Follow in the footsteps of the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
As the world is gearing up to head back to Middle-earth this week with the release of Amazon’s new highly anticipated TV series, ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,’ Canadians will no doubt be dreaming of visiting New Zealand soon.
Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, New Zealand provides visually stunning movie backdrops that are authentic and real. The unique and diverse geography of the North and South Islands is the nearest thing on earth to J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginary world. Famed for its role as Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit, Amazon headed back to New Zealand to film the first season of the new series.
“New Zealand has had a strong connection to Middle-earth since Sir Peter Jackson featured our amazing locations in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films,” said Rene de Monchy, Chief Executive, Tourism New Zealand. “Many international visitors still cite the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit as a reason for choosing New Zealand as a holiday destination and we love that they’re able to come here and experience Middle-earth for themselves. The first season of the new Amazon series Rings of Power continues New Zealand’s association as the home of Middle-earth and we look forward to seeing more visitors come to experience the otherworldly landscapes that we are known for.”
Here are a few scenic backdrops that are available to visit, especially now that borders are open to international travellers.
The Rings of Power, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogies used the majestic Fiordland National Park for epic scenic shots. Experience giant fiords and spectacular waterfalls with a helicopter flight or boat cruise. The grasslands of Te Anau Downs provided the backdrop for chase scenes, while Mararoa Saddle doubled as the wildlands which Thorin leads the dwarves through.
Piopio, with its picturesque landscapes and rolling farmland is the perfect place to base yourself to explore the nearby attractions.
The area is probably best known as a filming location for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The Denize Bluffs was used for numerous scenes, one of which was Trollshaw Forest.
Just 30 minutes from the world-famous Waitomo Caves, the Piopio area also boasts dramatic limestone formations, forest walks and cycling routes. Stay in the small village of around 400 people and experience true Kiwi hospitality and try a locally-made berry ice cream at the Piopio orchard.
A windswept rugged coastline stretching 60 kilometres, and interrupted only by streams and rivers, makes Muriwai one of New Zealand’s most spectacular black-sand surf beaches. You can hire blokarts, bikes and kites or simply take a stroll along the boardwalk that hugs the coastline and get a dose of fresh ocean air.
Around seven million years ago, the Aorangi Range was an island. As the mountains eroded, scree and gravel were washed down to the coast, where they formed a sedimentary layer. Over the past 120,000 years, the Putangirua Stream has exposed this ancient layer of gravel to the erosive forces of rain and floods. Some of the sediments stayed concreted together, while others washed away. The result is the Putangirua Pinnacles ‘an amazing collection of hoodoos’. This outlandish place was used as a filming location for the ‘Paths of the Dead’ scene in the Return of the King, the third movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Three routes lead to the Putangirua Pinnacles or the lookout and all start from the streambed. From here, you can take the loop track junction and on to the lookout above the Pinnacles.
The Mackenzie region is home to many high-country farms, dry tussock plains, stunning blue alpine lakes and jagged mountain ranges. Lake-town – one of the most extensive outdoor sets built for The Hobbit Trilogy – was created at Tasman Downs Station on the shores of Lake Pukaki. The whimsical lakeside village set sits over water incorporating clusters of two-storey wooden dwellings arranged around connecting walkways, waterways and wharves – all featuring the highly detailed style that Peter Jackson is recognized for.
One of the best ways to experience the majestic landscape is on scenic flights that offer an unending panorama of mountains, lakes, glaciers, and the oceans on either side – the Tasman Sea on the rugged West Coast and the Canterbury Plains fringed by the surging Pacific Ocean. There are also options for landings on glaciers and snow, or cross-country tours by 4WD and Argo, and glacier exploring by boat.
The Mackenzie region is home to many high-country farms, dry tussock plains, stunning blue alpine lakes and jagged mountain ranges. Lake-town – one of the most extensive outdoor sets built for The Hobbit Trilogy – was created at Tasman Downs Station on the shores of Lake Pukaki. The whimsical lakeside village set sits over water incorporating clusters of two-storey wooden dwellings arranged around connecting walkways, waterways and wharves – all featuring the highly detailed style that Peter Jackson is recognized for.
Mature pine trees in front of a picturesque lake with surrounding landscape untouched by 20th century clutter, perfectly resembled the Shire as described by author J.R.R. Tolkien. It became the famous setting for Hobbiton and was rebuilt in 2011 for The Hobbit Trilogy to remain a permanent tourist attraction. There are 44 Hobbit-holes on site that have been rebuilt exactly as they appeared on film.
Lord of the Rings by the numbers
Tourism New Zealand statistics reveal that:
Approximately 3.5 million people have visited Hobbiton since it opened in 2002.
69% of Active Considerer’s (target market) of New Zealand are interested in visiting a film set or location from LOTR.
50% of international visitors (in a typical year, pre-pandemic) have seen the LOTR films and/or read the books. Many reviews go on to say that they are excited to watch the films after their visit.
According to Tourism New Zealand Insights LoTR/Hobbit films got 18% of holiday visitors first interested in visiting NZ.
33% of all holiday visitors to NZ visited a film location in 2019. This will be primarily (if not entirely) LoTR. 11% specifically stated they visited Hobbiton.
