one day in glenorchy/kinloch

I feel like the luckiest person right now. I sneaked away from Dunedin again and came back up to Kinloch for the weekend – after one really fun day and night in Wanaka – and I can’t get over how stunning it is up here in the High Country. I found a station for sale the last time I was here and I’m trying to convince my parents that buying a huge property at the base of Mount Aspiring National Park is the best life decision they could make. I mean, if I have to stay here and take care of it, I guess I can do that?

So many people don’t take the drive to Glenorchy from Queenstown. So many do, however, and those people know how special it is up here. Just look at that winding road. How perfect is it?! I can hear you saying, “but Sarah, I looked at a map and there isn’t anything there! What can you do for a day up there?” I am here to tell you that there are plenty of things to Kinloch and Glenorchy that will occupy you for days. Let’s go for one day.

8:00am: Wake up to the sun peeking over the Richardson Range and get your day started early. There are several places to stay in Glenorchy and one in Kinloch. If you’re in Glenorchy, grab a coffee at the Trading Post near the wharf. At Kinloch, walk across to the restaurant and let John or Jenny whip up a delicious flat white with your breakfast. Enjoy on the porch while the sun lights up the lake below you.

8:30am: Lace up your riding boots and head to High Country Horses for an hour and a half tour of Paradise. Literally. You’ll catch their bus up to Paradise and saddle up for a leisurely horseback ride across some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. Imagine yourself in the midst of one of the Lord of the Rings battles if you prefer, or pretend that you’re Frodo himself taking the ring to Mt. Doom.

11:30am: You’ve worked up quite an appetite, so head into Glenorchy proper for an early lunch at the Glenorchy Cafe. They serve an all-day menu and the rambling old post office building has a lot of nooks and crannies to settle into. Grab a coffee to go at the Glenorchy Trading Post

1:30pm: Meet your skydiving driver and head to the Aerodrome to board a one-way flight. Strap yourself to a master jumper and let her rip. Float gently to the ground while trying to capture every moment of the jump in your mind. The mountains, the lake, the brilliant sun.

3:00pm: Exploration time! Make the drive to Paradise, a narrow gravelly road through sheep stations and mountains to the filming locations from Lord of the Rings. Or drive out to Greenstone and explore the valley hikes there.

4:00pm: Head back to your accommodation and slip into your togs for a leisurely soak in the hot tub (if they have one!). You have totally earned it! If you’re at Kinloch, don’t miss this. I find their hot tub to be one of the best I’ve ever been in – the view out over the roof to the lake and the mountains is one of a kind.

5:00pm: Step over to the restaurant for happy hour. John is usually behind the bar and always ready with a smile and your favourite drink. Sit by the wood stove or out on the porch and relax – you’ve had a busy day. Staying in Glenorchy? Grab a cocktail at the Glenorchy Hotel and Backpackers.

7:00pm: Catch the boat across to Kinloch for dinner or sidle up to the bar at the Glenorchy Lodge in town. Either way, enjoy a local(ish) beer or Central Otago wine with your meal. Depending on the season, bars will be open late for an after-dinner drink, or bring your own bottle from a Gibbston Valley winery and enjoy it in the lounge or on the deck.

And there you have it: one day in the Kinloch/Glenorchy area. An alternate itinerary is to do a full day walk along the Routeburn, Greenstone, or Caples track, all within a thirty minute drive from Kinloch and Glenorchy. End your day with a soak in the spa pool and enjoy dinner and a drink at your restaurant of choosing.

Like this post? Pin it!