Glenorchy Lagoon
Amazing views from this easy stroll along boardwalks across the lagoon, take the long way or the short way
Difficulty: EASY
Time: 30mins – 1.5hrs
This short walk over a beautiful wetland has plenty of birdlife and is great for kids and dogs. The Glenorchy lagoon can be walked either as a short loop or a longer loop, simply choose when you reach the signs showing you a map of the area. Both have picturesque benches, but the famous bench photo is from the short walk boardwalk (connects to the longer track). On a still day the water offers stunning reflections of the mountains and in autumn the willows turn a golden yellow.
Start at the northern end of Glenorchy, following signs near Lake Wakatipu on Mull St, or at the northern end of Oban Street. For your safety, please do not park or access the track from the Glenorchy Paradise Road – this is a hot spot for accidents.
Native species include pied stilt/poaka, South Island pied oystercatcher/torea, Australasian bittern/matuku, New Zealand shoveller/kuruwhengu, grey teal/tete (in spring), grey duck/parera, and scaup/papango. The New Zealand falcon/karearea may be seen soaring above the wetland hunting for prey.
These shallow productive waterways can produce some exciting fishing; brown trout between 2-4 pounds are common and on calm evenings and still mornings the lagoons are enlivened with rising fish. A float tube is an ideal method of fishing these lagoons, allowing access to areas that are hard to reach on foot due to sodden ground and thick vegetation.
View track description on the Department of Conservation website