Hello i have been reading about how wonderful the drive is to Glenorchy. people have stated its about a 45 minute ride from Queenstown. However when i put in the location on mapquest its showing over a 2 hr drive. help i am confused!

I've made the drive many times...it takes about 45 minutes.

thanks would you recommend spending a night there or should we just go there as a daytrip from queenstown

There's not much to the actual village of Glenorchy....the main attractions are the tracks and the fabulous scenery. A few of the tracks are difficult to get to, as you need to navigate unsealed roads, fords, etc.

We visit Glenorchy every single time we go to NZ, but we've never stayed there. We usually go for a day, do some walking and drive back to our lodging in Queenstown or Arrowtown.

There aren't many accommodation options and very few places to eat.

It's an easy day trip from Queenstown and unless you plan to do some serious hiking, a day should be plenty of time for you to get a good taste of the Glenorchy area.

Hi Melnq!

The reason you've never stayed overnight in Glenorchy is because there IS no where to stay!

Vic, just as Mel says, the reason to go is the scenery, walking, etc., the village itself is basically a wide spot in the road! You can, however, do some shopping at the one retail store if you're in the mood for some products made from the NZ pest, the possum.

Regards,

Melodie
Certified Kiwi Specialist

Thanks so would you say 2 hours in Glenorchy is enough. This is not including the drive there and back.

Actually, there are a few places to stay in Glenorchy Melodie.

There's a hotel, a motel, a backpacker's lodge, Kinloch lodge, the ultra fancy retreat of Blanket Bay, as well as a handful of B&Bs/guesthouses.

http://www.queenstown-nz.co.nz/infor...tion=glenorchy

montrealvic -

How long you stay in Glenorchy is really subjective....it all depends on what you plan to do... Do you want to drive to the elusive Paradise? Do you want to walk some tracks (many of which take awhile to reach)? Do you want to have lunch in the hotel or stop for a drink at Kinloch Lodge? Do you want to take the Dart River Safari? Do you want to just look about and leave?

Personally, I can fill an entire day there, but I'm a hiker.

If the weather is good I would do more than just drive to Glenorchy and back. It gets even more beautiful as you head toward Paradise (aptly named). If you take a whole day as Mel suggests there is the option to daywalk on the end of the Routeburn Track, which is well formed and not especially difficult. You can easily make it to the first hut and back.

I would love to walk. However we have 2 small chidren age 6 and 2.5 yrs old. are there any easy walks to do with them.

montrealvic, as regards the confusing information about driving time to Glenorchy, the info about 45 mins and 2 hours are both correct ! If you drive non-stop, 45 mins is OK. Can you drive nonstop ? NO WAY !! You will be FORCED to stop many times enroute, and at Bennett's Bluff, I challenge anyone to leave in less that 1/2 hour. So in reality, a 2 hour drive is the likely par for the course. The sceneries on the drive are too good to be true.