Glenorchy Homestays

Headwaters Eco Lodge was a dream come true. My traveling partner and I were a strange case - having spent very little time with each other before flying in to Queenstown and taking the ~1 hr trip out to Glenorchy. From the moment we got off the plane we were treated so well and didn't have to worry about a thing for the next 4 days. The staff at Headwaters were ready for us and had the most beautiful meals prepared for Day 1. I'm vegetarian and my partner is not, which can be a bit difficult in the states but was made so easy by the wonderful hosts and chefs at Glenorchy. In planning the trip, I was most nervous about the 7 minute showers and composting toilets. When I say there was not a single smell out of the toilets, it's real! I was truly shocked and not ready to return to normal bathrooms after our stay. We booked the Ultimate in Paradise experience which meant we had breathtaking guided tours for hiking and heli-hiking. We were able to customize our stay and add in horseback riding which was absolutely beautiful. To say our guides were phenomenal would be understatement of the year. They were all so knowledgeable and each individual brought a passion of their own to us. I can't rave on every single one of our guides enough. In addition to the adventures, we each had a massage and daily yoga at Headwaters which was well worth it after our more physical activities. Honestly, there were no disappointing interactions in Glenorchy. We did make it out in town to a local pub for snacks one afternoon and found the people there just as charming. Towards the middle of our stay we did a beer tasting and cookout with Glenorchy Brew Co. It was one of my favorite evenings in Glenorchy. There's many reviews about the food at Headwaters and all I can say is that they're completely correct - the food was amazing. We were often so tired from our adventures during the day that dinner was a happy wind-down. The sustainability aspect is well-documented so I won't go into too much detail on that as well as the overall beauty of the whole property. Glenorchy, and specifically Headwaters, is a wonderful place to stay and I would go back in a heartbeat.