GLENORCHY
Glenorchy is another of those New Zealand towns
that are on a spur and under normal traveling criteria of going from A
to B determines you will not visit Glenorchy. Glenorchy is sited at
the end of a Lake Wakatipu spur and nestled between magnificent
mountain and alpine ranges. Hence the communities by line ‘Gateway to
Paradise’
The road to Glenorchy is a recently sealed bitumen
track that is now a delight to traverse. In a not so long ago era, the
access to Glenorchy was an arduous and long trip. That has now
changed, and given Glenorchy has a modicum of services will soon
experience rapid growth; i.e. wherever there is road improvements
people follow.
At this time Glenorchy is
a small settlement nestled
in spectacular scenery at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu. It is
approximately 45 kilometres by road or boat from Queenstown, the
nearest large town.
Glenorchy is a popular
tourist spot, close to many tramping tracks.
The local scenery received
worldwide attention when it was used as one of the settings in the
first of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films.
Glenorchy was probably
named after Glen Orchy in Argyll, Scotland.
The
historic town of Glenorchy, originally founded by Scheelite miners in
1862.
There
are two hotels of which one
i s
somewhat historic. The War Memorial is in the centre of the township.
The
Museum
and
Library
are a combined offer and the one and only church has communal access.
Now
from the Dart River web site:-
The
nearby Dart River and the Dart River Wilderness Safari leave from
Glenorchy and take you on a spectacular Jet Boat journey through
the Dart’s ever-changing water ways. Increasingly Glenorchy and
the Dart River are linked from a tourism perspective.
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So if
making the effort to visit Glenorchy, make the effort to do the Dart.
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