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So You’re a fan of Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit…All the iconic NZ locations
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items Are you a devoted admirer of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? What about Those unforgettable and iconic landscapes of New Zealand that were featured in the films? Here are some of the filming locales that captured you in the films that you can e...
Sections
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North island
South Island
North island
Sharing some of the beautiful and must see filming locations on the North Island of New Zealand that were featured in the popular movies. Bet you’ll wanna visit. From mountain views and stunning vistas, you won’t be disappointed.
Check out Tongariro National park for many Places featured in the Lord of the rings. This park Features the volcanic landscape used to depict Mordor and Mount Doom. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing offers a challenging hike through this dramatic scenery...
Tongariro National Park
This park served as Rivendell, the elven refuge, and offers beautiful natural settings. Beautiful hiking that every outdoor enthusiast would enjoy.
Kaitoke Regional Park - Greater Wellington.
The Putangirua Pinnacles are towering pillars of earth located at the very bottom of the North Island. Follow in the footsteps of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli down the Dimholt Road in search of the Paths of the Dead! Often missed by international tour...
Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve - Wairarapa
This is the most iconic location, with the preserved Hobbiton movie set. Visitors can take tours and experience the charm of the Shire. A must see if you’re a die hard. Pretty cool! Matamata area
Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours
South Island
The South Island of New Zealand was no slouch when it came to filming for these movies. So many locations were featured, that but was hard to share them all. Which ones do you want to check out?
Heading west out of Nelson towards the Tasman region’s stunning Abel Tasman National Park and Golden Bay you will cross Takaka Hill, which was used as Chetwood Forest in filming The Fellowship of the Ring, where the hobbits and Aragorn (as the ranger...
Takaka Hill, Tasman region
The Pelorus River was the fabulous backdrop for the famous Dwarves in Barrels scene in The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug. This wild and beautiful river flows through the South Island's Marlborough region at the top of the South Island.
Pelorus River, Marlborough area
Who can forget this iconic Two Towers movie scene: as Eowyn leaves the Golden Hall of King Theodin, the flag of Rohan comes loose and soars away over a desolate landscape as all hope seems lost. On the sheer-sided hill of Mount Sunday no trace of the...
Mount Potts station, Canterbury, New Zealand
Just a short drive or boat ride further on from Queenstown at the head of Lake Wakatipu, Glenorchy is well worth a visit for its stunning location alone, as well as its access to world-class hiking routes through the Mount Aspiring National Park Worl...
Paradise / Glenorchy
The jaw-dropping landscapes around Lake Wānaka and the Southern Alps were used for many different scenes. Simply staring out over the waterfront from the town center, you can see the majestic backdrop of where Gandalf was rescued from Orthanc by the ...
Lake Wānaka, NZ
Fiordland National Park could easily be renamed "Middle Earth": the entire 12,000 square kilometres of this World Heritage Area could have leapt from the pages of a Tolkien novel.
This popular Southland tourist doubled for a huge number of Lord of ...
Fiordland National Park
Just over the hill from Te Anau and Fiordland National Park – and just as enticing for visiting Tolkien fans – is the less-touristy area of Mavora Lakes. Here you can find an impressive number of recognisable Lord of the Rings filming sites.
Mavora Lakes Conservation Park - Southland
The Kawarau Gorge in New Zealand served as the filming location for the River Anduin scenes in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Specifically, the majestic Pillars of the Kings (the Argonath) were digitally added to the gorge in po...
KAWARAU RIVER gorge.
Remember that powerful scene in the first movie when Arwen summons a flood in the form of water horses to defeat the Black Riders? So do we! That majestic scene was filmed in Skippers Canyon north of Queenstown.
Getting here is equally exciting and...
Skippers Canyon - Queenstown
The Remarkables served as the backdrop for most alpine settings in the Lord of the Rings, like the Misty Mountains and Gondor. With that, it’s one of the top Lord of the Rings filming locations to visit!
The Remarkables Ski Area: Queenstown, New Zealand
Also near Queenstown is the Lord of the Rings location for the iconic Battle of the Pelennor Fields! If this epic encounter left you in awe, make sure to head to the town of Twizel in Mackenzie Country, and reenact this thrilling scene!
Twizel, New Zealand