Middle-earth around Wellington
- 3 nights + departure morning
- 6 places
- the North Island
Wellington is where the films were made. In three days you see the woods of the Black Rider, the workshop of the props, Rivendell, the gardens of Isengard and a battlefield by the sea.
The stops
1Wellington
About these stops
Middle-earth starts in the capital. On the town's green hill the hobbits hide from a Black Rider, a short walk from the centre; across town, the workshop that made armour, weapons and creatures for all six films runs paid tours, best booked ahead.
2Upper Hutt
About these stops
The Hutt Valley, north of Wellington and easy by car. Here are the elves' valley, where the Fellowship is formed, Saruman's gardens and a stretch of the great river. The sets are gone, but signs mark the spots, and all three parks are free.
3The coast
About these stops
The Kāpiti Coast north of Wellington, where scenes of the battle before Minas Tirith were shot, with the Ringwraiths and the giant mûmakil. The main plain of the battle is near Twizel, on the South Island; here no sign marks the spot.
