4 Lord Of The Rings locations on New Zealand’s North Island

When he started writing the Lord of the Rings, J.R.R Tolkien had never been to New Zealand. He drew his inspiration from the country he lived in, England, and perhaps from his native land of South Africa. His imagination did the rest. Little did he know that, decades later, a group of die-hard fans would bring his work to life in the most epic way imaginable and that they would choose New Zealand to recreate this universe.

Peter Jackson and his team didn’t pick New Zealand randomly. They did because they knew that this one country could embody Middle Earth in all its layers. Well, Peter Jackson being a Kiwi himself was no stranger to that decision either but it did pay off eventually. The world came to associate New Zealand with the fantastic universe of the Lord of the Rings and the number of tourists visiting the country increased sharply because of it, to the extent that a new word had to be created to define that kind of tourism.

Tolkien tourism was born and it is running to this day. Tour operators followed suit and created entire tours dedicated to the Lord of the Rings, taking tourists to the films’ locations and even dressing them up to re-enact iconic scenes of the movies. If you can’t afford to take part in a tour though, all isn’t lost. A guidebook listing the Lord of the Ring’s locations in great details has been published and there is even one for the Hobbit. The official platform for tourism in New Zealand has also put up articles where to find additional information on filming locations, helping everyone to get on board the Lord of the Rings tourism train! Here you will find our top locations to discover on New Zealand’s north island, although a second trip to the country sure is warranted in the future to explore the wonders of the southern island too.

1. Hobbiton

Hobbiton is a strong contender to being the best filming location of the entire movies because it actually is the heart of the Shire. Located near the real city of Matamata, Hobbiton hasn’t moved an inch since the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies were shot and visiting it is an immersive experience like few others.

Taking a guided tour is compulsory and even though the price might seem unattractive, hardly any fan could turn down the experience of walking the same road as Gandalf, seeing the gate of Frodo and Bilbo’s house and drinking a pint of cider at the Green Dragon Inn. It is marvellous to see how much thought and detail was put into bringing the universe to life, just like all Hobbit’s houses being different and trying to project the persona of their inhabitants. All houses are empty though and you will be able to enter only a handful of them but knowing that won’t prevent you from expecting Merry and Pippin to show up at any corner.

Tour guides will also introduce you to some quirky stories about the filming of the movies, stories about frogs loving Hobbiton’s pond so much that the staff had to chase them away every morning or else their noise would cover the actors’ voices.

All in all, visiting Hobbiton is a magic experience for any fan and the perfect occasion to buy the one ring of power too. For the others, the lush countryside around Hobbiton is still reason enough to come to the area.

2. Tongariro National Park

Before the year 2001, when the Fellowship of the Rings was released in theaters all over the world, the Tongariro National Park was a beloved hiking and skiing destination. It was also an easy trip from the hot springs of Rotorua and the thermal Hot Water Beach.

Past 2001, Tongariro became synonymous with the Mordor. Its rocky slopes rendered perfectly the ruthless landscapes of the land of Sauron and fiery Mount Ngauruhoe needed little digital alteration to become Mount Doom.

The park was shot on multiple occasions throughout the trilogy. The Iwikau Village, in the Whakapapa Ski Area, was used to depict the first battle of the movie when Isildur cut down Sauron’s finger. The Mangawhero River, on Ohakune Mountain Road, was where Gollum caught a fish in the Two Towers as Faramir’s men threatened to shoot him with their arrows. The Tukino Ski Area was turned into the slopes of Mount Doom.

Tongariro is a very wide park, which is best discovered through trekking. However, trekking is not to be taken lightly for those who aren’t prepared. Fans looking for the most iconic backdrops of the trilogy can still make the most of it by settling for a shorter walk. By the end of the day, driving away with Mount Doom in the rear-mirror and Howard Shore’s soundtrack playing will be a blessed moment for sure.

3. Wellington

Not only is Wellington New Zealand’s capital city, it is also the country’s movie-making hotspot. It therefore made sense for the Weta Digital Company to settle in the city. This cradle of visual effects worked on the Lord of the Rings but also on other movies such as King Kong and the Chronicles of Narnia.

Located within the city, the Weta Studios offer immersive tours to discover their work but you can also get up close with a lot of props from the Hobbit and the original trilogy without taking on a paid tour. Hobbit feet, Uruk Hai costumes, Rohirrim swords and even statues of trolls frozen in stone can all be admired at the entrance of the studios.

The city of Wellington was also put to good use beyond the mere creation of after-effects and several scenes of the movies were filmed in the city. Mount Victoria, for instance, was where the Hobbits hid themselves under a tree as they were being hunted by a ring wraith. Finding the exact spot is practically impossible, even using a GPS, but the environment is evocative enough to warrant a visit.

Harcourt Park is another spot in the city that was used in the Fellowship of the Ring, when Gandalf first visits Saruman in Isengard. Further away from Wellington, you can drive to the Putangirua Pinnacles where Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli encountered the Army of the Undead.

4. Kaitoke Regional Park

Located on the outskirts of Wellington, the Kaitoke Regional Park was the filming location of Rivendell and the Fords of Isen. It is one of the only filming locations where you’ll find actual information on the movies.

Most of the Rivendell scenes were CGI though and much is therefore left to the imagination, except for an elven arch the fellowship used to leave Rivendell, although that arch wasn’t part of the original set either.

Information boards point out to another iconic spot that wasn’t used in the movies but during promotion. Perhaps the image of Legolas stretching his bow next to a tree will ring a bell and if it doesn’t, you’ll find that picture on the information board and can give a try at mimicking him.

The parts of the park where the shooting took place are limited but Kaitoke is also a really nice location for an easy stroll in the rainforest and for some bird watching. The clear pools of the Hutt and Pakuratahi Rivers are perfect for a swim, while the Hutt River Gorges will appeal to kayakers.

Getting there from Wellington is a pretty straightforward 50-minute drive but be warned that getting to Kaitoke from the north will be a challenging drive on a narrow, winding road.

 

[//]:# (!steemitworldmap -40.108812 lat 175.837472 long d3scr)

---

View this post on the TravelFeed dApp for the best experience.