the gold rush. This was shortlived because of the poor yields and Glenorchy returned to it's tiny community. I guess you could say that it's next population boom, also very short lived, was the production team and actors of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy movies by kiwi director Peter Jackson.
Some of the names you may recognise from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, that were located in this area are:
The Misty Mountains.
Isengard.
Amon Hen.
Lothl?rien.
The Wizard's Vale.
Glenorchy is the main entry point to the Mt Aspiring National Park, and you will find a DOC (Dept of Conservation) Information office here with information on the walks and the park. Just remember the weather can change with very little notice down here and what seems like a "walk in the park" is more a "climb in the mountains" so make sure you are well prepared with equipment and clothing and food of course! ELB's are almost a must down here.
Some of the activities for you to do here are walking, jetboating, horse-riding and photography. |
|  | The Wharf.
There is a wharf at Glenorchy, down on the lakefront. If you don't fancy the drive up the lakeside to Glenorchy why not catch the steamer ferry Earnslaw in Queenstown and steam up the lake at a relaxing pace. |
| | The long and winding road.
For years this notorious stretch of road was still loose gravel, however it has now been 'sealed' and is much easier to drive.
I didn't see streams of cars, and although the traffic has increased, I doubt it is intolerable just yet.
There are one or two lodges up this road, that attract people wanting to get to remote corners. |
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| Pros: | "Miles away from the rest of the world." | | Cons: | "Can be cold and wet an inhospitable." | | In A Nutshell: | "True Lord of the Rings country." |
kiwi's Glenorchy Travel Tips
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 Comments for kiwi about Glenorchy | | | | |
deecat Sun Sep 2, 2007 00:04 UTC
I agree that the cloudy day pictures are amazing. What a beautiful part of the world. Enjoyed the information on the fur. | northeast80 Thu Feb 8, 2007 22:08 UTC
Amazing photos. I spent 5 months living off the road to Glenorchy, but closer to Queenstown, never got to Glenorchy :-( it looks stunning. | vtveen Thu Oct 26, 2006 19:52 UTC
Adding (and googling) a Glen Orchy tip on my new Scotland page, I found your Glenorchy page with nice pics and tips (for a next visit). By the way quite a difference from the Scottish one. | iandsmith Sun Oct 22, 2006 20:05 UTC
Totally agree with you about the road, it can be amazing, as clearly shown in your opening shot. |
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