The Road to Paradise (glenorchy, new zealand)

Finding Paradise in New Zealand (Glenorchy)
Nestled at the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu on New Zealand's South Island, Glenorchy is often called "the road to paradise." The journey to this picturesque town winds through breathtaking landscapes, showcasing the raw beauty of New Zealand's wilderness. Travelers are treated to panoramic views of snow-capped mountains, dense beech forests, and crystal-clear lakes as they approach Glenorchy. Once there, visitors discover a tranquil haven surrounded by nature's grandeur, serving as a gateway to iconic hiking trails like the Routeburn Track and the Greenstone and Caples Tracks. Glenorchy's small, welcoming community complements the stunning surroundings, making it a haven for those seeking a peaceful escape into the heart of New Zealand's wilderness.
So...let's go find it.
#newzealand #aotearoa #glenorchy #travel
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➤ ABOUT US: Hi! We’re Nick & Raychel, and we want to help people open their eyes to alternative living, whether that be teaching English online, moving to Cambodia, taking advantage of working holiday visas, or building a DIY stealthy camper van to live & work on the road. Nothing is off limits when adventure is the ultimate goal. After three years of living full time van life throught Canada, Mexico and the USA, we're now car camping our way through New Zealand in a Land Rover Discovery 1.
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Пікірлер: 77

  • @MarkMcLT
    @MarkMcLT3 ай бұрын

    Love Glen and Mado! :)

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    They are great!

  • @GlenAndMado
    @GlenAndMado3 ай бұрын

    Awesome work guys!

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    So glad to have met y'all!

  • @KiwiKeggers
    @KiwiKeggers3 ай бұрын

    American in Christchurch here. I can't say what's best for you but you could spend years in the south island and not experience everything. Take your time, slow down and appreciate this paradise. We are very lucky to live here.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Yes we just don’t want to be here for winter ❤️

  • @citizenkane0014
    @citizenkane00143 ай бұрын

    Good deer stalking around that area

  • @exploreearth6275
    @exploreearth62753 ай бұрын

    Glenorchy looks really wonderful

  • @itscarolinemary
    @itscarolinemary3 ай бұрын

    Lol love the Paradise sign! So cool ❤

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    So fun ❤️

  • @Emzy15289
    @Emzy152893 ай бұрын

    Definitely head up to the top of the South Island before you leave! Abel Tasman national park is incredible, and the little town of Marahau is the sweetest place, such a chilled vibe up there

  • @TheOnlyTaps
    @TheOnlyTaps3 ай бұрын

    Great watch as per 👊🏿💥🫡

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    ❤️❤️❤️

  • @garynarborough
    @garynarborough3 ай бұрын

    Enjoyed this video. Try and see as much if NZ as you can. I lived in NZ for 55 years and in the North Island there's heaps to see and do. Central North Island there's skiing like Queenstown and also Lord of the Rings locations. There's thermal stuff to see. I'm from Hawkes Bay originally but even there you can do stuff. I think for scenery the South Island is best. One thing as you've gathered already is that every type of scenery in the world you'll see in NZ. Yes it's expensive to live there but you guys seem pretty resourceful. If I can help let me know. There'll be plenty of Kiwi's watching your video who'll help as well. I live in the UK now and miss NZ a lot but cannot move back as much as I'd like. Take care and keep the videos coming! Really appreciate it. 😀

  • @KiwiGlen
    @KiwiGlen3 ай бұрын

    Yes please come to north island there is just as many but different places to visit you'll love it

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    We are really considering it!

  • @Nickubus99
    @Nickubus993 ай бұрын

    You guys didn't say why you wanted to leave? QT comes alive in winter! SO many fun things to do! Heaps of gigs. Luma festival. NIght skiing at Coronet. Mountain Film festival. Matariki celebrations. Snow Machine winter festival. There are so many reasons to stay.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Oh we are REALLY not winter people!!! Hahaha our whole last 6 years of travelling have been about avoiding winter at all costs - we’re Canadian and we are so tired of it

  • @itscarolinemary
    @itscarolinemary3 ай бұрын

    Ahhh such a stunning town, amazing views.. ok I think my heart is either with BC or NZ ❤ I need to see these amazing places 😢 ON is so grey right now and honestly I need mountains in my lifeee

  • @itscarolinemary
    @itscarolinemary3 ай бұрын

    The animals that you fed, sooo cute 🫶🥹

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Soooo cute dude!!!

  • @frankzito8653
    @frankzito86533 ай бұрын

    The South Island is where I love to be. Glenorchy is gorgeous and nearby Lake Rere has the best hike!

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Glenorchy really is stunning!

  • @jmacs4344
    @jmacs434428 күн бұрын

    Definetly gotta see Milford Sound😮😮😮😮😮

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    28 күн бұрын

    Yes we did back in December!

  • @bittersweet340
    @bittersweet3403 ай бұрын

    So my brother-in-law is a Canadian from Alberta who married a Kiwi Girl, very patriotic on Canada - Day, making his young NZ family don the RED MAPLE LEAF colours... He too doesn't miss Canadian winters and when he goes home to visit it's usually in the summer. The difference I would say that separates the North from the South living up here is the Beaches, warmer climate and thermal activity. we do have mountains but nowhere compared to the Alps. If you plan to live up on the North Island I would suggest somewhere central so you can explore the Island on all sides for weekend trips or overnighters. Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo. The central North Island is mostly geothermal. Rotorua is more the Queenstown of the South Island...

  • @inquisitor051
    @inquisitor0513 ай бұрын

    The north island is infinitely easier to live full time put of your 4wd simply because there is just wayyyyy more in terms of easily accessible amenities, so you wouldn't necessarily have to go to full on van life there. That being said having a 4wd makes some absolutely amazing places available to you, like Pureora forest, which has campsites and a little obelisk at the geographic centre of NZ, or in the coromandel with all the dirt roads and port Jackson, summer is obviously always more ideal for travel, but in the north island winter is way more tolerable than in the south if you want to be on the road a lot, so long as you aren't worried about rain!

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Right okay that is really helpful thank you!

  • @clawperez633
    @clawperez6333 ай бұрын

    Everyone please give them a like 👍🏽 ❤ 🌎 ☮️

  • @TheOnlyTaps
    @TheOnlyTaps3 ай бұрын

    5:08 "I just thought he was making noise" 😭😭😭

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    LOLLLL

  • @parati1309
    @parati13093 ай бұрын

    Live in Kapiti - NI - by the beach - Paraparaumu - there's jobs - Wellington about 30-40 mins drive - PS. South Island is waaaay better BUT probably easier to get jobs in NI - the main NZ cities are crumbling in the NI - getting very rough - provincial cities and towns a little bit better - the NI has some beautiful areas too. Re work you might like Tauranga??

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    We were thinking Tauranga!

  • @coreytelford2865
    @coreytelford28653 ай бұрын

    Hey guys. Yeah iv been watching your content. It's awesome. I live in the north island. Masterton. In the wairarapa region. You 2 would love the wairarapa. Especially the coast. Cape palliser. Nagwai. Lakeferry. Ocean Beach. And also wellington is a premo city. So yeah come on over. Chur.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Sounds amazing!

  • @user-dw9ip8cx5j
    @user-dw9ip8cx5j3 ай бұрын

    Hello Raychel. You asked for ideas for when you come to the North Island. It is a difficult ask without knowing what you are going to do. The idea of a camper van is good if you are just on the move from place to place, and there are many places to stay around the North Island. Make sure before you agree to purchase a vehicle, that you get a garage to do a pre-purchase inspection, as camper vans tend to sit for long periods and can protest if suddenly used on a regular basis. If you are going to base yourselves somewhere and go to work, I would not suggest a camper van, as you will need to upend your 'house' every time you go to work. A good sized tent would be a cheap alternative, if you are moving around, that would allow you to keep some change in your bank account. Except for the Central Plateau, most of the North Island would be mild enough for tenting. If you are able to stay on a power site, you could use a fan heater, micathermic heater, or an oil filled heater to keep you cosy. You just need a residual current device (RCD). Many camps will let you stay for just over a month. Some will let you stay long term. Another alternative would be a caravan. For this you would need to fit a towbar to your car. There are some nice caravans on TradeMe but what you get would be decided by your budget. After coming home from work, the caravan is already set up for you to relax, unlike a camper van. Different again. Do either of you have boating experience. There are lots of places where a boat will open up many places to go that normal tourists never get to see. Lakes Taupo and Rotorua can be explored and, with a permit, fished for trout. Bay of Plenty, Auckland and the Bay of Islands all have beautiful places to go in a boat. Again, the type of boat you get will be determined as to what you are going to be doing. If touring around, something like a trailer sailer, would give you portable accomodation, similar to a caravan, with the option of launching the boat and exploring the coast and islands and lakes. Something like the one in the following link could be in your budget. www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/trailer-sailer/listing/4554013040?bof=qSm3yGdP If you are going to work in the Bay of Plenty, Auckland or the Bay of Islands, I could suggest you try a slightly larger boat that is either in a marina that lets you live aboard, or on a swing mooring which is cheaper. You do not need to go anywhere if you are not a boatie, but a live aboard boat can be a lot cheaper than staying on the land. If you are staying in a marina, they usually have toilet, shower and laundry facilities available. See the links below for some inspiration www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/other-yachts/listing/4541231240?bof=qSm3yGdP www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/4516807938?bof=qSm3yGdP www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/4556510580?bof=qSm3yGdP Yet another option is to try woofing the same a Glen and Mado did. There will also be fruit picking and other orchard work available ,if you want to do that sort of work.Some places offer accommodation as part of the remuneration. Sorry this is so long. There is so much to do and so many options when you are here for a while.You just need to be flexible and I hope you continue to enjoy your journey Leslie

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for the thoughtful recommendations ❤️

  • @liviwiles4949
    @liviwiles49493 ай бұрын

    The NI is underrated by visitors imo (as someone who lives here) - more diversity! Agree to stay somewhere central like Tauranga or Rotorua/Taupō where you can pop over to Gisborne, Raglan, Coromandel.. And make a trip of going to Northland and the Bay of Islands - historically a very significant and spiritual place and stunning as well :)

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    All seems so cool!

  • @peterferan4389
    @peterferan43893 ай бұрын

    You need to do the overnight voyage in Doubtful Sound. Stewart Island worth it too

  • @HansumRob100
    @HansumRob1003 ай бұрын

    getting to milford is beautiful... but coming back to queenstown is exhausting... yea be awesome if that road is built,,,

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Totally would be a game changer

  • @thekiwinomad
    @thekiwinomad3 ай бұрын

    Great video. The main reason is there is no road from Glenorchy to Milford sound is the cost of it and who is going to pay for it. Remembering that most new Zealand roads where originally old animal tracks that created the paths though the mountains. Tunneling isn't an option because of the cost and that it's on one of the main alpine fault lines.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Right that is fair

  • @stephenlennon7369
    @stephenlennon73693 ай бұрын

    If you're in Taupo the North Island there's a lot of hot pool's where you can park up and sleep in vans with toilets available. One place called 'Butcher Pools' town called Reporoa 😊

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    That’s awesome! Thank you!

  • @PaulSmith-bb7lv
    @PaulSmith-bb7lv3 ай бұрын

    I would recommend you stay in the South Island. You still have lots to see and life is safer there.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    We love it here but will definitely be escaping the winter!

  • @keyla_kat4838
    @keyla_kat48383 ай бұрын

    The north island will definitely be warmer but I'm from the south island I have traveled around the north,lifestyle issues much more fast pace there but if you go above auckland it is alot more peaceful, taupo is definitely touristy rotorua is another one in the middle of the north island so you can go anywhere from there pretty much, hope this helped, whatever you choose will be great

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much!

  • @cnm757
    @cnm7573 ай бұрын

    The further north you go the warmer it will be in winter. Maybe at the cost of more rain, I don't know, but then again I don't know of any part of Aotearoa that's dry in winter.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    That’s fair! We’re from Vancouver, we’re okay with rain 🌧️

  • @ianbell4527
    @ianbell45273 ай бұрын

    Top of the sound island is paradise

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    We are dying to get there!

  • @AgunziLFC
    @AgunziLFC3 ай бұрын

    If the weather is a big factor for you, then def go to the North Island for the winter months. Its not as cold, very few frosts if any. In the south, we get a lot of frosts, which is the worst part of winter. But being from Canada, that doesnt sound right lol

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Yes we aren’t fans of snowy winters so that’s why we want to escape before it gets too cold!

  • @AgunziLFC

    @AgunziLFC

    3 ай бұрын

    @nickandraychel Then definitely head to the north island. They complain if it drops below 15c lol

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Hahahah sounds like my people... and I'm Canadian. Don't know what's wrong with me lol

  • @Camwin
    @Camwin3 ай бұрын

    I think Wellington is probs more your vibe but rent it expensive af, Tauranga is good being close to Rotorua, the Coromandel and Auckland.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Okay good tips!

  • @maltnz
    @maltnz3 ай бұрын

    Baked beans for brekkie - you are picking up the NZ diet ;-)

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Haha we do this in Canada too! I think it’s a commonwealth thing 😅

  • @monster10ify
    @monster10ify3 ай бұрын

    The objection to more direct road to Milford Sound is to do with it having to go through a national park, while the people of Glenorchy may have objections their’s are not the main ones.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Interesting!

  • @kirkjones86
    @kirkjones863 ай бұрын

    I would say to see more of the top of the South Island like Nelson and Abel Tasman before going to the north island. It’s a beautiful part of NZ and isn’t as cold as the Deep South.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Okay good tip!!

  • @cpw8191
    @cpw81913 ай бұрын

    I'm here as part of the parenthetical capitalisation preservation society, mate. Help save G, N and Z!

  • @johnofnz1949
    @johnofnz19493 ай бұрын

    All foreigners say "on the South Island". It's "in the South Island".

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Hm that’s interesting - that sounds like slang! Typically you’d say “on” when referring to an island.

  • @MarkMcLT

    @MarkMcLT

    3 ай бұрын

    Can confirm! :)

  • @johnofnz1949

    @johnofnz1949

    3 ай бұрын

    It's us messing the language up again.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    I love the way you all talk!

  • @gregorylongmuir4036
    @gregorylongmuir4036Ай бұрын

    We have a room for rent in Auckland and if your looking for work dad's pies likes to hire tourists and it's very close to ower place

  • @archermcbeth1162
    @archermcbeth11623 ай бұрын

    You guys never made it up to paradise. You stopped before it.😅 It was just up a hill further along the road.

  • @nickandraychel

    @nickandraychel

    3 ай бұрын

    Haha we just wanted a photo with the sign! But we will be back

  • @patchadams9282
    @patchadams92823 ай бұрын

    Hi Team, I am a NEW ZEALANDER and I'm 57 years of age. ( I live in Wellington) We went to Queenstown for my birthday in August 2023 last year and we drove up to Glenorchy with a number of stops on the way way, as my wife likes to take photo's (This was my first time going to the top of lake Wakatipu). The gravel road into Glenorchy is just yet another NZ gravel road which I have grown up with all my life and when we got there, it's nothing that you cannot see in any rural dirt road in NZ. There is nothing there, apart from some domestic buildings and a cafe that wasn't even open. Not one of my 'go to re-visits!' Other than the entrance to the walk further up the valley, I wouldn't rate going to Glenorchy at all. It's typical rural NZ.