Wellington - Visit the LOTR locations

 'Ah, God bless Wellington! I love it so much. I want to have a place there that I can go and visit. It's wonderful. It's home. I mean, I spent a year and a half of my life there.' Elijah Wood (Source: The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook, by Ian Brodie)

It's no surprise that Elijah Wood fell in love with Wellington when he stayed here to film The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Visitors today are just as likely to suffer the same fate, and of course, there are plenty of film locations for fans to explore. Due to the compact size of New Zealand's capital, you'll have no problems reaching them - whether by foot, car or public transport. Before you start, have a coffee at one of the bustling cafés in the fashionable Courtenay precinct, then take a stroll down Kent Terrace to see the Embassy Theatre. This grand old lady of New Zealand theatre was been restored to its former glory to host the world premiere of The Return of the King, and boasts the country's largest screen.

From the city, you can easily walk or drive up Alexandra Road to beautiful Mount Victoria, a well known Wellington icon that affords stunning views of the city and harbour. Part of Mount Victoria served as the outskirts of the Shire during filming. Halfway up on your left is a parking bay with a track (to the left) which drops downhill through the trees. This became the setting for the scene where the fearful hobbits listen for the Nazgul. Continuing down the path, you'll eventually see a small overhanging ledge up a hill on your right, marked by two small trees. It was here the hobbits hid from the Black Rider, although the large tree of the movie was actually manufactured and transported to the site.

Down the city's coast is picturesque Karaka Bay and the seaside suburb of Seatoun, where many of the cast lived during the years of filming in New Zealand. Stop for lunch at the popular Chocolate Fish Café, a favourite haunt of the cast and crew. The prime seating here is actually across the road, right beside the sea - the staff will even brave the traffic (in day-glo vests) to deliver your food. You can also visit nearby Lyall Bay, where some of the actors learned to surf, and Princess Bay, where they enjoyed beachside barbecues during the summer months.

From Seatoun, follow the road around to Fort Dorset, an old army base which was the location of the village of Bree and the Prancing Pony Inn. This was where the hobbits stayed overnight after fleeing the Shire, and first encountered Strider (Aragorn). The set is long gone and, while the area is not open to the public, you can walk to the end of Burnham Street and head around the beach for a good view of the base.

In the suburb of Miramar, you'll find Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, where the studio filming took place. You can't go inside as a casual visitor, but you will be able to catch a glimpse of the studios responsible for the ground-breaking special and physical effects of the trilogy. You can also buy the collectible Sideshow Weta figures from their website on www.wetadigital.com.

Outside the city, along SH2, is Kaitoke Regional Park, which was transformed into the elvish realm of Rivendell. A large set was built at Kaitoke, including the bedroom where Frodo recovered from his knife wound at the hands of the Ringwraith. Although it's no longer there, the set took some 300 crew over a year to complete, and involved building elaborate scaffolding out over the river. Just down the road is pretty Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt, which formed the setting for the Gardens of Isengard - the spot where Gandalf and Saruman first met after the ring came to light in Hobbiton. There are some beautiful gardens and picnic areas to explore.

From the park, it's a short distance to Hutt River, which flows from the Tararua Ranges down to Petone, where it enters the sea. A stretch of the 30km long river (from Moonshine Bridge to Poet's Park) was used for close-up footage of the fellowship on the Great River Anduin. There's access onto the river at Moonshine Bridge or, if you're feeling energetic, the excellent Hutt River Trail (24km) winds from Upper Hutt to Petone. It's a good way to experience the serenity of this meandering river.

From Upper Hutt, take the Western Hutt Road to Haywards Hill Road. At the bottom of the road is Dry Creek Quarry, which served as the location for Helm's Deep, the ancient fortress built by Gondor and the stronghold of the men of Rohan. The quarry is closed to the public and the set has been removed, but curious fans may still want to visit.

Of course, there are other sites a little further afield that are also worth seeing. The vineyards of the Wairarapa were, not surprisingly, popular with the cast and crew. Beautiful Fernside can also be found in this region. The lovely gardens of this gracious historic house were chosen as the setting for Lothlorien, the home of the elven queen Galadriel. However, the site is private and the walks and gardens can only be enjoyed by those staying at the house. You can book online at www.fernside.co.nz.

(Jasons acknowledges the help of The Lord of the Rings Locations Guidebook, by Ian Brodie, in sourcing some of the information in this feature).

Other interesting links:
Other LOTR itineraries in NZ
An article on visiting lotr sites in Wellington

This site is maintained and updated by Jasons Travel Media, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the Lord of the Rings artwork or images displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. All images are sourced from various Newspapers and considered to be in the public domain.