The Road to Glenorchy
Glenorchy is a small township that sits at the top of Lake Wakatipu and it wasn’t until 1962 that the road from Queenstown to the head of the lake was completed, until then access to this township was by horse, foot or boat.
This road really is one of the most beautiful roads you could wish to travel. Leaving Queenstown this stretch of tarmac winds along the sides of the majestic mountains adorning the eastern edge of Lake Wakatipu. There are a many pull ins along the side of the road where we stop and soak up the world class vistas.
Some of these places can be busy, and thankfully others are usually quiet as a mouse. What’s great for you is that we know this road extremely well and exactly where to stop depending upon the season and current weather conditions.
You sit back, take in the incredible sights as we share stories of this place with you. When we stop it’s our job to take the photographs for you, with all of you in them. This isn’t like a usual photoshoot, we’ll get you really looking around you and immersing yourself into this incredible environment, and we’ll capture these important moments.
We’ve spent many years educating the young people of the Wakatipu Basin & Upper Clutha and beyond in all areas of sustainability. Our skills and experience in this area will facilitate a greater learning and understanding about this beautiful place you have chosen to travel to.
An iconic Glenorchy Travel Photograph, captured with ease
An iconic rural Kiwi town
We’ll spend a little time in the township of Glenorchy. The wharf and boat shed will be familiar places to anyone who has looked at photographs of Queenstown.
Even though this is a popular place for photographs, we’ll work with you so that we can create some truly stunning images for you to treasure for years to come.
We can walk along the very northern edge of Lake Wakatipu and watch the Dart River flow into this vast expanse of water. If your visit is in spring the lupins will no doubt be in flower adding the most beautiful colour to this already beautiful place.
Leaving sealed roads behind
As we head away from Glenorchy, it isn’t long before the smooth sealed road gives way to a gravel road. You couldn’t ask for a more perfect vehicle to be travelling in. Our 2015 Land Rover Defender is an outright classic with just enough mod cons inside to make it a truly unforgettable drive.
We’re headed towards Paradise and the start of the Dart walking track. The road soon starts to wind its way through ancient beech forest. Rivers and streams pass over the road and we’ll stopping along the way.
The forest is home to so many species of native plants and birds. We’re not in a rush so you can take to time to soak in all the sounds and smells of this incredibly special place.
Eat Local
We love food and on a trip like this it’s essential to keep your energy levels up.
We really love the food that is grown and produced around these parts and we do our best to share these delights with you. What we bring along for you to enjoy will very much depend upon the season.
Do you know that this area produces some of the worlds finest honey? We’re passionate about bees and love having our hive at home. We’ll either have some of our own honey for your to try, or we’ll bring some along from some other local bee keepers.
There will be spring water and a flask of hot water so we can fashion up a roadside coffee or tea. And there are just some days that are calling for us to stop at a local cafe for a hot drink and a slice.
A Few Details
This unforgettable experience takes us around 6 hours from picking you up from your accomodation in the Wakatipu Basin until dropping you back there, or somewhere else in town.
We aim to stop enough along the road to give you a range of the different experiences. Some of our locations require short walks through beautiful forests, so it’s good to think about footwear.
We provide a bespoke service that fits as closely as possible with your desires, so everything is flexible. As we get to know each other more during the drive then we’ll suggest options that we believe will be the best fit for you.
These aren’t whistle stop tours where you’re in and out of the vehicle as fast as possible. We want you to be able to slow down and relax, to take time to drink in the beauty that will be all around you and learn more about this incredible part of the world which we feel privileged to call home.
We understand that you will want to see your photos as soon as possible so we’ll be getting into the processing quick sharp. That’s what we’re about. Usually by mid morning the next day, often before, you’ll have a handful for social media with a subtle watermark. We will have your full set available via digital download within two weeks.
In terms of numbers, this is almost like saying how long is a piece of string. Rather than hold the shutter down and create hundreds of similar shots we’ve found that we produce a collection of between 120 - 180 images on the Top & Back Tours.
We have great printing deals which we’ll discus with you, and depending upon how long you’re staying in town we can deliver prints of your favourite shots to your hotel before you leave or arrange to have them shipped anywhere in the world.
If you have any further questions, please emailus@authenticAs.org and we’ll gladly answer them for you
