BackRoadsWest presents:

Dart River

Not far from the popular tourist town of Queenstown, the valley above the small town of Glenorchy offers exceptionally beautiful mountain scenery in a scantly populated valley. The town is situated where the Dart River empties into 50 mile (80 km) long Lake Wakatipu. Past the town, a few roads follow the river up a long narrow valley, an area called Paradise, which offers much of the same mountain beauty, only now the mountains are closer. However, the roads only go so far. So, to really experience the serene wilderness of this area, you must take a boat trip up the Dart River. In Glenorchy, there are several companies that offer guided tours up the river. One can choose a slow and quite canoe trip that might require camping overnight, or a fast and noisy jet boat ride which is guaranteed to get you wet and allow you to see the area in less than three hours.

Things to see and do:

	Visit the small and sleepy town of Glenorchy
	Outstanding vistas of mountain scenery
	Jet boat ride up the twisting Dart River
	Hiking or trekking - not to far from Mt. Aspiring National Park

	Getting There
	Tell me What's There
	Show me the Maps

Show me the Slideshow

Show me the Photo Tour

	Near Glenorchy
	Forest Walk
	Riding Jet Boats on the Dart River

Getting There

Glenorchy is situated 26 miles (42 km) from Queenstown at the end of Glenorchy-Queenstown Road. The entire drive takes you along the shoreline of Lake Wakatipu offering great views [see picture]. About 16 miles (25 km) from Queenstown, the road goes over a summit (labeled Mt. Creighton on some maps) which has a viewpoint. Be sure to stop here for a spectacular vista of the lake, islands and the high mountains in the distance [see picture].

What's There

The Dart River ends at the end of Lake Wakatipu. From here, the Dart River can be followed quite a distance up a long narrow valley. The valley is surrounded by high mountain peaks on both sides. Snow is often visible on the mountain tops from the winter months until summer, adding a level of beauty and depth to the scenery.

Glenorchy

The town of Glenorchy [Google search] is not very big as seen in the picture to the right. It is situated on the shore and the very end of Lake Wakatipu. Unlike Queenstown, there is no bustling shopping district. Instead there a half dozen shops, one or two cafes and several hotels or lodges. We looked through the few shops, had lunch and marveled at the nice residences in about an hour. Just outside of town are some very lavish-looking resorts for the rich and famous. However, with these limited resources, Glenorchy is still a popular tourist attraction.

The scenery located around Glenorchy received worldwide attention when it was used extensively during the filming of the Lord of the Rings series of movies. Some tour companies actually offer tours of various sites where the scenes of the movies where shot. So if you are a fan of the J. R. R. Tolkien books and movies, you may wish to research a trip to visit the filming sites.

Dart River

There are several tour companies available that operate out of Glenorchy which offer tours up the Dart River [Google search] and on as far as Mt. Aspiring National Park [Google search]. Tours can consist of a thrilling jet boat ride taking less than half a day, a canoe trip which might require an overnight stay under the stars or a "tramping" trip which would include several days of camping in the wild.

For the average tourist, a jet boat ride is the most popular choice. This is also the choice we made when we visited. A trip normally consists of a one-way boat trip up or down the river and then a bus ride in the opposite direction. Our trip also included a tour of an old-growth forest a distance up the valley which is also where we boarded our jet boat. Due to the volume of water in the Dart, boats can only go so far up the river until it gets too shallow. Be prepared to get wet in these boats. But don't worry about your clothing, because the tour company will most likely outfit you in water resistant raingear. Part of the thrill of riding in these boats is to get "crazy". The boat drivers thrill the passengers by sliding and "spinning out" causing water to go flying everywhere, as well as whooshing past rocks and other obstacles at high speed. But don't get scared, these boat drivers are real experts with their equipment and the terrain of the river. A jet boat ride is a genuine New Zealand experience.

In case you don't know what a jet boat is, here is a little explanation. First of all, the boat does not have a jet engine as in a jet airplane. The boat we rode on was powered by a normal car engine: a Chevy 350 cubic inch V8. The engine drives a small jet-like impeller underneath, but not protruding, the boat. It does not have a prop as other boats do. The water is sucked in by the jet and blown out the back causing the boat to go forward. Because there is no protruding propeller, it also allows the boat to go through shallow water. During the trip, it will be common to see the boat's hull to be within a few inches from the river's rocky bottom! When the water becomes real shallow, the driver turns the boat sideways as the jet sucks in a mixture of air and water as you hear the hull skim over river rock. The ride is definitely beyond an "e-ticket" ride for those who have been to Disneyland!

Like many rivers flowing out of the Southern Alps, the water color is light blue or aqua [see picture] and sometimes appears cloudy. This is because "glacier flour" [Google search] is suspended in the water. Glacier flour is formed when glaciers erode and grind against dirt and rock forming very fine particles or sediments that eventually gets into the water. Since this sediment is so small and light, it floats around the water instead of sinking to the bottom. Because of the sediment, it makes it difficult for fish to breath through their gills and essentially making the water inhabitable for them. This is the reason why you will probably not find any fish in the Dart River.

"Tramping" is a New Zealand word for hiking or backpacking. Glenorchy is the jumping off point for a number of great "tracks". Tracks are what New Zealanders call hiking trails. Some great trails in this area include the Routeburn, Greenstone-Caples and Rees-Dart tracks. The last one takes four to five days with a visit to the Dart Glacier [Google search] - the beginning of the Dart River. Tickets can be purchased for huts along the way where one can find shelter for overnight stays. There are also designated campgrounds along the way. Inquiring at any tour company near Glenorchy will yield more details.

Photo Tour
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Near Glenorchy

	The road to Glenorchy follows Lake Wakatipu.
	Looking north over Lake Wakatipu - Dart River valley in the distance.
	Looking slightly to the left of the previous picture.
	View to the west across Lake Wakatipu along the road to Glenorchy.
	Looking southwest across Lake Wakatipu.
	Small farm near Glenorchy. Any residence in Glenorchy offers a fantastic view.
	Flying north of Glenorchy and over the Dart River valley. View is to the south.

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Forest Walk

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	One of the larger tour companies operating out of Glenorchy which offers jet boat tours of the Dart River also includes a walking tour of an old-growth forest.
	But before walking into the forest, the drive up from Genorchy offers some grand scenery of the narrow valley which Dart River has etched out over millions of years. This area on the map is known as Paradise - appropriately named!
	Along the way, the guide will most likely point out sites of where the movie Lord of the Rings was filmed. The label in this picture points out a grass field where a battle scene was filmed.
	Before starting the forest walk, you will see a replica of how the native Maori people most likely built their camps in this area.
	The walk begins through the forest. The forest is located right next to the Dart River.
	Looking up reveals a lot of green leaves and little blue sky.
	Old-growth forests, also known as ancient forests, are forests that include trees that have attained a larger age then other surrounding forests. This forest is also reminiscent of other rainforests that we have seen around New Zealand.
	Expect to see lots of fallen tree debris.
	Moss grows over the fallen tree branches.
	If you dare to look into hollowed out tree stumps, don't be surprised if you find some leftover creature that starred in Lord of the Rings.
	Small plants and moss have taken over this tree stump.
	Close-up of the growth on the tree stump.
	The walk follows a well maintained trail.
	Along the trail, you will see glimpses of the Dart River.
	At times, it doesn't seem that the Dart has any water.

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Riding Jet Boats on the Dart River

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	In places, the Dart River has many channels, some quite small. This is a main channel that the boats typically travel down. All of the channels are quite shallow so a boat with a prop will not work.
	A jet boat rushes by.
	The boats typically travel between 20 and 40 mph (32 to 64 kph).
	A portable dock makes it easy to board the boats.
	The boats are ready to board.
	All dressed up and ready to get wet!
	The journey begins up Dart River.
	The scenery along the way is spectacular.
	Along the way, the boats drivers will stop for photo ops and describe details about the jet boats and of the scenery.
	This is as far as we went up the river before it got too rocky. The peaks in the distance are in Mt. Aspiring National Park.
	Another stop, another photo op.
	And the photo ops don't seem to end.
	Looking up one of many side canyons along the Dart. Notice how shallow the water is. Amazingly, the boats have no problem skimming over this shallow water!
	You can hear a jet boat coming from quite a distance.
	Just imagine how loud one is as it passes you by!
	We just passed under the Glenorchy Routeburn Road bridge. This road gives access to the Dart River valley beyond the town of Glenorchy.
	Two jet boats get a rest at their home in Glenorchy as another returns from a voyage.
	Dart River Safaris also owns boats for shuttling backpackers and "trekkers" far up the Dart River.