New Zealand - Welcome to Middle Earth

City of blinding lights

Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. At latitude 41°S, it's the southernmost national capital city in the world. 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 cable car. The line was opened in 1902 to transform the green hills into a new suburb. Today it provides easy access to the Botanical Gardens.

Cable car tracks above Wellington

Across the waters

The city is located in a large bay, providing an excellent harbor area.

Wellington

Grassy leisure

Having a picnic in the Botanical Gardens sitting next to the Carter Observatory. Life is good.

Botanical Gardens in 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

Going to Brill

This forest saw four hobbits escape from a nazgul. The area was also used for the scenes at Weathertop, Dunharrow, Hobbiton Woods and Outer Shire.

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

Coming through the walls

I've seen several buildings where the walls have been painted to look like a more fashionable exterior, but the lady was a new touch.

Wellington

Urban groove

Wellington

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. A very nice place, despite the horrible colors. Each chair is individually painted with different movie characters such as King Kong.

Chocolate Fish Café in Seatoun

I can feel it in the water

Seatoun is more than Chocolate Fish Café and a nice beach. It is also the place where Peter Jackson lives. During the filming of Lord of the Rings it was home to the stars and the set of Bree.

Seatoun

Rising from the deep

This rock formation is located just outside Weta Workshops. The sandstone rocks in the area were said to have inspired artist Alan Lee in the design of Shelob's Lair.

Seatoun

In the Shire

The land of the hobbits seems run down by sheeps these days. In fact, there's 45 million of them.

North island

A room with a view

View from the bedroom window.

Khandallah

Bay of storms

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

The road goes on and on

This must be one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Waitomo

Petals

Waitomo

An alliance of elves and men

A lot of Lord of the Rings scenes were shot in this area, including the prologue battle.

Mount Ruapehu

Escape from the worm cave

The glow worm caves are really cool. It's pitch black and the worms above looks like stars across the cave.

Waitomo

A far green country

The vegetation of this country is just unbelievably dense.

Waitomo