Exploring Glenorchy and looking for Lord of the Ring’s Isengard.

20 March 2025  

The journey from Queenstown to Glenorchy is one of the most scenic drives in the world but the town of Glenorchy is a nice attraction in its own right. Glenorchy is a small and quiet town, with just a couple of streets, located on the northern shore of Lake Wakatipu.

We arrived at Glenorchy in the early afternoon and went to the most scenic spot in town. This is none other than the iconic red shed located at the entry point to the Glenorchy pier.

Glenorchy Wharf Shed and Pier

Iconic red shed in Glencorchy.

It is worthwhile to go into the shed to read about the history of the town and how the people of Glenorchy used the shed to store and sort the goods that arrived on lake steamers back in the old days.

The railway trolley could be seen on the side of the shed.

The red shed is known as the Wharf Shed by the locals. Before the road to Glenorchy was built, lake steamers carried goods from Queenstown to Glenorchy. The steamers were owned by the NZ Railway Department and Glenorchy is listed as a railway station. It was interesting to read that there were rails from the end of the wharf to the shed. These were used to move goods from the steamers to the shed and technically were the shortest length of railway laid in NZ.

Interesting bit of history to read.

A walk down the historic jetty is a good way to appreciate the beautiful mountain views around Glenorchy.

The walk on the wharf is very nice and is a great place for photos.

     Crystal clear water of Lake Wakatipu. 

 

 

From the wharf, we took a walk on the “beach” before heading towards the start of the Glenorchy Walkway which leads to the Glenorchy Lagoon. 

Wanaka has the famous Wanaka Tree and Glenorchy has its own signature Glenorchy Trees. 

Glenorchy Trees is a picturesque row of trees submerged in the water. 

Lone tree on the Glenorchy Beach. 

Glenorchy Beach.

There are locals fishing on the shore of the lake.

Glenorchy Lagoon Walk

Information on the Glenorchy Lagoon Walk. Spot the error on the signboard.

The Glenorchy Lagoon Walk is a flat and easy walk, and should take under an hour to complete. We walked a short stretch and then decided to skip the rest of the trail and go for a coffee break. The weather was too hot and we wanted some time to drive to the Isengard Viewpoint.

View of the landscape along the Glenorchy Lagoon Walk.

Mrs Woolly’s General Store.

The best place for coffee and snacks is at Mrs Woolly’s General Store.

We parked our car right next to the signboard.

This quaint store is located in the middle of the town and offers unique and handmade NZ souvenirs, plus groceries, pies, coffee and gelato.

Mrs Woolly’s General Store.

The store is known for their delicious meat pies. The pies were so popular that all were sold out, except for the last salmon pie that we bought.

Salmon pie with flaky crust and chunky pieces of salmon.

Interior of Mrs Woolly’s General Store.

Book exchange service outside the store.

Isengard Viewpoint

Being in Glenorchy offered an opportunity to visit one of the filming locations of the Lord of the Rings movie. The Dart River Valley and its surrounding mountains served as the backdrop for the approach to the movie’s Isengard and other scenes.

The Isengard Viewpoint on Kinloch-Glenorchy Road provides a stunning view of the area and was used for filming the Isengard location. The viewpoint, as marked on Google Map here, is only 15 minutes past Glenorchy and was definitely worth the drive for the amazing views. 

There is a parking area before the bridge on the left side. We walked to the bank of the river, go under the bridge and over to the edge of the Dart River.

View of the bridge at Isengard Lookout. 

The Dart River is a very shallow and broad and the banks are filled with gravel. Walking on the river bank was easy at this time of year. We even saw some tracks of vehicles that had driven on it.

This is the place to look at the Isengard viewpoint after crossing under the bridge.

We met a few other groups of Lord of the Rings fans here, all enjoying the views and also trying to pinpoint the location of Isengard. It is good to have a picture of Isengard from the Lord of the Rings movie to compare with the landscape at this location.

This is the location where Isengard is supposed to be. With CGI added, of course.

The entire place was very peaceful and scenic.

While enjoying the views, we spotted a jet-boat heading towards us. This brought back memories from my previous trip to NZ where we took this same tour from Dart River Safari.

Specially designed jet propelled boat with shallow draft to handle the fast flowing and shallow rivers of NZ.

Jet-boat from the Dart River Safari.

Rees River Bridge Viewpoint

On the way back to Glenorchy, we made a quick stop at the Rees River Bridge for some more photos. Google Map Location here.

This is a very beautiful place to park the car and enjoy a short walk by the Rees River.

There is a parking space for one or two cars on the side of the road just before the bridge.

View of the Rees River Bridge.

Very peaceful place. A beautiful place to park and enjoy a walk by the river.

Overall, we spent slightly over 2 hours to explore Glenorchy and the surroundings. From Glenorchy, we took the same scenic drive back to Queenstown where we would stay for one night.

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Evening at Queenstown and trying the Best Burgers – Devil Burger versus Fergburger

20 March 2025

Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of New Zealand and most people will based themselves in this city for a few days to take part in activities like bungee jumping, jet-boat riding, sky diving, hiking or day trips to Milford Sound, Glenorchy or Arrowtown.  

We had stayed in Queenstown for a few days in 2004 with the kids. During that trip, we did the Skyline Gondola, jet-boat riding at Shotover River, Dart River Safari and also a cruise across Lake Wakatipu on the steamer TSS Earnslaw to a farm.

This time round, we stayed only one night in this city just to soak in a little of the city’s lakeside ambience and sample the famous burgers in town.

Where we stayed

We arrived in Queenstown in the late afternoon after a day trip to Glenorchy. I had booked an Executive One bedroom apartment in St James Apartments which is conveniently located within the town center and came with free parking. After a long day of road tripping, I just want to explore the town on foot.

Devil Burger

Almost everyone who is internet savvy would have heard of Fergburger when they researched Queenstown. Some claimed the gourmet hamburgers from Fergburger are the best burgers but some claimed their burgers are over-rated. Nevertheless, we had seen the long queues outside the restaurant when we drove past Fergburger earlier.

We decided to eat at Devil Burger, located along Church Street, close by to our apartment. Like Fergburger, Devil Burger also serves gourmet burgers and has rave reviews as well. Some even claimed their burgers are better than Fergburger.

There is only one way to find out which is better. We would eat both!

It was about 6 PM (dinner time) when we arrived at Devil Burger. Unlike Fergburger, there is no insane queue outside and we could get seats in the restaurant too.

The menu includes beef, lamb, chicken, venison, fish and even vegetarian burgers, plus wraps and beer on tap. The burgers were given exotic names like Man Killer, Devil’s Staircase, She Devil, Poison Ivy, Mary’s Little Lamb, etc.

Menu in Devil Burger.

We ordered the main item named Devil Burger which cost about NZ$20 for the large size. The Devil Burger came with Prime NZ Beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions, aioli and relish.

Devil’s Burger that came with Prime NZ Beef, cheese, crispy fresh lettuce, tomato, red onions, aioli and relish.

The size of the burgers were larger than expected, ingredients were fresh and aioli sauce delicious. Overall, we enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant and the delicious burgers and beer. Excellent value for the price we paid.

Cookie Time

The Cookie Time Cookie Bar is located along Camp Street, just a short walk from Devil Burger. Their cookie is a must-try for those with a sweet tooth.

Nice decoration inside the Cookie Time store in Queenstown.

The store has a great selection of packaged cookies to take home, as well as freshly baked warm cookies and ice cream.

We bought a few bags with different flavours to bring home.

Queenstown Waterfront

After a few minutes walk, we arrived at the waterfront. This place was buzzing with music from a pianist and scores of people just chilling by the lake.

The waterfront is a relaxing place with nice views.

Pianist giving a live performance at the Queenstown Waterfront.

TSS Earnshaw across the harbour.

A truly breathtaking place to watch the waters, skies, mountains and people go by.

Interesting tree in the middle of the wharf.

Spot the eyes in the tree.

We took our time to explore the area and stores at the Steamer Wharf. There are some fancy restaurants and bars inside. 

 

Inside the Steamer Wharf.

We saw the Minus 5° Ice Bar, Queenstown’s original ice bar.  This is the place to sip deliciously cool cocktails and mocktails from solid ice glasses, on fur-covered ice chairs, a totally frozen bar and solid ice tables. I thought it was a bit gimmicky and just took a peek from the outside.

Minus 5° Ice Bar with hand carved ice statues and amazing ice furniture.

Giant Kiwi bird sculpture/statue next to wharf.

Sunset is a good time to chill at the waterfront. From the wharf, the view of the mountains across Lake Wakatipu is sublime, with a beautiful blend of gold and blue skies.

The mountains painted golden by the setting sun.

I enjoyed watching the seagulls and little ducks playing in the water. Overall, we had a nice relaxing evening at the Queenstown waterfront.

 

Fergbaker and Fergburger

The last thing we did at the town centre was to buy the items for our supper and breakfast. We cannot come to Queenstown and not try the famous Fergburger. We decided to have takeaway burgers for our supper back in our apartment.

Long queue and limited seats at Fergburger. Most people would buy to take away.

As expected, there was a long queue in front of Fergburger to order. Paper menu were passed around and down the line so we could decide what to order while in the line. The menu includes beef, lamb, chicken, venison, fish and vegetarian burgers. The burgers were given exotic names too.

The queue moved quickly as there were multiple servers. We ordered the Fergburger which came with Prime NZ beef, lettuce, tomato, red onion, aioli and tomato relish. Being greedy, we went for the double beef with a choice of Cheddar, Blue, Swiss or Brie cheese for NZ$20.90.

After ordering, we could check the order status on our phone, so we did not need to wait outside. Instead, we went to buy some croissants from Fergbaker and also a few cans of beer from a nearby store to go with our burgers.

We received our orders after 20 minutes.

Our takeaway Fergburger for supper back in the apartment.

Fergburger with Double Prime NZ beef patties, lettuce, cheese, tomato, red onion, aioli and tomato relish.

The portion was pretty large and the burger was just as delicious as the Devil Burger we had for dinner.

Which one is better?

I would say both Devil Burger and Fergburger are both excellent in terms of taste. Both delivers value for money and, like us, try both if you can.

Personally, I enjoyed my meal at Devil Burger more because after a long day of driving and sightseeing, it was nice to have a cool, quiet place to sit and enjoy my freshly made, hot burger with a glass of cold beer of tap.

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