Our Pure Glenorchy LOTR Scenic Tour truly lived up to its name – it carried us straight into Paradise, the breathtaking Glenorchy region that Sir Ian McKellen famously calls his favorite place on Earth. The drive from Queenstown along the shimmering shores of Lake Wakatipu was stunning enough, but the real magic unfolded as we stepped into iconic filming locations: 12 Mile Delta (“What’s taters, Precious?” and “It’s an oliphant!”), the sweeping landscapes of Arcadia Station used for Isengard and Beorn’s house, and the ethereal beech forest along the road to Paradise where Lothlórien came to life. As a perfect finishing touch, our guides even brought out costumes and props, turning our Middle-earth adventure into something wonderfully immersive and unforgettable.

📸 Summary

Our Pure Glenorchy Lord of the Rings Scenic Tour stopped at these five locations:

1. Twelve Mile Delta – Bob’s Cove Track (Ithilien Camp, Amon Hen) – see separate blog
2. Glenorchy-Queenstown Road – Lake Wakatipu overlook
3. Arcadia Station in Paradise (Isengard and Beorn’s house)
4. Beech forest on the road to Paradise (Lothlórien)
5. Glenorchy Wharf

Arcadia Station in Paradise

The main reason we selected the Pure Glenorchy LOTR Tour was that it provides exclusive access to Arcadia Station in Paradise (location: 44°42’55.1″S 168°21’13.7″E). It’s bordered by Diamond Lake, Mount Aspiring National Park and the Dart River, and the views were absolutely breathtaking. It’s clear why this secluded and stunning location is used in many films (Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian). The tour provided light refreshments and LOTR props. We of course put on a performance for the tour group.

Isengard

Isengard is the most popular filming spot for Arcadia Station.

Here are our Isengard comparison shots.

Beorn’s House

There are several shots of Beorn and his house from The Hobbit that are easy to pick out at Arcadia Station.

Here is the Gandalf reenactment compilation for our entire NZ trip, including our favorite at Arcadia Station with the costume supplied by the tour.

Road to Paradise (Lothlórien)

The Lothlórien location we visited was along the Glenorchy-Paradise Road (location: 44°43’35.4″S 168°22’40.1″E). The entire beech forest is gorgeous; unfortunately we didn’t have time during our tour to find any specific areas from LOTR. Of course I brought along my Galadriel circlet and elf ears to wear with the shirt I made for my “In place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen” reenactment.

Glenorchy Wharf

We stopped at Glenorchy Wharf by the historic red shed, where the people of Glenorchy used to store and sort goods that arrived on steamers. The views of Lake Wakatipu from the dock were beautiful.

Glenorchy-Queenstown Road Lake Wakatipu Overlook

We pulled off the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road for a gorgeous view of Lake Wakatipu (location: 45°00’37.4″S 168°26’35.5″E)