Glenorchy is a tiny town on the northern shores of Lake Wakatipu and is easily one of my favourite places in New Zealand.

The town is surrounded by snowy mountain peaks, lakes, and ancient forests and is best known for its famous Jetty and Little Red Shed.

But the reason I love it so much is that it's the closest town to one end of the world-famous Routeburn Track. This 33km, one-way walk between Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks is a huge bucket list tick for so many people!!

Other activities include jetboating, horseback riding, and 4x4 tours through some of Aotearoa's most beautiful scenery.

How to get there

Glenorchy is around 45 minutes from Queenstown along the shores of Lake Wakatipu. You can visit Glenorchy for the day, but if you can stay a night or two, I promise you won’t regret it.