The Lord of the Rings trilogy opened the eyes of the world to something that Kiwis have known all along – New Zealand possesses some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet.
J. R. R. Tolkien would no doubt have approved of the Middle Earth depicted in the multi-Academy Award-winning blockbuster series. Director Peter Jackson used his native New Zealand’s many and varied natural landscapes to great effect, bringing to life the beautiful, epic and alienating worlds of Tolkien’s book.
Whether you’re a fan of the films or not, you can’t fail to appreciate the magnificence of the land in which they are set. Stretching from the purpose-built Hobbiton (Waikato) in the north to The Dead Marshes (Teanau) in the south, no fewer than 14 locations are spread across both of New Zealand’s islands.
While seeing all of them would be a journey not unlike Frodo Baggins’ (although we’re sure there are plenty of LOTR-mad fans who have), we hope you get a chance to see at least some of these, our top five Lord of the Rings locations.
Hobbiton
Putangirua Pinnacles
Mount Sunday
Takaka Hill
Franz Josef Glacier
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Images: Severin Sadjina; Jared Kelly; opusman; PhillipC; NelsonNZ; Sheep”R”Us)
