Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s
Lord of the Rings legendarium and the epic film trilogy take their hats off to director Peter Jackson for insisting on filming his native New Zealand. Jackson used a staggering 150 different locations throughout New Zealand to bring Middle Earth to life. The results speak for themselves:
Lord of the Rings is the sixth highest grossing film franchise ever, and bagged a total of 17 Oscars, including the unprecedented sweep of all eleven nominations for
Return of the King.
The success of the films is due in large part to the starring role New Zealand plays as Middle Earth. The trilogy’s legacy has been a massive boon to New Zealand’s travel industry. Already well established as a major eco, gastronomic, and adventure tourism destination,
Lord of the Rings fans now flock to New Zealand to visit some of the films’ stunning shooting locations.
The Southern Lakes of New Zealand provided the dramatic backdrops to the memorable scene in in The Fellowship of the Ring, in which Arwen puts the Black Riders to rout at the Ford of Bruinen. The Lakes are also the scene of Gandalf’s epic ride, as well as the panorama of Middle Earth.
The dramatic peaks of Fiordland provided many of the shooting locales, including the environs of Elrond’s Rivendell as well as the River Anduin, along which the Fellowship travel in boats on their way to Galadriel’s Lothlorien. This is also where you can find Treebeard’s Fangorn Forest, where Merry and Pippen are rescued from the Orcs and muster the Ents to attack Isengard. Fiordland is also the site of the dramatic ending of the first film, set in Tolkien’s Amon Hen where the Fellowship breaks up.
Affable New Zealanders don’t seem surprised to be asked the way to fictional locales such as the Shire and Rivendell, so don’t feel shy about finding out the way to your favorite part of Middle Earth!
Alexander+Roberts are delighted to offer small group and privately guided itineraries to New Zealand, including the
Spectacular New Zealand land and cruise combination.