“If you want him, come and claim him.”
Although Skippers Canyon only featured briefly in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the scene in the The Fellowship of the Ring has to be one of the most memorable. The Shotover River running through the Skippers Canyon was the location where Arwen calls the flood to wash away the pursuing Ring Wraiths.
Getting to this location might just be your most terrifying adrenalin activity in the Queenstown area, as it involves driving for 1 hour on what has been described as the world’s most dangerous road. The steep cliff drops on the side of the narrow gravel road is enough to freak even the most bravest dwarf out.
Location: Skippers Canyon is about 28km north of Queenstown, starting from Arthurs Point. Note that this is a gravel road.
If you are prepared for a short but challenging hike, visit Lake Alta in The Remarkables mountain range. Note that you can only see the lake in summer, as the lake freezes over and the track is berried underneath a ski field in winter.
Lake Alta is the location of Dimrill Dale, where Aragorn leads the Fellowship down the slopes away from the Mines of Moria.
Location: From Queenstown, take State Highway 6 south and turn off at the signposted junction to the Remarkables ski area. Drive to the top of this windy mountain road and start the Lake Alta track from behind the ski field buildings. The track is 1h30mins return.
Featuring The Remarkables mountains again, this time in their iconic view from afar. Deer Park Heights, a farm on top of a hill on the Kelvin Heights peninsula, was the location where the Rohirrim refugees took the journey between Edoras and Helm’s Deep in The Two Towers.
The farm was also briefly used when Aragorn was dragged off a cliff by a warg. Also some close-up shots have been used here where Legolas gracefully jumped onto his horse, while, incidentally, Gimli was thrown off his.
Location: Access is via the Kelvin Heights Peninsula on Peninsula Road then turn off just before Balmoral Drive. Access is closed to the public to drive up there, but you can still walk up there to see the lake.
Yes, the very same gorge you can do a bungy jump over was used as a Lord of the Rings filming location. The blue river was used to depict the River Anduin where the Fellowship canoe up to The Pillars of the Kings. You’ll have to use a lot of imagination here, as clearly the statues were edited into the movie in post-production.
Either drive to the location along State Highway 6 or park up at the Kawarau Bridge and walk along the riverside walkway upstream.
Location: The exact location is a bit further upstream from the Kawarau Bridge. Take the turn off to Chard Farm Winery and it is a short distance up this road.
“PO-TA-TOES: boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew!”
Find the location where Sam and Gollum talk about potatoes in The Two Towers at Twelve Mile Delta. In the same location is where Frodo, Sam and Gollum watch the fight between Faramir’s rangers and the giant Oliphaunts. It’s instantly recognisable as you take this short walk on the Bob’s Cove Track from the Twelve Mile Delta campsite.
Location: Take the Queenstown-Glenorchy Road for 10km to the Twelve Mile Delta Campsite. From there, take the Bob’s Cove Track.
Further around the enormous Lake Wakatipu lies another small settlement of Glenorchy. Nearby is the area known as “Paradise”. Far from the “island paradise” connotations you might imagine, Paradise is actually made up of sheep fields surrounded by impressive mountain peaks. This was also the location of Isengard and Saruman’s tower.
Unfortunately, the other filming locations are on private land so cannot be accessed, such as the hill where Beorn’s house set was built in The Hobbit. Some private forest land was also used to depict the forest of Lothlorien, however, you can still admire very similar forest along the Glenorchy-Paradise Road. Just pull into the off-road parking areas when the road goes into the forest.
Location: Access is via the Glenorchy-Paradise Road at the GPS coordinates: 44°40’25.0″S 168°20’27.4″E. Note that this is a gravel road.
A bonus location for you here at Earnslaw Burn, a filming location from The Hobbit. This is where the Company in An Unexpected Journey just leave Rivendell, walking along the base of this melting glacier.
Getting to Earnslaw Burn yourself is quite the challenge, as you will have to hike 8-12 hours on a return track.
Location: The Earnslaw Burn Track starts on the left bank of the Earnslaw Burn on the Glenorchy-Paradise Road, 20 minutes from Glenorchy.
联系客服
