New Zealand is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, famous for its towering mountains, stunning glaciers and unique wildlife. Since Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed there, New Zealand has become even more desirable with travelers from all over the world. Here are the top three locations for those looking for a Middle Earth experience.
Snowdon Forest
Located in Fiordland National Park in the South Island, Snowdon Forest was the location used to film scenes in ‘Fangorn Forest’. In the Lord of the Rings Universe, Fangorn is an ancient and mysterious forest with trees that could talk to each other and even move. When you see how rich with plant and animal life Snowden Forest is in real life, it’s easy to see why it was used for Fangorn!
Mount Sunday
Mount Sunday is about a three hour’s drive from Christchurch and was used as the location to film scenes of ‘Edoras’, the capital of Rohan. Mount Sunday stands out sitting above the flat Canterbury plains and made the perfect backdrop for the city of Edoras.
Mount Ngauruhoe
Found in the North Island between Auckland and Wellington, Mount Ngauruhoe is an active volcano that was used to film scenes depicting ‘Mount Doom’. With the occasional rumblings of volcanic activity and a maximum incline of over 40 degrees, this one is not for the faint-hearted!