The
Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed entirely in New Zealand. There were as
many as nine individual units filming in the remotest and scenic areas. Since
the release of Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring, many die hard Lord
of the Rings fans have come to New Zealand to seek out the spectacular locations.
Below is a guide to these locations with instructions on how to get there.
Amon Hen
An
inaccessible location close to Closeburn was the location for Amon Hen. Closeburn
is 8km from Queenstown. The
area where the filming took place was in a Pine forest on a peninsula located
on the shore of Lake Wakatipu.
Bree
Fort
Dorset in the Wellington suburb
of Seatoun was the location for Bree. The exact location is an old army base
on Burnham St. The army base has now been demolished and plots of land are
now for sale. Another area was the Mirimar
Peninsula which is close by. Both areas are very close to the coast of
the Wellington harbour. The nearby Chocolate Fish Cafe at Scorching
Bay, is where the actors often had lunch and coffee.
Chetwood Forest
Takaka
Hill is the
location for Chetwood Forest. From Motueka, you head toward Kaiteriteri which
is the gateway to the Abel Tasman
National Park, but instead of entering the park, you climb up the 972
metre summit of Takaka Hill. You can also access Takaka Hill by road when
heading toward the Totoranui
end of Abel Tasman National Park. Takaka hill is the only place in the world
except for Italy where you can find rocky marble outcrops.
Dimrill Dale
Mount Owen at
the southern end of the Kahurangi National Park was the setting for Drimdale.
This mountain is located near Nelson,
which is a small arty town that is home to many of the crafts people who created
film props. Near Nelson is New Zealand's most popular National Park named
the Abel Tasman. The park has
a 31-mile trail that cuts through coastal forests and some of the most scenic
beaches in New Zealand.
Edoras
Mt
Sunday was the location for Edoras and Meduseld. There is no access to Mt
Sunday, but nearby Mt Potts, a high country station provides views. Mt Potts
offers accommodation and has a restaurant and you can see Mt Sunday near the
entrance. Mt Sunday is a rocky outcrop on the Canterbury Plains next to the
Southern Alps located in the
Rangitata River valley in Ashburton district, around 2.5 hours drive inland
from Christchurch. The Canterbury Plains is the largest plain in New Zealand
and the Southern Alps is the biggest mountain chain in Australasia. These
mountains are bigger in area than the European Alps.
Fangorn Forest and
Nen Hithoel
The
Mavora Lakes was the location for Fangorn Forest and Nen Hithoel. The lakes
are situated off the Te Anau Highway
pass Mossburn or you can take an unpaved road near Te Anau which takes about
45 minutes by car. Just before the turn off to Mavora Lakes, you will see
the Fangorn Forest to your left. The township of Te Anau is the gateway to
to the spectacular Fiordland National
Park.
Ford of Bruinen
The
Ford of Bruinen is located in Arrowtown
which is twenty minutes from Queenstown.
The Ford is a stone throw from the centre of Arrowtown. From the main street
you just need to walk to the nearby river bank and walk up stream for about
200 meters. The scene where the river was flooded was filmed in a different
location, namely the Shotover River
at Skippers Canyon.
Helms Deep
A quarry on the Western
Hutt Road in Wellington was the
location for Helms Deep. Head north down the Western Hutt Road (highway) toward
Upper Hutt and you will see the quarry just before the Paramata turn off.
Hobbiton
The town of
Matamata in the Waikato was the
setting for Hobbiton. This area of New Zealand is one of the richest agricultural
and pastoral areas in the world and is characterized as a large fertile basin
through which the Waikato river (the longest in New Zealand) flows. Most travelers
comment on how green the grass is and this provided the ideal background for
Hobbiton.
Isengard Gardens and
the Orc Tree
Harcourt Park
on the Akatarawa Road in Upper Hutt about 20 minutes from Wellington
City was the location for Isengard Gardens and the Orc Tree. The Akatarawa
Road cuts through the Rimutaka Mountains.
Ithilien Camp
Ohakune
was the location for Ithilien Camp. Ohakune a centre for skiing in the North
Island is located on the edge of the Tongaririo
National Park and close to Mt
Ruapehu, the highest peak in the North Island. The exact location for
Ithilien Camp is a short drive from Ohakune toward the Turoe Ski Field also
known as the Ohakune Mountain Road Scenic Drive. Keep going till you pass
the Mangawhero Falls and you will see some nearby native bush where some of
the filming took place.
Lothlorien and the
Gladden Fields
Fernside
was the location for Lothlorien and the Gladden Fields. Fernside is a Country
House that offers accommodation and cannot be accessed unless you stay as
a guest. Check out www.fernside.co.nz for more information. Fernside is located
on State Highway 2 just three kilometer's north of Featherston. The main road
gate is marked with large sign on the north side of the highway (left driving
towards Masterton from Featherston). Fernside is a little under an hour from
Wellington by road via the scenic
Rimutaka Rd. Queenstown's Lake
Wakatipu was also used as the location for some scenes.
Mordor
Whakapapa
Ski Field on Mt Ruapehu in the
Tongariro National Park was the location for Mordor. To get there go to Waiouru
in the Central Plateau on SH1 and then turn left and go to Ohakune. Keep going
through Ohakune to National Park. Turn right at the BP station, following
the signs to Whakapapa. From Auckland go SH1 to Turangi and then follow the
signs to National Park except turn up to Whakapapa just before National Park.
Nearby Mount Tongariro served as the menacing Mount
Doom. Tongariro National Park is characterized by 3 volcanoes that rise
above a landscape of lava flows and scoria. The region draws skiers in winter.
Misty Mountains
The
mountains behind Glenorchy, a village at the northern end of Lake
Wakatipu near Queenstown
was the location for the Misty Mountains. Glenorchy is very close to Queenstown
and is the gateway to the spectacular Mt Aspiring National Park and the start
of the famous Routeburn
track.
Pillars of the Kings
Kawarau
River was the location for the Pillars of the Kings. To get there you
can start at the oldest Bungy Jump site in the world, namely AJ Hackett and
look for the entrance road to Chard Farm Vineyard. You can see the view from
there, although you will not be able to see the pillars themselves as they
were computer generated.
Plains of Gorgoroth
Like
Mordor, Tongariro National Park
was the location for the Plains of Gorgoroth. The plains themselves are vast
and can be seen from either the National Park side of the park or the Desert
Road. One of the best ways to explore this park is to walk the Tongariro
Crossing, which has been classed in the world's top 10 one day walks by
National Geographic.
Rivendale and the Fords
of Isen
Kaitoke
Regional Park was the location for Rivendale and the Fords of Isen. Kaitoke
is north of Upper Hutt near Wellington.
The park is sign posted on SH2 and offers BBQ areas. The position of Rivendale
is sign posted at the entrance of the park. You can see the Fords of Isen
from a bridge near the car park.
River Anduin
Four
rivers were used to depict the River Anduin. The Rangitikei River was the
main location and can be accessed just south of Taihape
and turn left at Ohutu. You will see a Bungee Jump and from the nearby car
park you need to walk across a one way bridge which will open up a spectacular
view of the river. The Moawhango River was also used and you can see this
river as it runs into the Rangitikei nearby. Another river that was used was
the Hutt River which
flows from the Tararua Ranges north of Upper Hutt and through to the Wellington
Harbour from Petone. In the South Island the Waiau River which flows from
Lake Te Anau was also used.
Rohan
The
surrounding area around Poolburn Reservoir on the Rough Ridge Range in the
Ida Valley was the location for Rohan. Located 40 minutes from Alexandria,
head toward Omakau and turn toward Ophir then drive up and over the Raggedy
Range toward Poolburn. From here you will need a 4WD to reach eerie rock formations
around Poolburn Reservoir. However the owners of the land can take you there
from Rohan and they also offer accommodation
Silverlode River
Mararoa River, South Mavora
close to the village of Mossburn near Te
Anau was the location for Silverlode River. Mararoa River is a picturesque
river abounding with Rainbow and
Brown trout.
Trollshaw Forest and
Osgiliath Wood
Waitarere Forest near Foxton
in the Wellington region was
the location for Trollshaw Forest and Osgiliath Wood. Head toward the Kapiti
Coast from Wellington and turn
to Waitarere Beach just after Poroutawhao.
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