Lake Moke, Glenorchy and Queenstown: Filming Locations of Top of the Lake
Not every great drama needs a studio. Lake Moke, Glenorchy, and Queenstown proved that. Jane Campion chose this corner of New Zealand’s South Island for her acclaimed TV series. Top of the Lake first broadcast in 2013, and it brought the raw landscapes of Otago to audiences worldwide. The result was a show that felt as wild and unresolved as the terrain itself. So if you want to walk the ground where Detective Robin Griffin pursued the truth, these three locations are your starting point.
Lake Moke Glenorchy Queenstown Top of the Lake fans will find that visiting in person is a very different experience from watching on screen. The drama is gone, but the scenery is not. If anything, the landscape feels more arresting when there is nothing between you and it except mountain air.
About Top of the Lake
Top of the Lake is a mystery drama co-created and directed by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee. The series follows Detective Robin Griffin, played by Elisabeth Moss. She investigates the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl in a remote New Zealand town. The series premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013. It subsequently aired on BBC Two, Sundance Channel, and BBC UKTV.
Furthermore, the series earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Mini-Series. It also took the Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography in a Mini-Series and received two BAFTA nominations. Elisabeth Moss beat Helen Mirren and Jessica Lange, among others, to claim the Golden Globe. That win consequently confirmed Top of the Lake as far more than a regional production.
Filming took 18 weeks on location in Queenstown and Glenorchy New Zealand, in Otago, on the South Island. This commitment to a single region gave the series its powerful visual consistency. As a result, every landscape in the show connects to a real place you can visit today.
Glenorchy: The Fictional Town of Laketop
In the series, Glenorchy New Zealand doubles as the fictitious town of Laketop. This small settlement sits at the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu. It provided the streets, buildings, and tight-knit community atmosphere that Laketop required. Its remote feel suited the show perfectly.
Glenorchy New Zealand sits roughly 45 minutes north of Queenstown by car. The drive traces the western shore of Lake Wakatipu, with the Remarkables rising across the water. It is, in fact, one of the most scenic roads in the country. Once in the village, the sense of isolation that defines Top of the Lake becomes immediately apparent. This is a place where everyone knows everyone.
Beyond filming, Glenorchy is a base for some of the South Island’s finest outdoor experiences. The Routeburn Track, the Rees-Dart Track, and the Dart River Valley are all accessible from here. Travellers visiting for the Lake Moke Glenorchy Queenstown Top of the Lake sites often stay longer than planned, simply because the wider landscape rewards exploration. For more activities and day trips, visit our Queenstown region page.
Lake Moke: The Women’s Commune
Jane Campion chose Lake Moke for the women’s commune scenes. In the series, a group of women set up camp near the water under the mysterious GJ, played by Holly Hunter. Today, Lake Moke is a small public lake near Closeburn in Queenstown. It is a popular recreation spot for boating, camping, horseback riding, and swimming.
The commune scenes gave the series some of its most visually striking moments. The isolated lakeside setting, surrounded by tussock hills and open sky, created a world apart from ordinary life. Indeed, Campion used the landscape not just as backdrop but as a character in itself. That is why the real Lake Moke carries such weight when you visit.
Lake Moke sits about 15 minutes south-east of central Queenstown along an unsealed road. It remains one of the quieter spots in the region, even during peak visitor months. So bring a picnic, walk the lake perimeter, and take time to absorb the atmosphere. The experience of standing where GJ’s women camped, with nothing around you but hills and water, stays with you.
Queenstown: Lake Wakatipu and Bob’s Cove
Queenstown filming locations Top of the Lake include several memorable scenes along Lake Wakatipu itself. The pilot episode opens on the shores of the lake, where a young girl walks into the icy water on a cold morning. This early scene set the tone for the entire series and told viewers immediately that this would not be comfortable viewing.
Bob’s Cove also featured in the series. It sits along the Queenstown to Glenorchy road, roughly 15 minutes from central Queenstown. The bay is easy to reach and offers lake swimming and natural beauty. It makes a natural stopping point on any drive toward Glenorchy.
Moreover, Queenstown itself is the most accessible base for exploring the Top of the Lake filming locations New Zealand. It offers a full range of accommodation and transport options. Most travellers use it as a hub for day trips to both Glenorchy and Lake Moke.
The Dart River Valley
The Dart Riverbed gave the series a powerful sense of wilderness when the search party hunted for the missing Tui. Its undergrowth of moss and fern, set against open riverbed and mountain backdrop, created a striking contrast to the village scenes. The Dart Valley sits in the Queenstown-Lakes district of Otago.
The Dart River area is also well known to fans of Lord of the Rings, since the same valley featured in that production. This overlap is no coincidence. The terrain is so varied and dramatic that it works for almost any story needing an emotionally weighted landscape. As a result, a jet boat or kayak tour on the Dart River is one of the most popular ways to see this area. Tours depart from Glenorchy village.
Jane Campion and the Power of Place
Dame Jane Campion is no ordinary director. Her series Top of the Lake defies convention with its picturesque settings of Lake Moke, Glenorchy, and Queenstown. Campion grew up in New Zealand, so she brought an insider’s understanding to these landscapes. She knew that the land around Queenstown was not simply beautiful. It was also threatening, indifferent, and vast, and those qualities suited her story perfectly.
The series drew near-universal critical acclaim. Critics praised it for exploring gender dynamics with unusual honesty, and the landscape played a direct role in that. Wide-open spaces and small, isolated communities make secrets both harder to keep and harder to escape. That tension runs through every frame of the show.
Visiting All Three Locations
Planning a Top of the Lake filming locations New Zealand visit is straightforward from Queenstown. Here are a few practical notes:
- Lake Moke is about 15 minutes south-east of central Queenstown on an unsealed road. A standard vehicle can manage it in dry conditions.
- Bob’s Cove sits 15 minutes from Queenstown along the sealed Glenorchy road, so it makes a natural first stop on the way north.
- Glenorchy is 45 minutes north of Queenstown on a fully sealed, scenic road. The village has cafes, a general store, and basic accommodation.
- The Dart River Valley is a further 20 minutes from Glenorchy, or is best accessed on a guided river tour.
You can cover all four locations in a single full day from Queenstown. However, allowing two days gives you time to absorb each place properly rather than simply passing through.
For a broader look at the South Island’s screen tourism highlights, our Best Filming Locations page covers production sites across both islands.
Planning Your Queenstown Screen Tourism Trip
Top of the Lake is one of several acclaimed productions that chose the Queenstown and Glenorchy New Zealand area as their home. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine all filmed nearby. That concentration of cinematic history makes the region one of the world’s most rewarding screen tourism destinations.
Whether you come here for Jane Campion’s vision or for the landscapes themselves, the experience will stay with you. The Top of the Lake filming locations New Zealand are not managed attractions. They are real places that happen to be extraordinary, and that is exactly why a great director chose them.
To make the most of the area, browse our South Island tours for itineraries that include Queenstown and the wider Otago region. For inspiration on what else to see nearby, explore our must-do South Island experiences.
Want a guided experience on the same terrain? Our Lord of the Rings tours cover Glenorchy and Queenstown in detail, and they extend easily to include the key Lake Moke Glenorchy Queenstown Top of the Lake filming sites.
FAQs
Where was Top of the Lake filmed?
Jane Campion filmed the entire series on location in Queenstown and Glenorchy, in Otago, on New Zealand’s South Island. Key sites include Lake Moke, Bob’s Cove on Lake Wakatipu, Glenorchy village, and the Dart River Valley.
What is Laketop in Top of the Lake?
Laketop is the fictional remote town at the centre of the series. Glenorchy, a real village at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu about 45 minutes from Queenstown, stood in for it on screen.
Where did Jane Campion film the women’s commune scenes?
Campion chose Lake Moke for those scenes. It is a small lake near Closeburn, roughly 15 minutes from central Queenstown.
Is Lake Moke open to the public?
Yes. Lake Moke is a public recreation area, open year-round for camping, swimming, boating, and walking around the lake perimeter.
Did Top of the Lake win any awards?
Yes. Elisabeth Moss won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Mini-Series. The show also took the Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography in a Mini-Series and three AACTA awards. Additionally, it received nominations for the BAFTA for Best Drama Series and the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries.
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