Amazing Middle-earth: New Zealand in the footsteps of the Lord of the Rings
New Zealand is one of the farthest corners of the planet, which many travelers want to visit. In addition to the world famous hot springs, geysers and acid lakes, as well as the extraordinary landscapes of the Tongariro volcanic massif, this country is attracted by the mysterious world of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tours to places related to the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece are immensely popular with tourists around the world. This phenomenon has already been dubbed Tolkien Tourism and has become an important part of the New Zealand entertainment industry.
Do you want to follow in the footsteps of the heroes of the famous trilogy? Then we invite you on an amazing journey with AvesTravel! Here is our selection of the most interesting places where your favorite movie was filmed.
Mount Olympus in Kahurangi National Park
This very beautiful place became the prototype of Rivendell – the secret refuge of the king of the elves. The first part of the trilogy was mainly filmed here and here you can admire the incredible landscapes of the northern part of the South Island of New Zealand.
Picturesque birch forest near Queenstown
This forest was embodied on the screen as Lothlorien – the home of the elves from Middle-earth. And its incredibly beautiful landscapes are worth seeing at least once in your life.
Mysterious Paths of the Dead
They can be found in the Putangirua Pinnacles Nature Reserve. This corner of New Zealand is a must see, whether you’ve watched the trilogy or not. Sharp ominous rocks create an incredible atmosphere, so vivid emotions and impressions of a lifetime are guaranteed to you.
Town Matamata
And here you can see the very Hobbiton from the movie. A highlight, which will certainly appeal to fans of The Lord of the Rings, is a special attraction – holes of hobbits, which they decided to leave for public viewing and entertainment. By the way, for this, the local authorities made an exception to the rules, because according to the laws in New Zealand, all filming locations in nature must be returned to their original state after the end of work. At the entrance to the city there is now a signpost with the words “Welcome to Hobbiton” – a must-see place for a photo. It is so colorful and fabulous here that the trip will please even if you are not a fan of Tolkien’s work.
Mordor
The darkest territory in the film, causing fear and horror to all, was filmed in Tongariro National Park, where active volcanoes are located. One of them even became the prototype of Mount Doom of Orodruin. If you come here, be sure to visit the nearby lakes of Rotorua and Tuapo, because most of the filming took place near them. Here you will discover the Black Gate of Mordor, the scorched plateau of Gorgoroth and other film attractions.
Troll grove
One of the most striking scenes of Bilbo being captured just before being eaten by the trolls was filmed in Piopio on a small local farm. It belongs to the Denise family, who are currently the founders of a travel company that organizes excursions to famous places from the trilogy. The couple proposes to start their acquaintance with the world of “The Lord of the Rings” with an exciting walk through the wild forest on their farm.
Waiau River
The role of the Anduin River in the film is played by the Waiau, the largest river in the southwest of New Zealand. It was here that the border between the world of light and good and the domains of darkness passed.
Traveling around New Zealand is an amazing opportunity to plunge deeper into the atmosphere of your favorite film trilogy. A fairy tale and favorite heroes come to life here, and picturesque landscapes and natural attractions give unimaginable pleasure and vivid emotions. No wonder Tolkien tourism is so popular!
