Gorgeous Glenorchy - Definitely Worth the Wait

When I planned my trip south, I hadn't included visiting Glenorchy. Don't get me wrong, one day, I really wanted to explore this little township, but as I only had two weeks set aside to see "Autumn in Otago", I didn't think this trip would be the right time. 

For years Glenorchy has intrigued me. That red boat shed, the wharf, stunning scenery and also wondering what else was there?

Just before I left Nelson, my Mum asked if I planned to visit Glenorchy, adding the drive in was beautiful. I told her, 'No, not this trip'. But when I was in the area, I decided to put aside a couple of days to check this little township out.

And I'm so pleased I did! This little slice of paradise was definitely worth the wait!

The drive to Glenorchy winds alongside Lake Wakatipu. It's not until you drive beside the lake that you truly appreciate its length - it's 80kms long!  

Glenorchy is a small village, which sits at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, with a backdrop of spectacular mountain ranges. When, I arrived, it was bustling with tourists - some lazing the afternoon away at the local cafe and others photographing the wharf and historic boat shed. 

I took this photo the day we left (hence the difference in sky colouring from the day we arrived. On the right is a cafe/restaurant and the building to the left, is the Glenorchy Hotel where I stayed overnight in their carpark, which is on the far left of the photo).

The carpark beside the Glenorchy Hotel, allows self contained camper vans to stay, on the condition you purchase a meal from their hotel.

When I pulled into the hotel's carpark, I was pleasantly surprised to see a  long, colourful bus parked up. This bus belongs to an amazing family who are documenting their journey on a You Tube channel called 'Ordinary Extraordinary'. They (the Dove Londons) share their joys and journeys of parenting their gorgeous twin boys with cerebral palsy. Once you start following their channel, you'll be hooked.

Once parked, we set off to explore. Glenorchy has that nice, laidback feel. After we'd walked passed the township, I let the dogs off their leads. Tourists were pleased to see them, they got lots of pats and had their photos taken. It was nice to be in a place where people were dog-friendly and easy going. 

Glenorchy was named after Glen Orchy, a valley in Argyll, Scotland. Nowadays, this popular touristy township has a couple of cafes, a small store, a petrol station and a hotel. The hall on the Main Street, displays photo collages of community members along the walls.

Beside the boat shed, a willow lay on it's side, cloaked in its magnificent autumn attire. 

The couple, in the photo below, were all dressed up for a photo shoot. Wow - what a stunning place to capture and record their special moment.

Glenorchy's Waterfront Reserve sits opposite the boat shed. The picnic tables offer million dollar views across the lake, with towering mountains in the background.

Bursting out of the water, beside the jetty, is a row of eye-catching trees. I'm surprised these trees aren't as famous or as photographed as the 'Wanaka tree'. 

A lone photographer waits patiently for that perfect shot.

About an hour before sunset, photographers began to appear along the riverbank, setting up tripods, and arranging their camera positions and settings for a sunset shot.

I considered joining them, but decided I didn't want to stand around waiting, in one spot. I might miss out on something else !?
Besides, there was a walkway nearby I wanted to check out. 

Near the village, is the start of the Glenorchy Lagoon, Wetland Walk (dogs allowed). The first part of the track meanders beside the Lagoon Creek, with glimpses of Mt Earnslaw.

Before long the road comes to a fork - on the left, the track continues across a foot bridge, and to the right, the path follows the edge of the golf course. It's a loop track so it didn't matter which way I decided to go. I chose the 'bridge' way. 

Ohhh, incase you're wondering ... yes, I always carry doggy bags and always pick up after them - the only thing we leave behind are our footprints.

The sun wasn't far from setting ... maybe half an hour. Ahead of me were lots of people, in pairs or in groups. Everyone seemed to be carrying cameras and tripods. One group of three were laden down with filming equipment and were walking quickly. I wondered if they knew something I didn't know about? I had a bad case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out!)

Why so many photographers?

Several times, the boardwalk branched off to a side walk, where a seat was placed for an optimum view. Along one side walk, were three people waiting for the sun to set. They had an awesome spot. When they saw me, they offered to move away so I could get a photo without them in it. Awww, how nice. And a teeny, tiny part of me wanted to say yes, and then steal their seat - hahaha.  I politely declined, thanked them all the same, and took the photo of the three of them in. I think they added interest, don't you?

Hours of labour must have been put into creating these boardwalks. The first part of the walkway was built in 1997, and then in 2012 an extension was added and it doubled in size.

Many times, I had to remind Boo (the smaller dog) to stay on the wooden boards, she was  keen to jump off to investigate further. Which would mean, yours truly, would have to climb in, to fetch her out! 

Parts of the lagoon looked dark and deep - yuck, imagine having to leap in to rescue one of the dogs. Eeek.

Even though, I wasn't in a prime spot to capture the sun when it dipped below the mountains, it was such an amazing evening. The dogs were exercised and happy (and dry), and I had enjoyed something pretty special. It was an evening I certainly won't forget.

As I enjoyed the wetland walk so much, I decided to get up early the next day, before sunrise to get some early morning shots. But, during the night it started to drizzle and I knew I wasn't going to get any sunrise photos. 
However, all was not lost. After this brief visit to Glenorchy, I know it's a place I'll re-visit, and next time, I'll make sure I have more time up my sleeve.

The next day, the rain stopped long enough for us to walk to the lake's edge and around the village again. The moody sky dulled the autumn colours and added another dimension to Glenorchy's charm.

Admittedly, my visit to Glenorchy was only short, but in just a couple of days, it's had a big impact. And as I was looking through photos for this blog, it's made me want to go back again, but for longer next time, and with Bernie. I know he would love it. 
It's a stunning place, one I'd recommend to everyone to see.

I  posted several photos ... cos I couldn't choose between them. 

My new favourite row of trees.

Oakly, not wanting to miss out on experiencing the iconic Glenorchy pier.

With a gloomy, overcast sky, the chance of rain was high. But, despite this bleak forecast, Glenorchy proved it can be remarkable in any kind of weather.

In the photo below, is a house with grass growing over the roof. They're called 'Green Roofs' or 'Living Roofs'  and serve several purposes, such as providing natural insulation, reducing noise, conserving energy and absorbing rain water. They've been building these types of roofs in Europe since the 1960s, and some have been known to last 30 to 50 years.

I wonder how you'd maintain a green roof? Wouldn't it need regular weeding? Wouldn't birds drop seeds when they visited, which would cause other plants to grow? 

Anyway, it looked very unusual, and unfortunately the owner wasn't outdoors so I wasn't able to bombard him/her with questions. Lucky escape!

We soon found ourselves back at our little bus - our cosy home on wheels. 

It was time to hit the road. Wanaka, here we come!

Kawarau Gorge to Arrowtown

Destination: Arrowtown via Kawarau Gorge

After walking part of the Bannockburn Sluicing track, I headed into Cromwell to fuel up and top up with groceries.

Now that the fog had lifted, the day was second to none. Blue skies, along with a warm autumn temperature, made it a great day to travel. So, we set off along State Highway 6, which follows the Karawau Gorge - it's the main route between Cromwell and Queenstown.

I was looking for a spot to pull over to take some photos, and before long I spotted a sign indicating a rest area. As it was close to a busy road, I left the dogs in the bus. I was only going to be away a few minutes, while I took a couple of pics of the gorge and river.

As I was standing beside a couple of tourists admiring the view, a horn began beeping. It was a continual blast, not just a couple of toots. At first I didn't take much notice, but the incessant beeping sound made me wonder if someone's horn had become jammed? The couple beside me chatted about it and questioned why someone who be so insistent.
Then a thought flashed through my mind. Oh my goodness, could it be my bus's horn? 
Nah ... How could it be? But...maybe...just maybe???
And sure enough, my 'furry travel buddies', were the guilty party! One of them in their effort to get a better look of where I'd gone, had leant over the steering wheel, and yip - the horn was where they'd placed their paw! 
Haha ... thankfully others nearby, had also found it amusing!

Here they are, back on their usual perches, trying to look innocent!

Arrowtown was the next stop.
The avenue leading to the town centre is lined with colourful deciduous trees, displaying vibrant autumn hues. Arrowtown's first avenue was planted in 1867, the trees planted were Sycamore, Ash, Rowan, Oak and Elm. 

This picturesque, historic township, which sits beside the Arrow River, was established in 1862, during the height of the Otago Gold Rush. Thousands of miners flocked to the river and at the height of the gold rush the population reached 7,000.  

Arrowtown - known for its four distinct seasons and as an enchanted gold mining village, has many lovingly restored cottages. According to 'Google' there are over 60 historic buildings and features in the township.

As I drove through the town centre, I saw it was bustling with tourists. Cafes were overflowing, footpaths were crowded and everyone seemed to have a camera in their hand, savouring the moment. It was selfie-central!

It looked entertaining, but crowds aren't my thing, so I headed to the Arrow River. 

Ahhhh - it was bliss. Nothing but the crunching sound of fallen leaves underfoot, birds singing in the afternoon sunlight, the soothing sound of a babbling river, and just the tiniest hint of crispness in the air. Plus that earthy smell so commonly associated with autumn and last but not least, the kaleidoscope of colours. 

I scored the river walk, a 10 out of 10. It was stunning. Just imagine how popular it would be in summer. Here we were in May, and the swimming holes still looked inviting. Admittedly, I wasn't brave enough to validate it, but as for the dogs - they didn't give it a second thought!

Oakly - without a doubt, this little guy makes my world a better place - He's always by my side (my magnet, my shadow). I love him to bits.

My wee buddies enjoying the walk as much as I was. They're such great companions, always eager to go wherever I want to go and for as long as I like. As long as they're with me, they're happy. And the feeling is mutual. I love hanging out with my dogs - seeing them carefree and happy.

Forever hopeful a rabbit will hop by.

We left the River Walk and returned to the bus via quaint little side streets. On my right, was the hillside above the Arrow River. It was ignited with colour - golds, burnt oranges, shades of crimson, magenta and scarlet, plus various tones of green. It was as though the deciduous trees were farewelling the golden season as they prepared for winter. Their grand finale was impressive! 

When we got back to the bus, it was lunchtime. Time for a coffee and a bite to eat before setting off to Glenorchy. Sunlight streamed into the bus, so I sat on the couch, soaked up the sun's warmth, and had lunch. 

Not long after we'd bought the bus, we had the windows tinted. 

I hated the idea, of being like a goldfish in a bowl - visible, without any privacy. Having tinted windows is simply the best! We can see out, but people can't see in. And while having my lunch, I saw proof of how effective our tinted windows were.

A couple parked their car beside us, and as driver got out, he peered into the bus and must have noticed the windows were like a mirror. So he rearranged his hair and checked himself out from all angles - haha! If only he knew I was only a few feet away. Such a great way of people watching without being seen!

Next, we set off to Glenorchy. 

After navigating our way through Queenstown we were once again traveling along a country road. Previously, I'd only driven through Queenstown in a car, so I hadn't taken any notice of how undulating and narrow some streets were.  It's funny how you notice those things when driving something a little bigger (and slower). Even a few round-abouts through town were on an incline.

Driving along Lake Wakatipu was an absolute treat. It is such a long lake!

Being 80kms long, Lake Wakatipu is actually New Zealand's longest lake, and is the third largest (after Lake Taupo and Lake Te Anau). 

The 44 km scenic drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy is all sealed. At a steady pace it takes about three quarters of an hour, but allow more for photo stops.

The road is reasonably narrow and hilly with several bends (some of them are tight), but it's an easy drive. 
My only *gasp* moment was meeting a tour bus on a narrow bend, he obviously knew the road, but I didn't! And, yes, I admit my blink was muchhhh longer than normal.

A few interesting facts I discovered about Lake Wakatipu. 

• Did you know that Lake Wakatipu has a tide? It rises and falls 10cm every 25 minutes. It's been said it's because of its unusual shape (it's kind of shaped like a comical lighting bolt). Maybe it's the result of atmospheric pressure? It would be interesting to find out why.
• Lake Wakatipu was formed 15,000 years ago during the ice-age and is the result of being carved out by a huge retreating glacier. 
• Long fin eels, brown trout, salmon and rainbow trout can be found living in Lake Wakatipu.
• This huge lake reaches a depth of 397m, which means the lake bed actually sits below sea level. 
• Five rivers flow into Lake Wakatipu, but only one flows out, the Karawau River

There are lots of popular walking tracks that start from the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road. Some are lake walks and others are through bush. Either way, I'd be keen to walk them all, but this trip wasn't the right time. 
Maybe next time,  when Bernie's with me ... then he can dog-sit.