- 1Wikipedia says the 2013 Top of the Lake miniseries was shot on location in Queenstown and Glenorchy over 18 weeks, with Glenorchy standing in for the fictional town of Laketop and Moke Lake used for the women's commune scenes.
- 2The story itself is set in and around Paradise, a rural locality near Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu, so the sources separate where it is set from where it was filmed.
- 3Moke Lake has a track around it and a DOC campsite, and Glenorchy is about 45 km from Queenstown. The DOC says mobile coverage in the area is only in the Glenorchy township.
- 4Summer is peak season, with dawn as early as 5am and dusk around 10pm, per Destination Queenstown. This guide is independent and not affiliated with the series or its makers.
01 / Short answer
Glenorchy stood in for Laketop, and Moke Lake was the commune
Wikipedia's article on the series says filming took 18 weeks and was shot entirely on location in Queenstown and Glenorchy, in Otago. It says Queenstown is referred to during the series, while Glenorchy doubles as the fictitious town of Laketop, and that the scenes in the women's commune were filmed at Moke Lake. Wikipedia's Glenorchy page adds that the series was set in and around Paradise. Wikipedia's Paradise page says much of the story was set there, although filming took place in the nearby town of Glenorchy. This guide draws on Wikipedia, the Department of Conservation and Destination Queenstown. We could not check an official film-industry location list, so treat the filming sites as Wikipedia's account rather than an official record.
02 / The places
Four places in the story, and what the sources say about each
| Place | What the sources say | What the sources say about visiting |
|---|---|---|
| Glenorchy | Doubles as the fictitious town of Laketop (Wikipedia). | A small settlement at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, about 45 km by road or boat from Queenstown, with two pubs, a cafe and small shops (Wikipedia). |
| Moke Lake | Where the women's commune scenes were filmed (Wikipedia). | A small lake near Closeburn, with a track that encircles it and a DOC campsite and parking area at the far end (Wikipedia). |
| Paradise | Where much of the story is set (Wikipedia), though filming took place in nearby Glenorchy. | A rural locality east of the Dart River / Te Awa Whakatipu, where Wikipedia says the surrounding area is used for sheep and cattle farming (the page marks this as unreferenced). |
| Queenstown | Named in the story, and one of the two filming locations (Wikipedia). | The nearest large town to Glenorchy (Wikipedia). |
03 / Set or shot
Setting and shooting location are not always the same place
The sources describe two things to separate: where the story is set and where it was shot. The story is set in a fictional town called Laketop and in Paradise Valley, where a women's therapy group arrives (per Wikipedia's plot summary). The Wikipedia articles say Glenorchy played Laketop, and that the commune scenes were filmed at Moke Lake. They also differ in emphasis: the Paradise page says much of the story was set in Paradise but filmed in Glenorchy, while the Glenorchy page says the series was set in and around Paradise. In this guide's reasoning, that means a visitor should not expect a named street or building to match a scene. The sources we checked list no addresses, no building names and no filming dates, and we have not added any.
04 / Seeing it
How visitors can see the landscape, from the sources we checked
These come from Wikipedia, the Department of Conservation and our own catalogue. Details differ by place and by listing.
- Moke Lake
Wikipedia says the lake is a popular recreation spot, especially in summer, for boating, camping, horseback riding and swimming, that boat speed is limited to 5 km/h, and that a track encircles the lake and links to Lake Dispute. Wikipedia gives the Ngāi Tahu names Punamāhaka and Waikāmāhaka, which both mean twin waters. Our catalogue has a Moke Lake kayak and paddle board listing.
- Glenorchy
The DOC says Glenorchy, at the head of Lake Wakatipu, is the gateway to some of New Zealand's best-known multi-day tracks, with good one-day tracks and many shorter walks nearby. Our catalogue has a Glenorchy and Paradise half-day listing.
- Paradise
Wikipedia describes the area around Paradise as farming country, though it marks that line as unreferenced. The sources we checked do not say whether the land is open to visitors, so in this guide's reasoning, a guided trip is the simplest way in. One catalogue listing describes exclusive access to the remote Paradise Valley with a local guide.
- The drive and the water
Wikipedia says the dirt access road to Moke Lake heads inland from the Glenorchy to Queenstown road and passes the smaller Lake Kirkpatrick. The DOC warns that the head of Lake Wakatipu can be dangerous for swimming, with strong currents where the river meets the lake and very cold water.
05 / Planning
Plan a day in this order
- 01Check the forecast first
The DOC says to always check the forecast before heading out, because weather in the Glenorchy area can change quickly at any time of the year.
- 02Choose your place
Moke Lake is near Closeburn in Queenstown, and Glenorchy is about 45 km from Queenstown by road or boat, per Wikipedia. In this guide's reasoning, pick one as your main stop rather than trying to see everything.
- 03Plan for no signal
The DOC says mobile phone coverage in the area is only in the Glenorchy township and recommends carrying a distress beacon when you are out on the tracks.
- 04Respect the water and the rivers
The DOC says rivers in the Glenorchy area can rise and fall quickly with weather and snow melt, and advises inexperienced people to avoid crossing and use the bridged tracks instead.
- 05Know the rules for dogs and drones
The DOC says dogs are not allowed in Mount Aspiring National Park, and that a permit is required to use a drone on public conservation land.
06 / Summer
Summer is peak season, with long days for a trip out to the lake
Destination Queenstown describes December to February as peak season, with temperatures between 20°C and 30°C. It says Queenstown's 45 degrees south latitude means dawn is as early as 5am in summer, while dusk settles around 10pm. It advises packing warmer layers for early mornings and evenings and cooler clothes for the long, hot days, and carrying sunblock and a water bottle, because the sun can be extreme in the South Island. In this guide's reasoning, those long days give you room to drive out to Moke Lake or Glenorchy and still be back before dark, but the sources do not say how busy those places are, so we have not added any numbers.