The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit

The Lord of the Rings

In autumn 2000, Tongariro National Park was home to the most sinister of the Lord of the Rings locations, Mordor, which is the strong hold of the dark Lord Sauron.  Mordor, is the great volcanic plateau filled with geological  wonders known as Gorgoroth.  Much of Frodo and Sam's journey into the land of Sauron was filmed on and around the Tongariro National Park. 

The area has jagged volcanic rock formations and eerie barren landscapes, ideally suited to Mordor's hissing wasteland.

To really immerse yourself in Mordor and feel the eerie barren landscape, trek the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.  The following are features of Tongariro National Park that were captured in the filming of scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Mt Ngauruhoe
Mt Ngauruhoe was digitally altered to appear as Mt Doom.  Mt Ngauruhoe is a featur of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Climbers with suitable mountaineering gear and experience can trek to the summit.

Iwikau Village, Whakapapa Ski Area
The maze of razor-sharp rocks, cliffs and ravines of Emyn Muil is located behind Aorangi Lodge.

Mangawhero Falls
Ithilien Camp was filmed near Mangawhero Falls.

Tukino Ski Area
Mordor/Door of Sammath Naur slopes of Mt Doom Barren Waste Lands Sea of Boulders.

Rangipo Desert
Mordor/Blackgate, the orc army scenes.

The Hobbit

In the summer of 2011-2012 production company Three Foot Seven filmed scenes for the Hobbit alongside the Mangawhero River, below Turoa Ski Area and on farm land with scattered beech forest around Ohakune.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production.  Warner Bros Pictures handles world-wide theatrical distribution with select international territories. All international television licensing is handled by MGM.

 “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released on14  December 2012.  The second film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is expected to be released the following year, beginning 13 December 2013.