Day 19 (morning): Wanaka - Places to see in Glenorchy
A route through the places to see in Glenorchy It is the goal of today after doing the Roys Peak trekking in Wanaka yesterday, which although really incredible, left us tired enough to try to take the journey of this trip to New Zealand in 36 days, with a little more than tranquility.
And so, with this objective and this intention, we had a quiet breakfast in the Jucy motorhome and at 9 am, we left the Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park, our accommodation in Wanaka, on the way to Glenorchy at 100 kilometers and a couple of hours drive.
Remember that if you are interested in making a route through New Zealand by motorhome, we recommend you look at the Motorhome Republic page where you can see all the available motorhome options, prices and make the reservation directly.
Something important to keep in mind if you do this route through the places to see in Glenorchy from Wanaka, it is that along these 110 kilometers there are infinite viewpoints, most of them with stunning views, so it can be highly recommended, provided you have an extra day, dedicate a full day to this area of New Zealand, and which is among the most scenic in the country.
Be sure to stop at one of the rest areas in the Lake Wakatipu area, especially if you are lucky enough to have a clear day, as it is one of the most impressive we have been lucky to meet in New Zealand.
In this case, if you want to have a different perspective, you can also choose to make this Lake Wakatipu Scenic Cruise cruise or this aboard the TSS Earnslaw, an old Edwardian steamboat, where you can enjoy this wonder of nature from the Water.
Wakatipu Lake
Although normally the most prominent area of this route is the one that goes from Queenstown to Glenorchy, if you come from Wanaka, as we have done, you will make a much wider route, adding several kilometers with not a few curves, which as we mentioned before, will give you exceptional landscapes.
Lookouts on the road from Wanaka to Glenorchy
After not a few stops and no desire to stay here for several weeks, enjoying only the scenery, tranquility and watch life go by, we reach the first point of the route through the places to see in Glenorchy when it's 11:30 in the morning. This is none other than its famous and instagrameable red hut, located in the center of the town, where we park the motorhome right next to the lake, free of charge.
More practical information to prepare your trip to New Zealand
- 10 essential tips for traveling to New Zealand
- 10 essential places to see in New Zealand
- The best travel insurance for New Zealand
Route through the places to see in Glenorchy
The first thing we should not forget, even if it seems contradictory, is that among the places to visit in Glenorchy The locality is not exactly. Although currently take a picture in the famous red house It is one of the things to do in Glenorchy that you can not miss, besides that, little offers this small town in which there are no more than two streets and several shops, including a cafeteria, a restaurant and a gas station.
But the interesting thing is what to see in Glenorchy It is precisely on the outskirts of the town and is where you can enjoy nature in its wildest state or even, if you like adventure sports, enjoy any of the endless options offered by Glenorchy.
We recommend that you arrive perfectly at Glenorchy from Wanaka (110 kilometers) or from Queenstown (45 kilometers) in your car or motorhome, although if you do not want to drive or want to know more about this town and surroundings, you can book this Half-Day Excursion to Glenorchy & Paradise Scenic from Queenstown or East The Lord of the Rings: 1/2 day 4 × 4 tour to Glenorchy.
Road to Glenorchy
Glenorchy's famous red shed
Without a doubt, this point is one of the places to see in Glenorchy more frequented, especially since Instagram has made him famous and every day you can see hundreds of Chinese getting off their bus, camera in hand, eager to take the precious photo.
Once used to store ships, today it has become a small museum and exhibition, which you can visit for free. We recommend you wait 5-10 minutes in case you coincide with the visit of an organized group since these are usually very little time in the area.
The red house, one of the places to see in Glenorchy
Glenorchy Lagoon Walk
This small path, of us more than 1: 30h and very easy access, is without a doubt, another of the places to visit in Glenorchy essential and that would justify by itself a visit to the town.
Although initially it may not seem like it, the tour has several viewpoints to the lake, which on sunny days, give you moments that we are sure, will be unforgettable. The first section of the trail goes around the lake and when you reach the middle you can choose to return to the same place, continue to the end or take an alternative, longer path that returns you to the village.
If you have time, we recommend you to reach the end, but in case you go just in time, do not take the road back to the town, since the best and also with better views, is to return to the starting point the same way.
Glenorchy Lagoon Walk
It is 1:30 at noon when we finish this trail, highly recommended if you are in the area, and although our initial idea was to sleep today on the road between Glenorchy and Queenstown, in a spectacular camping area next to the lake, in the that you can spend the night from 5 in the afternoon to 9 in the morning, we have a small problem and there is no internet connection in this area and today we have to work. It is for this reason, that although very contrary to our wishes, we decided to make a change of plans and go to Queenstown, to be able to make some visit there in the afternoon and work, staying at the Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park for 65NZD the night.
In case you want to stay overnight in the area we wanted, you can look in the Campermate application, the option of free camping areas. You will see that along the lake there are 3-4 options. We recommend you to stop at all of them on the way to Glenorchy, to see which one you like best and be there before 5 in the afternoon, as they are usually complete.
It is at these times that we understand how important it is to make this trip to New Zealand by motorhome, as this allows you to make this type of change of plans, either due to bad weather or a situation like this, in which You finish a visit earlier than expected or take longer, and in this way, the flexibility of schedules and times that the motorhome gives you is really priceless.
Day 19 (afternoon): Glenorchy - Places to see in Queenstown in one day
