Planning Your Journey to Middle Earth: Stops to Make When Traveling from Auckland to Queenstown.

I will never question why anyone chooses to travel to the awe-inspiring country of New Zealand. Between the breathtaking views at every turn, the numerous adventure activities to partake in, and the opportunity to experience the unique culture of indigenous peoples, it’s a no brainer. Although I will never question anyones reasons, I will make assumptions. And my assumption is, that most of us who travel to New Zealand fell in love with the Lord of the Rings movies from a young age and now want nothing more than to live out our own Middle-earth fantasies. If you’ve spent years imagining yourself having tea with Bilbo and maybe smoking a pipe at sunset, or riding along side Aragon, Legolas, and Gimli through the hills of Rohan, or even dodging the Great Eye that rests upon Mount Doom…this is your sign to start planning your trip.

And I’m here to help!

This past spring (2024), I was lucky enough to finally set out on my own adventure to Middle-earth. I will admit, we did not make as many stops as I’d hope. We opted to travel via camper van from Auckland to Queenstown, so we planned for a few filming site tops along the way that made sense with the route we were taking. If you plan on traveling to Queenstown and specifically want to see as much of Middle-earth as you possibly can, click HERE. This will lead you to more information on a scenic tour you can take. You will be provided with a guide and get to see replica props!

In this post I will deep dive into the 3 big stops we made to create our own Middle-earth experience. And one additional stop that did not work out the way we had hoped…more on that to come! I’m excited to share these experiences with you! They’re ones I want to relive again and again.

I so badly wish I could have the soundtrack playing while you read this post!

Stop 1: Hobbiton

Hobbiton was the main reason we even ended up in the North Island, since most of our other activities were planned in South Island. But there was NO way I was flying to the other side of the globe and not going on a Hobbiton tour. I will admit though, the day before our tour, I got very nervous. I was worried that I had built this place up too much in my mind. That instead of finding a corner of the world that was frozen in time to be extraordinary and whimsical, we would stumble into a gimmicky theme park that would be permanently tattoo’d in my brain.

I am so happy to report that that was not the case! You can book your tour right HERE!

Tucked away in the tiny town of Matamata, just two hours from Auckland, you will drive through luscious rolling green hills peppered with sheep to arrive. You will see plenty of signs pointing you in the right direction as you make your way there. The movie set is located on an actual farm that is still operating. After The Hobbit was filmed they decided to keep this slice of Middle-earth alive and just do business as usual around it.

Keep in mind, you will not be driving straight up to Hobbiton, you’ll be going to the bus pickup. Here’s where you’ll park your car (or van!), and check in before your tour starts. There is a small cafe on site with surprisingly, reasonable prices. You can enjoy a coffee, sandwich, fish and chips or pastry while you wait. There is also a gift shop, truthfully, it lacked luster for me, especially considering the prices. But hey, you may want something in memory of the occasion and that’s totally fair!

On the bus you will meet your tour guide, this will be the person teaching you all the fun random facts about the film set for the next, approximately, two hours. I would love to share all of them with you, but I want you to go see this place for yourself, it’s way more fun learning them all there!

The one fact I will spoil for you is that almost all of the hobbit holes are…empty. Yep, nothing in them. They shot all of the scenes inside Bilbo’s home in a studio in Wellington. BUT they do crack one of the doors open and allow everyone to take a turn getting that famous Hobbit Hole photo!

Your guide will take you all throughout Hobbiton, allowing you to admire each door and what makes them unique!, and pointing out things you might have missed. My suggestion is to admire the hobbit-sized clothes hanging out on the line, you’ll spot a few of them.

In 2023, the Venture Beyond the Door experience was added and it’s included with every tour! Located within Bagshot Row, you will get an authentic look into how the creatures of the shire live. The amount of detail that has been put into these homes is impeccable. You get plenty of time to roam and admire the art, family heirlooms, small trinkets and full kitchen. You will be in awe of all there is to see, so be sure to look up from your camera.

Your last stop will be the Green Dragon, where you get to enjoy your choice of one of their three beers brewed exclusively for Hobbiton (they also have a ginger beer if you’re not an alcohol drinker). You can choose to enjoy your drink as you wander around the Inn, continuing to enjoy the clever details, or find a cozy spot in front of the roaring fire to take it all in (this is the option we went with).

Being one of our first stops, I knew Hobbiton was going to be extremely hard to beat. Magic seeped out of every nook and cranny of this place, and I don’t think they could have chosen a better location for it. It really is more than just going to look around a movie set, it is a whole experience. One that I’ll cherish forever.

2. Tongariro National Park

As we continued our journey south, there was another stop I was determined to make before we hopped on our ferry to head over to South Island. Thanks to some light Google searching, we found ourselves headed to Tongariro National Park. Not only was this park absolutely breathtaking, it also is home to the filming location of ‘The Forbidden Pool‘, also known as ‘Gollum’s Pool‘ featured in the Two Towers. If you can’t recall the scene I’m referring to, maybe you remember where Gollum catches a fish so juicy sweet??

It’s real name is Tawhai Falls, and it’s easily accessible. When you reach the trailhead, there is a small parking area with about 7-8 parking spots. The trail access will be off to the right. It’s an easy 0.5 mile walk down to the waterfall with a few flights of stairs, only giving you a 72 ft elevation gain on the way back up. The walk itself will take you about 15 minutes in total.

At the top of the waterfall you’ll find a small lookout- an excellent spot for photos. As you follow the trail all the way down, you’ll be able to fully appreciate the view of the waterfall and pool. We scrambled up over the rocks to get a closer look, but be cautious, the rocks can be quite slippery, especially after it rains.

It’s an easy stop to make, so I definitely recommend checking it out! And fortunately, as we were driving through the falls, we learned that there was more than one reason to check out Tongariro National Park…

Mt. Ngauruhoe, also known as MOUNT DOOM!

Although, there were know Fellbeasts roaming the air around it, or orcs scheming below it, it was quite the site to behold. Mt. Ngaurhoe is actually a volcanic cone, and was last active in 1977. As we drove around the park, we caught a few glimpses of it, hoping to find the ideal shot, but the clouds were not in our favor. It didn’t take very long for our view to become totally obstructed.

The best way to gain access to Mr. Ngauruhoe is by hiking Tongariro Alpine Crossing.– a challenging 10.2 mile hike with 3,763 ft of elevation gain. This is where will capture those epic photos.

After catching the ferry and and exploring some of the South Island for a couple of days, we headed to our last filming sites. And one of my personal favorites.

3. Mount Sunday

Inside the gorgeous landscape of Hakatere Conservation Park lies Mount Sunday, the spot that was ideally chosen to be Edoras, the capital of Rohan. I was most excited to visit this site; even from a young age I found Rohan to be the most beautiful part of Middle-earth. It’s where I always pictured myself if I were to miraculously wake up one day and find myself in Tolkien’s world. And I can truly say without any hesitations that I was NOT disappointed. You are surrounded by an incredible 360 view the entire time you are visiting.

To access Mount Sunday Track– keeping in mind the term “mount” is used lightly given its smaller size- you need to take the (approximately) 1-hour drive down a bumpy gravel road. I recommend having the Lord of the Rings soundtrack already downloaded; this way you can replay ‘The Riders of Rohan’ and ‘The King of the Golden Hall’ to really set the tone. Upon arriving, you will find a parking area with a good amount of spaces for Mount Sunday. The trailhead is clearly marked. The trek is 2.2 miles in total and will take you about 45 minutes.

Overall, it’s a fairly easy hike. You will cross two bridges that lead you over the Rangitata River. Note that the second bridge recommends only one person walk across at a time. Also keep in mind, a good portion of the trail and the hill are on private land, so be respectful. While we were there, we saw cattle grazing everywhere- just leave them be and don’t approach.

Actually climbing Mount Sunday is the most challenging part, all 324 ft of elevation gain happens here. But after this little push, you get to witness the most spectacular view! I was moved to tears, it was everything I had hoped it would be. And with the amount of wind at the top, I could fully pretend I was Éowyn, my hair rapidly blowing in the wind as I watch Aragorn and friends enter Edoras to save the city from being poisoned by creepy Gríma Wormtongue. But seriously, the wind was insane at the top, so just be prepared.

Our visit to Mount Sunday came just 2 weeks after the passing of Bernard Hill, the immensely talented actor who portrayed Théoden, King of Rohan. At the top, we found a small memorial had been left for him and it warmed my heart to see. What an extraordinary place to be remembered. It made the experience of visiting all the more powerful and one I will never forget.

Although the set has long since been taken down, this place holds the memory of Edoras. You can feel the mark its presence left, along with the strength and valiance it represented. Whether you are a Lord of the Ring’s fan or not, Mount Sunday is definitely worth visiting. It’s beauty if undeniable- you won’t experience scenery like this anywhere else.

5. The one that didn’t work out.

This will be nice and short, and unfortunately there are no pictures involved.

We set out to see Kelper Mire in Te Anau, found outside of Fiordland National Park, during our final days before heading to Queenstown. This location served as the backdrop for the Dead Marshes from the Two Towers. It can be seen when Gollum is leading Frodo and Sam through a swampland filled with dead elves, men and orcs from the great battle against Mordor.

Following our GPS, we found ourselves driving down Mount York Road, which quickly becomes quite gravely. When my phone indicated we had arrived, there was no access point to be found. We later learned that if we would have looked out into the distance, we could have caught a small glimpse of it, but honestly, I don’t know if my eyesight is that great. It also seemed to be private land, so we ended up turning around after a few minutes.

However, I have read that you can transverse it while hiking the popular Kepler Track. It apparently lies adjacent to the bog, and this may be a better way to get a good look. It turns out Kepler Mire is the most extensive string of bogs in New Zealand!

In hindsight, more research and better preparation would have saved this experience.

Wrapping it up:

Keep in mind, there are SO many filming locations to see in New Zealand, I wish we had more time to explore them all. However, I’m extremely grateful for the experience we did have. Seeing these places in person has only deepened my love for the books and movies, connecting me to them in a profound way. There’s something so magical about watching a film and being able to say “I’ve been there”. Standing where incredible actors and actresses once stood, and an unforgettable story unfolded. While seeing it on screen is one thing, being there in person is truly extrodinary.

I hope in the future, that you are able to find yourself wandering through Middle-earth! And if you already have, please share what your experience was. Reliving these memories is how we keep the magic alive.