# Filming locations - which ones would you visit?



## Ealdwyn (Jun 22, 2022)

I'm thinking of taking an extended trip to New Zealand next year. I'm mainly going to climb some mountains and walk some trails, but it would be a wasted opportunity if I didn't include some LotR locations.

My thoughts at the moment are to visit Mount Aspiring National Park (immortalised on-screen as the Misty Mountains), climb Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom) and Mount Sunday (Edoras), and possibly visit Putangirua Pinncales, where they filmed the Dimholt Road. Why? Mountains! 😍 I'm not so interested in visiting the Shire/Hobbition film set, as it looks a little too much like a theme park to me.

Given the opportunity, which LotR filming locations would you visit and why?


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## Halasían (Jun 22, 2022)

Ya gotta stop in to The Prancing Pony Inn no matter how touristy it is.


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Jun 22, 2022)

And the Green Dragon 
And the Ivy Bush 
And the Golden Perch
And, and. . .


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## Starbrow (Jun 23, 2022)

I want to see the mountains they used for the beacons and Bagend.


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## Ealdwyn (Jun 23, 2022)

Squint-eyed Southerner said:


> And the Green Dragon
> And the Ivy Bush
> And the Golden Perch
> And, and. . .


Hmm.... good point


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Jun 23, 2022)

Probably all of them- It's not every day you get to go to New Zealand. So I would probably take the opportunity and go absolutely everywhere LOTR. It would make the trip so worth while. I would also probably read at least parts of the books while I was there, to put myself directly into the same place where Frodo and Sam once walked, in a way.


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## Elassar (Jun 24, 2022)

I would definitely go to mount Sunday, my dad has been there and said it is incredible. I would also recommend kaitoki national park, deer park heights and lake wakitipu


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## Baron (Aug 5, 2022)

The Prancing Pony for sure 🍺

This is my Prancing Pony


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Aug 5, 2022)

Baron said:


> The Prancing Pony for sure 🍺
> View attachment 14824
> This is my Prancing Pony


Looks nice!


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## Goldilocks Gamgee (Aug 6, 2022)

I found this on Pinterest:



I don't know how reliable it is, though.


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Aug 6, 2022)

Goldilocks Gamgee said:


> I found this on Pinterest:
> 
> View attachment 14827
> 
> I don't know how reliable it is, though.


I had not heard of this one before-- If I am not wrong, Hobbiton was filmed in a town called Matamata, right?


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## Baron (Aug 6, 2022)

Elbereth Vala Varda said:


> Looks nice!


It is a lovely place, the George Inn is a proper old coaching inn with roaring fires in winter. It says it dates from 1397 but I found records that show it was granted to the nearby carthusian monks by empress Matilda in the 1100's. It is one of my local pubs with rooms to rent just like the Prancing Pony.


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## Baron (Aug 6, 2022)

Goldilocks Gamgee said:


> I found this on Pinterest:
> 
> View attachment 14827
> 
> I don't know how reliable it is, though.


This is on my bucket list ever since I saw the movies. One day I hope 😊


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Aug 6, 2022)

Baron said:


> It is a lovely place, the George Inn is a proper old coaching inn with roaring fires in winter. It says it dates from 1397 but I found records that show it was granted to the nearby carthusian monks by empress Matilda in the 1100's. It is one of my local pubs with rooms to rent just like the Prancing Pony.


Sounds amazing! Have you ever been to "The Eagle and the Child"? If you know Tolkien-- you likely know what I am talking about.


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## Baron (Aug 6, 2022)

Elbereth Vala Varda said:


> Sounds amazing! Have you ever been to "The Eagle and the Child"? If you know Tolkien-- you likely know what I am talking about.


Quite a few times, used to meet fellow students there for drinks


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Aug 6, 2022)

Baron said:


> Quite a few times, used to meet fellow students there for drinks


Wonderful. It must be so surreal to walk in places that Tolkien did himself. Amazing.


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## sadz (Oct 15, 2022)

I personally really want to visit Manpouri and Mt Kidd in Fordland's National Park. Manpouri is the site for the River Anduin in the fellow ship of the rings and Mt Kidd was just featured in ep 7 of ROP. Both locations scream Middle Earth to me. 😍

This video is a great resource for anyone who is looking to visit the Middle Earth sets in New Zealand. 🙂


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## Findekano_Astaldo (Oct 19, 2022)

ahhh I would want to go everywhere but if I had to pick one it would probably be the filming area/site for Rivendell (Kaitoke Regional Park?) it's all so beautiful though


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## ZehnWaters (Oct 19, 2022)

Hobbiton in Matamata, NZ.


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## 1stvermont (Oct 20, 2022)

Ealdwyn said:


> I'm thinking of taking an extended trip to New Zealand next year. I'm mainly going to climb some mountains and walk some trails, but it would be a wasted opportunity if I didn't include some LotR locations.
> 
> My thoughts at the moment are to visit Mount Aspiring National Park (immortalised on-screen as the Misty Mountains), climb Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom) and Mount Sunday (Edoras), and possibly visit Putangirua Pinncales, where they filmed the Dimholt Road. Why? Mountains! 😍 I'm not so interested in visiting the Shire/Hobbition film set, as it looks a little too much like a theme park to me.
> 
> Given the opportunity, which LotR filming locations would you visit and why?



Hiobbiton
Lothlorien
Edoras

in that order.


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## RexGalore (Nov 25, 2022)

Ealdwyn said:


> I'm thinking of taking an extended trip to New Zealand next year. I'm mainly going to climb some mountains and walk some trails, but it would be a wasted opportunity if I didn't include some LotR locations.
> 
> My thoughts at the moment are to visit Mount Aspiring National Park (immortalised on-screen as the Misty Mountains), climb Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom) and Mount Sunday (Edoras), and possibly visit Putangirua Pinncales, where they filmed the Dimholt Road. Why? Mountains! 😍 I'm not so interested in visiting the Shire/Hobbition film set, as it looks a little too much like a theme park to me.
> 
> Given the opportunity, which LotR filming locations would you visit and why?


I hiked around but didn't climb Mount Ngauruhoe in Tongariro. Even without climbing it it was a nice hike. Cool to see!

Hobbiton is very touristy, but I would still say it is definitely worth the visit if you're a fan. We loved it! Were fortunate with great weather during our visit.

Other sites we visited:
In Wellington we walked the trail where they are chased by the black riders in the first film.
In Wellington I would also recommend visiting Weta Workshops. Fun to get a peek behind the scenes. We took the first tour in the morning on a weekday and were extremely lucky: me and my wife were the only guests on that tour! The guide had never have that happen before. We got to ask so many questions and have interesting discussions.
Then when we were in Queenstown we took a day tour which included jeep drive past the dead marshes and through Lothlorien. And in the afternoon we rode horses through some places from the film, among others the fields around Orthanc.
Was a couple of years ago, so might have forgotten other places...

But whether you are looking for LOTR sights or just great nature you can't go wrong in New Zeeland, so fantastic!
I would recommend you to look into Akaroa outside Christchurch. There is a three day hike there. Not at all a hard hike, but very calm and beautiful along the coast. It's mostly on private land, so needs to be booked and payed for. But then you get housing along the way. First night we spent in a small "star gazer hut", just basically a wooden tent but with glass roof. Very nice to watch the starry skies.


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## Elbereth Vala Varda (Nov 25, 2022)

Very cool! Sounds worth the trip for sure!


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