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