I went looking for Lord of the Rings filming locations and only found one properly. When I arrived in New Zealand, I had the Lord of the Rings on my mind, and let’s not beat around the bush here: I came expecting to tick off some recognizable filming spots. But I wasn’t quite prepared for what I found.
Many places have been digitally enhanced to the point where they look nothing like themselves, and many others is now totally back to nature. You won’t get that “oh, this is it!” moment when standing where they stood. That said, there was one location where I got exactly that, and ultimately the search became worth it for more than just that.
The end result? They had a rather pretty lakeside break, an insanely beautiful drive in the countryside on horseback, and a visit to the hilltop farm park (which is technically a shooting location, but does not look anything like the version on screen). The road trip, as they say, can be greater then the destination.
The Best Parts of My Trip
### Lighthorse Adventure Glenorchy That’s why I joined Lighthorse Adventure Glenorchy (pun intended); one of the companies that took visitors to the filming locations, as their website stated.
Driving up to the north end of Lake Wakatipu felt like stepping straight into Middle-earth.
When we arrived, it was more of the same.
It was a well-organised but very rustic farm, with gravel roads, post-and-rail fences, and a large marquee that served as a check-in office, complete with a composting toilet hidden behind some timber slats.
The inside of the tent was charmingly makeshift. Walls was covered in hand-taped posters about the area and the rides. There was also a clipboard for me to sign my name on.
No glossy corporate polish here, it was all DIY farm-tour.
They’d even set out a self-serve refreshments counter. It had a crate of brushes and stirrers, along with instant coffee and water. I filled a cup of water and waited while the guides gets the group sorted.
The gear for rent was stored in one corner of the tent, there were rows of long, waxed oilskin coats and flannel shirts hung up waiting for anyone who needs extra layers. While I had a jacket with me, it was nice to have seen those coats available as well, just in case the weather took a turn.
The guide gave us a safety briefing, and we sat down on an old brown sofa. Around us, shelves were piled high with boots and crops. Riding hats hung on the wall.
It was all very much as if somebody’s hobby had become their business, but a hobby they loved dearly.
And there they are, waiting outside, all saddled up, the mountains in the background make you want to stand still and stare at everything. My horse was a pinto and he appeared completely unfazed by the fact that I had never ridden before. I sat down in the saddle and looked out through the hair of his mane at those mountains and began to see the appeal.
They film here for a reason.
On the ride out, we crossed braided gravel flats on the river, crunching underneath the horses’ feet. The light lengthened my horse’s shadow over the rocks. The guide identified landmarks and explained approximately where some scenes had been filmed, but for the life of me I could not imagine Gandalf or Aragorn standing here amidst the rocks.
Everything was big and empty, just right for those things… But there was nothing in particular that reminded me of any scene I recalled.
On our way back to the stables later, we spotted an open copy of the Lord of the Rings location guidebook sitting on a bench. As I thumbed through it, I realized what I’d already suspected. Many of the filming locations in and around Glenorchy had changed so much from special effects or had simply returned to how they used to be.
Because of this, they wouldn’t look familiar without prior knowledge. But it didn’t matter; the journey itself is the reward. It’s the scenery that does all the work.
The destination is Glenorchy Wharf.
From there I strolled back to Glenorchy wharf, located on the lake not far from the main road. It’s a tiny, weathered shed painted a rich red that contrasts nicely against the gravel and grass of the reserve. Behind it, mountains rise up sharply.
Even though we were well into spring, they was still covered in snow. A gravel pathway wound through the lakeside reserve. The entire space had a quiet, slightly forgotten feeling in a nice way.
The shed itself sits a little higher than its foundation, with GLENORCHY painted in big letters on the front. With its gabled roof and timber framing, I circled it twice just looking at it. It is simple but photogenic, the sort of relic that makes you think back to when steamers would of called here.
It’s all in one big room inside, with simple concrete floors and some picnic benches (and exposed timber beams). I rested my legs here for a while and cooled off. It’s simple but covered, and there are information panels up on one wall that outline the history of the region.
I also took some time reading about the township history, of which there is a lot. I read about the old lake steamers that ran up and down Wakatipu, as well as the wharf shed itself. There was a relief map of the lake head on one panel with all the old routes shown on it.
This sort of local history gets overlooked if you don’t stop and read it and I’m glad I did.
Outside again, I circled around to the back of the shed where there was another council danger sign telling me not to go near the jetty. Fair enough. It looked old.
But I walked out there, carefully testing each board as I went. Fine. It was one of those moments when you just have to stop and take it in, standing at the end with the view back up into the mountains.
The clarity of the water down below, I could see all the way through to the stones down at the bottom.
But the lake was flat glass, stretching out behind us with the snowy peaks of the Humboldts mirrored in its surface. It was as quiet as if the entire world had stopped. And I just stood there at the rail awhile, not wanting to go anywhere.
As film locations go: I don’t think this was one. But it didn’t need to be, the scenery’s got enough of that done for you. The only place where I said, “Yes, this is definitely it,” was Deer Park Heights, just outside Queenstown.
At its entrance, there’s a welcome sign that promises views and animals, and it delivers. There are views of the lake and town, and the park itself is perched high on a hillside above them all. To access it, you wind your way up a gravel road.
They shot a couple of scenes here for Lord of the Rings and Narnia.
Unlike many places, the owners of the park embrace it. If you know what to look for, you’ll be able to recognize some of the landscape from the films. There was also this little traffic jam of animals on the track, the first thing I literally almost ran into.
There were a couple of ponies and a donkey that had taken it upon themselves to park in the middle of the road, while a few sheep milled about nearby.
While I waited in the car, a pony slowly decided to walk up the hill then turned around to see if I’d gone away. The donkey turned its head and stared at me like I was in the wrong place, while one of the ponies stood stubbornly at an open gate. Clearly they run the show here.
Sheep were all over further up the track. One lonely pony stood in the middle of a bare section of hillside and looked pretty noble.
However, there were still far more sheep than anything else (by a long way). Flocks grazed beneath trees, and some even grazed right on the gravel path; two were especially woolly. A whole crowd followed a wire fence back and forth.
They looked like walking clouds, all that fleece. The car had to be stopped a couple of times for me to simply sit and watch them walk around. Barely anyone bothered looking up.
Behind the sheep, the view widened as we climbed further into the track. Below us was the lake that opened out, then I saw the town of Queenstown tucked in along the shoreline. Beyond that were the mountains.
The sheep just kept grazing, totally unimpressed by the scenery. A little envious of them, think about it, this is what you get to live above on a day-to-day basis. There at the top, I discovered the deer.
A full herd of them was grazing around the top of the hill. This included several very impressive antlered ones, who was far more uninterested in humans than the sheep were. The views from up there were ridiculous…
Queenstown was tiny way down below, and the lake stretched out as far as you could see in either direction, with the Remarkables looming over it all from across the water. On the ridge crest I got to stand next to a fallow stag and try to recall what parts of what movies had been shot there. I think part of the Rohan stuff must have been shot on this hilltop somewhere, though don’t quote me on that.
Then I wandered up there, spending some time just soaking up the view from every side of the top. Another red stag was standing on a hillside above the town, grazing on the green grass. Another was perched on the rocks.
Everything about it seemed as if someone had set it up to be beautiful for movie cameras. Except they didn’t: here, it really still looks like it does on screen. The sweeping view over the lake down below, the rocky ridges, the hills, it all looked familiar.
Of all the places we visited related to Lord of the Rings, if you can only go to one, make it this one. It’s got the animals, it’s got the views, and it has the satisfaction of knowing that you’re standing where something from the movies actualy appeared. I didn’t find it.
Well, except for one spot which was very much like Middle-earth. And then some other spots in New Zealand that were pretty ordinary but just had a few seconds of camera time twenty years ago. It’s all good.
The horseback ride and lakeside view more than made up for my lack of finding Middle-earth. But I don’t care. One real place was enough reason to make the trek out there.
And besides, now I know where that New Zealand scenery exists! Have you ever searched for filming locations? Am I the only weirdo that does this kind of thing?
