Drive from Glenorchy to Queenstown
The scenic drive from Glenorchy to Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand offers 44 km of mountain and lake scenery. Get information on what to expect and see a video of this scenic drive from Glenorchy to Queenstown.
Hopefully you have already seen the video of the drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy I put out a week ago, and that I do not have to convince you anymore that you should do this scenic drive if you ever visit Queenstown and if the weather is good.
The scenic drive described in this article drives in the opposite direction, and takes you alongside the eastern edge of Lake Wakatipu on the Glenorchy – Queenstown Road from Glenorchy to Queenstown.
The scenery on the drive from Glenorchy to Queenstown is as spectacular as that on the drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy.
And on the way into Queenstown you can stop again on multiple locations including at the Lake Dispute Walkway and Bob’s Cove if you are feeling energetic and would like to do a walk.
How to get to Glenorchy New Zealand
Unfortunately, there aren’t many ways to get to Glenorchy by road. So the best way by road is just to drive in from Queenstown on the Glenorchy – Queenstown Road.
And the quickest way to get to Queenstown in New Zealand is to fly into Queenstown airport. However, if you cannot find flights to Queenstown, you can always choose to fly into either Dunedin airport or Christchurch airport, and then drive to Queenstown.
But please bear in mind that the drive from Christchurch to Queenstown can take up to 7 hours or more. Once you’re in Queenstown, there will be only one road going to Glenorchy.
Basic info for the drive from Glenorchy to Queenstown
All of the basic information for the Queenstown to Glenorchy scenic drive has already been listed in the previous article. This information does not change when you drive back on the Glenorchy – Queenstown Road from Glenorchy to Queenstown.
The road is still approximately 44 km (27 mi) long, it still takes about 30 to 40 minutes to drive it, it is still paved and hilly with a few tight corners, and you will mostly enjoy mountains and Lake Wakatipu as the scenery.
What I would recommend however is that you do the Glenorchy to Queenstown drive late morning to early afternoon to get light on the mountains and lake.
The most dominant natural features on the Glenorchy to Queenstown drive will be Lake Wakatipu again, Pig Island and Pigeon Island, and then finally The Remarkables as you get closer to Queenstown.
Video of the Glenorchy to Queenstown scenic drive
In the 5-minute video below, which was shot during a sunny day in spring in New Zealand, you will get to see snow-capped mountains around Lake Wakatipu, and also snow on The Remarkables as it had snowed the night prior to me doing this scenic drive.
Filed under Scenic Drives
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