New Zealand’s stunning and diverse landscapes have captivated movie fans around the world as the unbilled star of Sir Peter Jackson’s hugely successful The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
In the lead-up to the release of Jackson’s next foray into
Middle-earth—
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again—The Lord of the Rings fever is gripping our country again so it’s more fun than ever to take your own unexpected journey to New Zealand, home of Middle-earth.
Over 150 spectacular locations were used in the Oscar™-winning The Lord of the Rings films and you don’t need a helicopter (or giant eagle) to place yourself in some well known scenes. Much of the film was shot near major landmarks and tourist centres, so you can either take a self-guided adventure or join one of the many organised The Lord of the Rings location tours that are on offer.
You can marvel at the attention to detail of the ‘
Hobbiton’ set outside the North Island town of Matamata. By trekking the
Tongariro Crossing you’ll take in vistas of Mordor. And on a scenic drive to beautiful
Glenorchy near
Queenstown you’ll pass the fortress of ‘Isengard’.
The hub for the films’ production was New Zealand’s capital
Wellington, where cast and crew enjoyed world class production facilities as well as gastronomic and cultural highlights during their epic 500-day production.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released beginning December 14, 2012. The second film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, is slated for release the following year, beginning December 13, 2013.
By Barbara Horrell
By Jo Heaton