THE GREAT GLENORCHY ALPINE BASE CAMP

The four of us (9, 12 and 2 adults) splurged on a Glenorchy adventure and stay at Basecamp. Basecamp is really special. Full of warmth from the firelight and the people. Doug and Liz are really quite exceptional and make everyone feel convivial and at home in a way I don't think I've experienced on holiday before. It's like eating with the family except the cooking is dramatically better! The collective children also get to eat together and play around the camp. The adventure side of things was more than great. Jaw-dropping heli-transport. Unforgettable camping location. Spectacular camp cooking. Doug and Christian (camp magician and guide respectively) were an absolute pleasure to be with. Hugely thoughtful about making sure the kids would also love it. They went above and beyond to make sure the adventure worked for us. Lovely people that live a life full of cool outdoor things and really want to share it with others.

Top class hospitality from the sweetest hosts. Landing in this remote corner of the planet and being warmly welcomed by Liz and her staff as if we just stepped into their personal living room was a real treat. Antique wood burning stoves and reclaimed nautical light fixtures set the tone for a restful evening with a home cooked meal painstakingly prepared by the hostess herself. We were all seated at a long farmhouse style dinner table with hand written menus and designated seating assignments to encourage mingling amongst guests at this family style dinner. It was so great to hear and share stories as we met travelers from around the world. Accommodations were equally warm and welcoming with private cabins and shared bathing facilities that are top notch with all the perfect high end designer soaps including a stunning sauna to top things off. We enjoyed every moment of our stay at The Great Glenorchy Alpine Camp.

We stayed at The Great Glenorchy Alpine Base Camp for 4 nights a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to stay somewhere where we had easy access to day walks but not in Queenstown. As soon as we saw the photos and read the reviews for Base Camp we decided that was where we were going to stay and we’re so glad we did. As soon as we arrived we were given a warm welcome from Doug, Liz and Tess and immediately felt relaxed. Their hospitality throughout our stay was genuine and enthusiastic and we were always greeted with a friendly smile (even when we were late for dinner). The cabins were warm and cozy and had everything we needed plus nice personal touches. Our first day we walked part of the Routeburn track – it took us 5 hours to walk to Lake Harris and Harris Saddle Shelter but only 3 hours back (we had dinner on our mind) Liz’s cooking is exceptional with slow cooked meals each night (beef cheeks, lamb shoulder) and pudding (chocolate and sticky date) cooked in heavy iron pots over a wood fire stove. The communal table set by candle light was a chance to catch up with other guests both locals and overseas. Our second day the storm we had been warned about by DOC rangers blew in and we decided it was too wet and windy to walk anywhere so we went for a swim in the lake (we swam each day and checked with Doug where to swim safely - we’re experienced swimmers and we had our wetsuits with us) it was pretty wild conditions but good fun. After our swim we visited the General Store (great coffee) and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our cabin listening to the gale force winds and rain outside. Our third day the weather had improved and over breakfast we discussed a range of walks in the area – Doug and Liz have a vast knowledge of all the walks and we settled on Glacier Burn track near Kinloch. With some local knowledge from Liz we set off up the track making our way to the clearing for a late lunch looking back towards Glenorchy and a quick glimpse of the glacier before it clouded over. We had such a nice time at Base Camp we’re already thinking about when we can go back and with a significant birthday coming up next year the Polar Express private glamp is looking very enticing 😊

We wanted a place away from busy Queenstown and we're so glad we stayed at the Great Glenorchy Alpine Basecamp. They're known for their adventure experiences, but we stayed for just a night and had a wonderful time. The cast iron dinner (made dairy free!) was delicious, but the company was more memorable. Doug, Grace, and Ned were all so kind and sincere. We hope to be back again one day to spend some more time in their slice of paradise.