The Dead City Lord Of The Rings
Joao Charlesbois
Enter the magical world of The Shire and Hobbiton, set in the lush, rolling hills of a 1250-acre sheep farm around the Waikato town of Matamata, near Rotorua. The Hobbiton Movie Set was created for The Lord of the Rings trilogy and rebuilt for The Hobbit trilogy.
It now remains a permanent attraction where visitors can immerse themselves in the idyllic world of the hobbits. The original movie structures still stand and you can explore Hobbit holes, Green Dragon Inn and the double arch stone bridge near the mill on the riverbank.
In the summer months, you can take a walk to Meads Wall, where Frodo and Sam lose their way to the Black Gates of Mordor. This is where they catch Gollum for the first time and from where Gollum leads the Hobbits to Emyn Muil.
The location is instantly recognisable as the site where Frodo and Faramir see Gollum enter the Forbidden Pool and catch a fish. Faramir threatens to have his archers shoot Gollum, but Frodo goes down to him.
Venture around two hours out of Wellington city to the Wairarapa region, to see the eerie Putangirua Pinnacles. These otherworldly rock formations were used for scenes in The Return of the King, when Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn sought the Army of the Undead along Dimholt Road.
Take a walk through leafy Harcourt Park, the site of the Gardens of Isengard in The Fellowship of The Ring. Imagine yourself strolling with Gandalf and Saruman through the gardens, as this is the location for the scene where Gandalf first warns Saruman about the One Ring.
An idyllic forest used to film scenes in Osgiliath Wood, this is the site where Frodo, Sam and Gollum walked after leaving Faramir in the Two Towers. You can picture Gollum scampering along the forest floor with the hobbits, as you take a peaceful walk through the towering trees.
The peak of this rugged mountain was the filming site for Chetwood Forest, where Aragorn led the hobbits as they fled the Black Riders from Bree. Takaka Hill is a spectacular site, strewn with marble, limestone caves, rocky outcrops and beech forest.
The crystal clear waters, rocky gorges and giant beech forest of Forest River are very real and you can see it all at Pelorus River. Situated halfway between Blenheim and Nelson, this stunning river was used for the scene where the dwarves escape in barrels in The Desolation of Smaug.
This is the site of Dimrill Dale and Moria in the Fellowship of the Ring and was used to film the exit from the Mines of Moria. It was here that the Fellowship emerged from the mines, overcome with grief at the loss of Gandalf.
On a vast stretch of grassy countryside near the town of Twizel in Mackenzie Country, lies the scene of the epic Battle of the Pelennor Fields in The Return of the King. The fields are the largest single location used in The Lord of the Rings films, used to portray one of the most crucial events in the whole saga.
If you visit the lake from Glenorchy (45 kilometres outside Queenstown), you'll see Mount Earnslaw rising from Aspiring National Park. This magnificent peak towers to 2,819 metres and was used in the opening scenes of The Two Towers.
Used for many scenes in Rohan, Deer Park Heights is a farm on top of the Kelvin Heights peninsula. Driving access to the park is closed to the public, but you can still take a walk up there for some of the best views over the region.
You can also visit Lake Alta, an ethereal glacial lake within the Remarkables that was the site of Dimrill Dale. Hiking to this location is possible during the summer, although it freezes over in the winter.
The crystal Kawarau River was used for some of the scenes involving the River Anduin. This is the site where the Fellowship paddled south from Lothlorien to the two enormous statues of Argonath, known as The Pillars of Kings.
In The Lord of the Rings, the elves made Lothlorien their home after falling in love with the golden, ethereal forest. Tolkien described Lothlorien as the fairest part of Middle Earth, like a heaven on (Middle) Earth, and Paradise perfectly captures this divine atmosphere.
Unfortunately, all these locations are set on private land so cannot be accessed, however you can still go to the forest along the Glenorchy-Paradise Road. There are plenty of parking areas around the forest and you can admire the magical scenery from these vantage points.
The beautiful Shotover River that runs through Skippers Canyon was the site of the Ford of Bruinen. This location is famous for the scene where Arwen calls a flood to defeat the pursuing Ringwraiths in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Earnslaw Burn is an awe-inspiring site. This massive glacier has dozens of wondrous waterfalls cascading over huge granite rock faces of 800 metres. The waterfalls freeze in the winter to form magical ice caves.
The location is only accessible via helicopter or a challenging eight to twelve hour return hike along the Earnslaw Burn Track. We can arrange for an exciting chopper ride to take you over Cecil Peak Ledge (with views of Twelve Mile Delta), Skippers Canyon, the Rees Valley and Earnslaw Burn.
The picturesque Lake Wanaka and Southern Alps were used for many scenes including the Black Riders searching for Frodo across the glimmering plains and Arwen and Frodo racing through the forest to the Ford of Bruinen.
You can access the locations from the small farming village of Tarras, around an hour from Queenstown. Gaze up at snowy peaks of the Southern Alps rising behind Lake Wanaka and picture the scene where Gwahiri the eagle rescued Gandalf from Orthanc.
Immediately recognisable as Rohan, the land of the Rohirrim, Ida Valley is a place of striking beauty. This supernatural landscape feels quite surreal with sweeping, desolate plains strewn with rocky outcrops and sandy tussocks.
From here, you can walk to Wilcox Green, the site of the Gladden Fields. It was in this marshland that the One Ring was lost by Isildur and found two and a half millennia later by Dagol, the cousin of Smagol, who later transformed into Gollum.
This awe-inspiring national park was the setting for the beautiful scene where the Eagles save Gandalf, Bilbo and the Dwarves then fly over Middle Earth. The best way to experience this location is with a scenic helicopter flight over the Fiordland.
This wondrous location perfectly depicts the mystical beauty of Rivendell, home of the Elves. Head to the Norwest Lakes where the Fellowship travelled south from Rivendell. The lake can also be seen in the epic scenes where the Fellowship flees with the eagles.
This section of the Waiau River was used for scenes along the River Anduin, when the Fellowship canoe from Lothlorien towards Argonath. The site was also used in the opening shots of The Fellowship of the Ring, while the soaring peaks surrounding the river were used for the rugged South of Rivendell.
The Mavora Lakes Park, located near Te Anau, was used as the location for Nen Hithoel, a large lake on the River Anduin where the Fellowship made camp. After Boromir was killed, his body floated into Nen Hithoel, taking him home down the River Anduin.
The area was also used for the scene where Merry and Pippin escaped from the orcs on the edge of Fangorn Forest and where they hide from the Uruk-hai. You can discover Fangorn Forest along Takaro Road, where cameras were strung up from wires on both sides of the road to film Aragorn moving through the forest.
Mararoa River and the swingbridge at the South Mavora Lake were used for the scene where the Fellowship leave Lothlorien, while the North Mavora Lake is recognisable as the site where the Fellowship end their journey along the River Anduin.
Tawhai Falls(opens in new window) in Tongariro National Park(opens in new window) was the location for the forbidden pool, where Frodo and Faramir capture Gollum in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'. The falls can be reached via a short 10-minute walk, which begins roughly 4 km from Whakapapa Village.
The most accessible filming location in Wellington is Mount Victoria, which is within walking distance of the central city. The forested areas of the mountain were used to depict Hobbiton Woods, where the hobbits hid from the black riders.
From Wellington, you can drive up the west coast to Queen Elizabeth Park near Paraparaumu, which was used for filming the Nazgul and mumakil in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Further up the coast is Waitarere Forest (Osgiliath Wood), where Frodo, Sam and Gollum walked after leaving Faramir.
Wellington is also home to Wētā Workshop(opens in new window), Wētā Digital and the Miramar film empire which is central to The Hobbit Trilogy production. While the movie business centre is off-limits to visitors, The Lord of the Rings pilgrims can experience the Wētā Cave.
The sheer drama of the South Island's mountain ranges and wilderness areas means there are dozens of filming locations to visit that are stunning in their own right - even non-movie buffs will enjoy these.
Nelson Tasman is home to Jens Hansen, the goldsmith responsible for creating the 40 different rings used in production. One of the original rings is on display and copies can be bought in 9 and 18ct gold.
From Nelson drive west over Takaka Hill, which was the filming site for Chetwood Forest. Here the Ranger 'Strider' led the hobbits into the rough country east of Bree in an attempt to escape the Black Riders.
You'll need to catch a helicopter to see where the fellowship hid from Saruman's black crows. Ask the pilot to show you Dimrill Dale - Mount Olympus and Mount Owen. From the air, you'll get an eagle's view of the region's three national parks - Abel Tasman, Nelson Lakes and Kahurangi.
Nestled in the Ashburton District's high country sits Mount Sunday - a sheer-sided hill that was the set for Edoras, the main city of the Rohan people.
Nothing remains of this set, which took nine months to build, however the location still has powerful magic. You can park your vehicle on Hakatere Potts Road and walk to the site. Nearby, Mount Potts Station offers accommodation and a restaurant.