Camp Glenorchy

With a backdrop of the mighty Richardson Mountains, Camp Glenorchy has taken traditional camp accommodation to an aspirational level as the country's first netzero-energy complex. Not strictly a camping ground as New Zealanders know them (for those with tents Mrs Woolly's campground is next door), Camp Glenorchy instead offers seven cabins and four bunk bed rooms, each sleeping four.

Constructed and designed according to the Living Building Challenge, which requires addressing the seven ‘petals' of sustainability (including energy, water, materials, and beauty) the Camp's clear goal is to inspire and delight. These founding principles are reinforced throughout the experience, and if each guest takes away just one of these ideas into their own lives, then the bigger goal – that Camp Glenorchy's values will filter out into the wider community – is met.

Sustainability targets have been reached through a wide range of measures including solar panels, efficient heating systems, composting toilets (the byproduct of which is used in the gardens) and grey water filtration and irrigation systems. Principles of recycling and reuse were used in the construction of the camp itself, with the timber and iron sourced from local woolsheds and Cromwell stockyards. Some of the furnishings are similarly resourced, such as the use of refurbished school chairs, and coat hooks made from fallen local beech trees. Everything is run in an efficient high-tech manner and guests can learn as they go with iPads in each room operating as educational devices allowing guests to control room temperature and shower length and thus actively contributing to the camp's environmental goals.

The tasteful warm cabins feel a little like upmarket Department of Conservation huts painted in earthy tones. Guests can enjoy the privacy and comfort of the cabins, or get social and share stories with others in communal cooking and dining areas.

The outdoor covered scheelite area, with its huge open fire, feels like the robust beating heart of the camp and all that it stands for.

34 Oban Street. (03) 409 0401, theheadwaters.co.nz/camp-glenorchy