Pure Glenorchy are a NZ owned family business, running Lord of the Rings Scenic Tours since 2005.
We are a family team and are super passionate about Lord of the Rings and this beautiful part of the world.
All of our guides have a genuine love the Lord of the Rings and look forward to giving you an unforgettable experience. Operating since 2005, we take pride in delivering a fantastic tour to our guests every day.
Joel Lamason & Kate Cruickshank, Owners & Operators
We absolutely love showing off the breathtaking beauty of Glenorchy and its surrounding natural areas to our visitors – and of course, all of the incredible Lord Of The Rings film Locations!
After many years in the tourism and hospitality industry we know the importance of customer satisfaction and good old fashioned customer service.
We take pride in each and every trip. Our team does their best to ensure all of our guests leave with the sense of awe we felt; the very first time we experienced the wonder of Glenorchy.
Vicky, Driver & Guide
As a former Rohan refugee (Vicky has some LOTR tales to tell!) arriving as a backpacker 27 yrs ago, she fell in love with the area and just never left!
Having ‘grown up’ in the tourism industry – from being a Great Walks hiking guide on the tracks from Glenorchy, retail manager for a rafting company, marketing for the ski fields, to running two visitor publications – she is a bit of a ‘know it all’ (in a good way!).
Keen skier, enthusiastic biker and hiking addict, she spends any spare time she has outdoors with her springer spaniel Dexter and her daughter. Her fave LOTR quotes:
Gandalf: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
Gandalf: “The world is not in your books and maps. It’s out there.”
“Vicky was our excellent tour guide for this most memorable tour. Being small it was also flexible, giving us more time to spend in certain worthwhile locations and to dress up and play at being LOTR characters in the forest where Boromir was killed. Vicky’s driving was second to none, negotiating winding roads and potholes with a skill that was envious. We all felt totally safe in her responsible hands. Her wealth of knowledge about the movie, a lot coming from personal experiences as an extra made the experience all the more special. 1000% recommend”
Dan, Driver & Guide
Dan has been a LOTR fan since around 7 years old when he was first read the Hobbit by his Dad. Moving to Wellington during the filming of the movies solidified a love of the films and all things Tolkien. He has also developed a keen interest in plants and animals and loves to share his knowledge of the natural world.
Dan has been guiding and exploring around the world since 2013 and has now made his home in Queenstown, combining his love of nature and LOTR in paradise.
In his spare time Dan can be found snowboarding, biking and seeking out hidden parts of Middle Earth with his partner and their dog Manuka. He also loves a good dress up opportunity!
FAVE LOTR QUOTE: Theodens Charge speech at Pellenor fields (goose bumps every time)
“It’s a dangerous business Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
“One of the best tours and tour guides I have been on. Dan was very friendly and there wasn’t anything he didn’t know about the Lord of the Rings history and movies! We thorugoughly enjoyed the scenery and the descriptions of how they were filmed, which movie it came from, as well as photos of which scene was filmed. The dress up in the forest and being able to actually feel some of the swords was also great. you could see his passion come out in all of his descriptions and I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys looking behind the scenes of the Lord of the Rings.
Solomon (Solly), Driver & Guide
From a young age Solomon was lost in Tolkien’s world, running through the native bush of the Coromandel killing Orcs. Over the years this love of Tolkien’s world and Lord of the Rings has continued to grow – therefore when given the opportunity to lead people into Middle Earth and explore where these masterpieces were made he jumped at the opportunity. Outside of Lord of the Rings Solomon is a musician, so you can expect a dwarfish song or two on your journey.
His fave LOTR quote:
‘I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go Back to the shadow. You shall not pass!‘
“The Pure Glenorchy tour with Solomon as our guide exceeded expectations.Not only were the locations outstanding in their beauty but the information provided by Solomon in relation to which scenes took place at each location and how the special effects were used was outstanding.A lovely hot drink and snacks added to the day and it was topped off by a couple songs sung by Solomon on the van ride home.All up a fabulous experience from start to finish.”
