Glenorchy is a small settlement at the northern end of
Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu () is an inland lake (finger lake) in the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the southwest corner of the Otago region, near its boundary with Southland, New Zealand, Southland. ''Lake Wakatipu'' comes from the original Māori l ...
in the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
region of
Otago
Otago (, ; ) is a regions of New Zealand, region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island and administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local go ...
, New Zealand. It is approximately by road or boat from
Queenstown, the nearest large town. There are two pubs, a café and a range of small shops in the town catering mainly to tourists but also to the small resident population. There is also a small airstrip which caters to small planes.
The locality of
Paradise
In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...
is nearby.
The
Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu and
Rees River
The Rees River (Māori language: ''Puahiri'' or ''Puahere'') is a headwater tributary of the Clutha River / Mata-Au that drains eastward of the main divide of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana in New Zealand. The river runs 41 km ...
flow into the head of Lake Wakatipu at Glenorchy, and Blanket Bay, an indentation in the coast of Lake Wakatipu, is just to the south of the settlement.
Naming
Glenorchy was named after
Glen Orchy
Glen Orchy () is a glen in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It runs from Bridge of Orchy to Dalmally.
Geography
Glen Orchy is about 17 km or 11 miles long, and runs south-west from Bridge of Orchy () to Dalmally () following the River ...
, a valley in
Argyll
Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...
, Scotland.
Demographics
Glenorchy is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2. It is part of the much larger Glenorchy statistical area.
Glenorchy settlement had a population of 318 at the
2018 New Zealand census
The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census.
Resu ...
, an increase of 57 people (21.8%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 126 people (65.6%) since the
2006 census. There were 129 households, comprising 159 males and 159 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.0 males per female, with 39 people (12.3%) aged under 15 years, 63 (19.8%) aged 15 to 29, 183 (57.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 33 (10.4%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 91.5% European/
Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
, 6.6%
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 1.9%
Pasifika, 3.8%
Asian, and 3.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 69.8% had no religion, 21.7% were
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 0.9% were
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 2.8% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 75 (26.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 27 (9.7%) people had no formal qualifications. 36 people (12.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 198 (71.0%) people were employed full-time, 36 (12.9%) were part-time, and 6 (2.2%) were unemployed.
Glenorchy statistical area
The Glenorchy statistical area also includes
Paradise
In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...
and covers .
It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2.
The statistical area had a population of 450 at the
2018 New Zealand census
The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census.
Resu ...
, an increase of 87 people (24.0%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 177 people (64.8%) since the
2006 census. There were 177 households, comprising 222 males and 225 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female. The median age was 40.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 51 people (11.3%) aged under 15 years, 84 (18.7%) aged 15 to 29, 261 (58.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 48 (10.7%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 92.0% European/
Pākehā
''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...
, 5.3%
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
, 2.0%
Pasifika, 3.3%
Asian, and 3.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 35.3, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 66.7% had no religion, 24.7% were
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 1.3% were
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 2.0% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 105 (26.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 36 (9.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $38,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 69 people (17.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 276 (69.2%) people were employed full-time, 60 (15.0%) were part-time, and 6 (1.5%) were unemployed.
Activities
Glenorchy is a popular tourist spot, close to many
tramping tracks. It lies near the borders of
Mount Aspiring National Park
Mount Aspiring National Park is in the Southern Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, north of Fiordland National Park, situated in Otago and Westland regions. The park forms part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site.
History
Moun ...
and
Fiordland National Park
Fiordland National Park is a national park in the south-west corner of South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest of the 13 National parks of New Zealand, national parks in New Zealand, with an area covering , and a major part of the Te W� ...
. The
Routeburn Track, one of the
New Zealand Great Walks can be accessed by passing through Glenorchy. Lesser known tracks such as the
Greenstone and Caples Tracks and the
Rees and Dart Tracks can also be accessed.
Some of the activities that can be experienced in or near Glenorchy include:
canyoning
Canyoning (canyoneering in the United States, kloofing in South Africa) is a sport that involves traveling through canyons using a variety of techniques, such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling (rappelling), swimming, and raft ...
,
fly fishing
Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is in ...
,
jet boating,
horse riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
,
kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
,
mountain biking
Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...
,
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International S ...
,
snowboarding
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...
,
skydiving
Parachuting and skydiving are methods of descending from a high point in an atmosphere to the ground or ocean surface with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or multiple parachutes.
For hu ...
and
boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...
. Just past the Glenorchy Golf Club is a circular public boardwalk which passes through the Glenorchy Lagoon and is a popular short walk (3.2 km) for tourists and locals.
Film location
Films
*The local scenery was used as one of the settings in the first of
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand filmmaker. He is best known as the director, writer, and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy (2012–2014), both of which ar ...
's ''
The Fellowship of the Ring
''The Fellowship of the Ring'' is the first of three volumes of the epic novel ''The Lord of the Rings'' by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien; it is followed by ''The Two Towers'' and ''The Return of the King''. The action takes place in th ...
'' (2001), the first film in his
''Lord of the Rings'' series.
Lothlórien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Lothlórien or Lórien is the fairest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth during the Third Age. It is ruled by Galadriel and Celeborn from their city of tree houses at Caras Galadhon. The wood-el ...
,
Orthanc
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Isengard () is a large fortress in Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale, in the western part of Middle-earth. In the fantasy world, the name of the fortress is described as a translation of Angrenost, a wo ...
, and the scene where
Boromir
Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of ''The Lord of the Rings'' (''The Fellowship of the Ring'' and ''The Two Towers''), and is mentioned in the last volume, ''The Return o ...
was slain and leant near a tree were a few that were shot in nearby
Paradise
In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...
.
*''
Vertical Limit
''Vertical Limit'' is a 2000 American survival thriller film directed by Martin Campbell, written by Robert King, and starring Chris O'Donnell, Bill Paxton, Robin Tunney, and Scott Glenn. The film was released on December 8, 2000, in the United ...
'' (2000), ''
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'' (2008), and ''
X-Men Origins: Wolverine'' (2009) were also filmed in the area.
*Other films that did location shots in Glenorchy and the surrounding area are ''
Race for the Yankee Zephyr'' (1981) and ''
The Water Horse'' (2007).
Television
*The 2013
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
television miniseries ''
Top of the Lake
''Top of the Lake'' is a mystery drama television series created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. It was broadcast in 2013, and the sequel, entitled ''Top of the Lake: China Girl'', in 2017 ...
'' was also filmed in the area and was set in and around Paradise. While Queenstown is referred to during the series, Glenorchy doubles as the fictitious town of Laketop.
Education
Glenorchy School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,
with a roll of as of .
The first school in the area opened in 1884 at Kinloch, and another opened in 1888 on the road to Paradise. The present school opened near Buckleburn in 1911, and moved to its current site in 1939.
Climate
Blanket Bay
Blanket Bay, located just to the south of Glenorchy, is the site of the settlement's airstrip. The bay's name dates from the shearing of sheep in the area by 19th-century farmers, who would shelter in rudimentary tents close to the bay's shore made from blankets.
[History]
, ''blanketbay.com''. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
See also
*
Glenorchy Air
References
*
External links
Glenorchy Community Association
{{Authority control
Populated places in Otago
Queenstown-Lakes District
Populated places on Lake Wakatipu