The Ultimate Lord of the Rings Tour
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The Ultimate Lord of the Rings Tour
***note this tour is fully customisable and may be done by car/accommodation
package or RV/motor home***
Day 1 - South Bound to Hobbiton and The Shire
Afternoon Hobbiton and The Shire
An easy drive south of Auckland into the verdant Waikato to Matamata, home to Hobbiton and The
Shire. Join a 2 hour guided tour of the Movie Set. The set in on private land and you will need to join a
tour to get access to it. The set has been returned to its natural state but some structures are still
present and your guide will escort you through the 10 acre site, recounting details on how it was
created. Then take the very scenic drive to Waitomo.
Day 2 - Waitomo Glow-Worm Cave’s
The caves at Waitomo are one of New Zealand's most
commanding wonders - a celebration of nature's work over
the last one hundred thousand years. In 1880, the
discoverers of this 'domain of beauty in forbidding
darkness' found hundreds of miles of labyrinthine caves,
glow-worms, stalactites and stalagmites, and all manner of
limestone formations. This glowworm is unique to New
Zealand. It emits light to attract food in the form of other
flying insects. It requires a select habitat to survive. The
glowworm must have humidity to prevent it from drying
out, hanging surfaces for it to send down sticky feeding
lines an adequate food supply of insects brought in on the
river, a still atmosphere to prevent lines from tangling and
darkness to allow it to show its light – The Waitomo caves
are perfect.
Day 3 - Rotorua - The Geothermal Wonderland Rotorua, the heartland of New Zealand is the host to some of the world’s most incredible earth forces. Surrounded by the unmistakable smell of bubbling sulphuric geysers, clouds of steam magically appear around the city giving it an incredible 'other worldly' feel. Here lives wonders like the Pohutu geyser, which erupts 20 times a day and can spout up to 100 feet. All around this geothermal hotspot there are spouting geysers, acrid-smelling mud pools that bubble and belch, and warm geothermal pools and ponds and hot spring bath’s that create a kaleidoscope of colour. With a deep-rooted Maori cultural heritage spanning from the 14th century, Rotorua is still considered Maori cultural centre of New Zealand. The first Maori inhabitant’s constructed villages and made use of the thermal areas boiling water. This natural resource successfully aided them in the use of cooking and warmth for houses, eliminating the dependence of fire. Here you can explore the unique culture of New Zealand’s Maori people Evening -Tamaki Maori Village Feast and Dance The Maori people have long been settled in Rotorua and this is one of the best places in New Zealand to see and experience aspects of their culture. In a native forest 15 minutes south of Rotorua, we spend an evening sharing and feasting on a selection of foods cooked the traditional Maori way - on hot stones in an authentic earthen oven. We will have explained the spiritual significance of the moko (facial tattoo) as warriors demonstrate with tools made of fine bird bone and sharpened greenstone. One to one small groups allows time for questions and answers to many aspects of Maori culture traditions that make for an educational and enlightening experience
Day 4 - Mount Doom and the heart of Mordor - New Zealand’s Best One-Day walk. In Return of the King Frodo and Sam climb up Mt Doom. You can do the same while walking the Tongariro Crossing, often described as the best one-day walk in New Zealand. It is a challenging walk taking 7-8 hours but this untouched volcanic terrain offers a fascinating look at a very alien environment, complete with twisted lava formations, volcanic steam vents. vast craters, active volcanoes, boiling lakes, barren desert, lush forest, crystal-clear mountain streams, steaming geysers and emerald green lakes. Phew! The scenery is so otherworldly that Lord of the Rings was filmed there. Experience a diversity of landscapes unlikely to be found together anywhere else in the world: Tongariro was New Zealand's first national park and is a World Heritage site in the Lake Taupo region. It was created in 1887 when the three magnificent volcanoes – Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe – were offered to the people of New Zealand by the Tuwharetoa tribes. It now covers a total area of 78, 651 ha. Day 5 - Escape the Nazgul (Tongariro – Wellington) Wellington is an easy 3-4 hour drive from here and to any Rings enthusiast is production Central. Home to the cast and crew for over 3 years and the base for WETA Workshops and Peter Jackson, several areas within the region were used for filming. Mt Victoria was used as the outer reaches of the shire and where the Hobbits hid to escape the Nazgul. Other areas easily reached from Wellington are the hidden refuge of Rivendell and the encampment of Dunharrow. From Wellington it is an easy drive over the hill to the Wairarapa where the eerie Putanguria Pinnacles were filmed. The vineyards in this area were also a favourite recreational haunt for the cast. If you wish to visit the beautiful gardens of Lothlorien, you need to book a 24 hour stay at Fernside, near Featherston, where the filming took place. Here you can dine riverside at Lothlorien. Stay Ruby House (you may wish to extend your Wellington stay to take in the many sites and areas around here used for filming).
Day 6 - The Gardens of Isengard and Helms Deep (Wellington to Picton)
This half day tour of locations: the Gardens of Isengard, the felling of the Orc Tree, Anduin River, Helms
Deep and Minas Tirith, the Fords of Isen, Dunharrow and Rivendell. Go to the Mount Victoria lookout
and Hobbiton Woods.
You will visit:
the Village of Bree, the outskirts of the Shire,
where the Hobbits raced to the ferry.
the Gardens of Isengard, the River Anduin, Helms Deep
lunch at Rivendell beside the Fords of Isen.
drive past ‘Production Central’: the studios of Weta Digital, Weta Workshop, 3 Foot 6 and
Wingnut Films in the suburb of Miramar and look for evidence of the current film production in the
making.
Day 7 - Fly to Middle Earth - Queenstown – New Zealand’s Premier Alpine and lake Resort.
Queenstown is the Southern Hemisphere's premiere four seasons alpine and lake resort. Nestled in the
corner of Lake Wakatipu framed by 360 degree vistas of snowcapped mountains. With year round
action-packed thrills, such as jet boating, white water rafting, parapenting and bungy jumping. In winter,
Queenstown turns into an alpine playground - skiers and snowboarders come from all over the world to
join in the fun. Golfing, Fishing and Wine tasting offer other opportunities in this stunning region.
Day 8 - 4x4 Safari into Middle Earth ('Safari of the Rings')
Many of the areas that this tour visits provide the spectacular backdrops to much of the action in Peter
Jackson¹s 'The Fellowship of the Ring'; The Ford at Bruinen, The Misty Mountains, Isengard and
Lothlorien, better know locally as Skippers Canyon, Macetown and Paradise, to name a few.
This tour into the heart of New Zealand high country is the embodiment of the Middle-Earth of Tolkien¹s
imagination. The 'Safari of the Rings' tour is a scenic charter that gives a spectacular look at the
diversity of the scenery in the area.It is based around several of the specific sites where filming took
place. These are real places; there are no film sets; they are areas of outstanding natural beauty that
need no enhancement. Here it is possible to experience the magical atmosphere captured in the film
Day 9 - A helicopter Journey to the Black Riders at the Ford of Bruinen
Departing from Queenstown Airport your helicopter takes you towards the steep ridges of the Misty
Mountains. Climbing ever higher the first stop is the Dimrill Dale, lying between two great arms of the
mountains. This valley marks the western door of the great Gates of Khazad-dum (Moria) and
Mirrormere, source of the River Silverlode. You then continue across Lake Wakatipu (Nen Hithoel) to fly
over Amon Hen, scene of the Breaking of the Fellowship. Excellent views can be obtained of the forest
where Lurtz fought his final battle against Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli. We also see the site of
the Ilithien camp where Frodo and Sam hid from the battle and first saw the Oliphants. Heading now
towards the River Bruinen, we see the Ford, scene of the desperate encounter between Arwen and the
Black Riders.
Homeward bound, to our left can be seen glimpses of the River Anduin (location of the Gates of
Argonath) before landing back at Queenstown Airport.
Day 10 - The Ride of the Rings - Be transported to Middle-Earth astride your own steed!
Following the beautiful drive along the shores of Lake Wakatipu, passing Ithilien and stopping en-route
to admire The Misty Mountains, you eventually arrive in Paradise where your 1½ hour ride starts.
Winding through the golden woods of Lothlórien, passing Amon Hen, the track opens up and the
'Golden Mile' begins. From here the views of the Wizard's Vale and the mighty peak of Methedras are
breathtaking. A gradual descent takes riders down into Nan Curunír, finally dismounting at the base of
Isengard.
Probably the most scenic horse ride in the world, and a must for The Lord of the Rings' fans. Suitable for
beginner riders.
Day 11 - Queenstown to Te Anau via Mavora Lakes Around 240 km, allow 4 hours driving. Travel around the Devils Staircase to the Southern end of Lake Wakatipu and onto Mossburn. Just past this town is a sign posted road to Mavora Lakes and from here it is a scenic 45 minute drive on an unpaved road to Fangorn Forest and Nen Hithhoel. North Mavora became the Nen Hithoel foreshore which marked the end of the fellowships journey down the River Anduin. Several scenes were filmed around the North and South Mavora Lakes. Travel onto Te Anau, gateway to Fiordland National Park. Day 12 - Milford Sound Boat Cruise Take a spectacular Milford Sound Boat cruise on the majestic Milford Sound, where you will see the wonders of Mitre Peak, glacier scarred rock walls that rise 1200 meters (3937 feet) vertically from the sea and waterfalls that tumble from hanging valleys and crash into the sound far below Day 13 and 14 - Doubtful Sound – Kayaking the Sound of Silence Practically untouched by man. The physical grandeur of towering peaks descending into moody waters, outstanding waterfalls from high-up ice-age valleys and fiords clad with ancient vegetation, create a powerful atmosphere of solitude and serenity.Three times longer than Milford Sound and with a surface area 10 times larger, this is an unspoiled wilderness of many moods.Browne Falls cascades 619m to the fiord near Hall Arm and Helena Falls is an attractive feature of Deep Cove. Seals and dolphins are frequently seen, as well as the occasional penquin. Day 1: A 6.00am start and as the sun rises an early morning journey from Te Anau to Manapouri. We travel by motorboat 30km across Lake Manapouri, a stunning lake. At West Arm we leave the boat and drive 24km from east to west over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove. Preparation and instruction time and then kayaking for about 5 hours each day. We aim to paddle down Deep Cove saying hi to any NZ fur seals on the way, and to Rolla Island, nesting place for Fiordland crested penguins. Into Hall Arm with lunch on a small beach, then to Mt Danae at the head of the Arm in the afternoon. We camp in a small
clearing in the ancient podocarp forest, some evenings exploring the valley, listening for kiwi, morepork,
weka. Time to experience the remoteness, the being alone in this raw wilderness.
Day 2: the stillness and silence of Hall Arm in the morning broken only by birdcall, lures us back to the
kayaks -often the splashes and exhalations of Doubtful Sound’s resident bottlenose dolphins gives
added impetus. Paddling out of Hall Arm we head down Malaspina Reach for lunch, if possible circling
Elizabeth Island exploring Olphert Cove. Back to Deep Cove with a tail wind - test your kayaking skills or
put the sails up for a cruisy trip home. Return to Te Anau by 7.00pm to civilisation (?).
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First Light Travel has won Outside magazine's prestigious ‘Trip of the Year in Oceania award for its 8
day Discover NZ Sailing/Diving the Upper North Island package. Outside is the largest US-based
adventure travel magazine with an audience of more than two million.
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Top Right: Pictured are Angela Best from Tourism New Zealand (3rd from left) receiving the award from Outside
Magazine senior editor Stephanie Pearson (far right) and other editing staff in Chicago on behalf of First Light Travel.
Bottom Right: Pictured are (left to right) Brent Narbey, Angela Best (Tourism New Zealand) and Nigel Williamson
Presented with the Trip of the Year award in Auckland, 16-Mar-04.
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