New Zealand - Welcome to Middle Earth
Wellington, Mount Victoria, Seatoun, Khandallah, Mount Ngauruhoe, Waitomo, Mount Ruapehum and more.
City of blinding lights
Wellington is the southernmost national capital city in the world at latitude 41°S. This is about as far south as you can get without hiking through Patagonia.
Wellington by night from Mount Victoria
Cars along a cable
For only $4,50 you can be dragged up the hillside by a charming old wagon. The line was opened in 1902 to transform the green hills into a new suburb. Today it provides easy access to the Botanical Gardens.
Funicular railway tracks above Wellington
Hunting nazguls
The city is located in a large bay, providing an excellent harbor area.
Reine at Mount Victoria, Wellington
Walk of fame
At the end of the street is the Embassy where Lord of the Rings had world premiere. The cast went on a parade along this street and there was a giant nazgul statue on one of the rooftops.
Courtenay, Wellington
Seaside manners
Wellington
Land of the hobbits
Unfortunately the nazgul had another appointment at this hour.
Lord of the Rings filming location in Mount Victoria
Get off the road
This was the place where Frodo and the hobbits first encountered the nazgul. It was also the site for the very first shooting of the trilogy, catching the press off guard.
Lord of the Rings filming location in Mount Victoria
Kebab hunter
Reine surveying the kebab district.
Cuba Street, Wellington
I can see my house from here
The city is located in a large bay, providing an excellent harbor area.
View of Wellington from Mount Victoria
With the eagles
The city is very densely populated due to the narrow space between the harbor and the surrounding hills.
Wellington
Hobbit hangout
This is the Chocolate Fish Café, a local favorite of Peter Jackson where he brought a lot of the Lord of the Rings cast to dine. Each chair is individually painted with different movie characters such as King Kong.
Chocolate Fish Café in Seatoun
Lovely day
Point Dorset, Seatoun
Across Dagorlad
New Zealand volcano Mount Ngauruhoe is located in the Tongariro National Park on the north island. It was used as Mount Doom for a few scenes in Lord of the Rings, but since the local population didn't allow filming there for religious reasons the crew had to make a digital replica of it.
Mount Ngauruhoe