South Island ▷ Queenstown Region ▷
Glenorchy
An Hour From Town, a World Away
Glenorchy is only an hour's drive from Queenstown but it feels like a completely different planet. They call it Paradise, and yeah, that's pretty much right. It's Lord of the Rings country, all dramatic peaks and glacial valleys, and honestly you can just drive around in wonderment and feel like you've earned something. The road is scenic the whole way, with a stop at Bob's Cove worth a stretch of the legs on the way out.
Beat the Buses, Stay the Night
The key move here is to stay overnight. Camp at the Sylvan DOC Campsite and you've got a good swimming hole at the back and the earliest possible start on the walks before the tour buses roll in. The Lake Sylvan walk is the pick for most people, 1.5 hours return to a genuinely beautiful lake with a brand new bridge. The Routeburn Nature Walk is another easy option, about an hour, suits all ages, though the road in is narrow so take it easy.
If You Want to Push Harder
For the fit and keen, Earnslaw Burn is the one to consider, though it needs an overnight and the first few hours through the forest are a proper grind before the payoff. There's also horse trekking out here through high country farm land, and the promo code RANKERS gets you a discount if you're keen on that. Sandflies are a genuine feature of this place, not an afterthought, so pack something for them.
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