New Zealand
Real-life country where Lord of the Rings movies were filmed
New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The Tasman Sea, a marginal sea of the South Pacific, lies to its west, separating it from Australia. It was the primary filming location for The Lord of the Rings (film series), The Hobbit (film series) and the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Director Peter Jackson lives in Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, and Wētā Workshop is also located there.
Suitability as Middle-earth
Despite the great success of the movies, the choice for New Zealand has not been without controversy. Journalist Ed Power argued that “postcard-gorgeous New Zealand” lacks the “signs of decline” that mark Middle-earth.
Tourism
Beyond having subsidized the Peter Jackson trilogy for approximately $150 million, the New Zealand government has at various times invested in tourism campaigns to entice tourists into visiting filming locations.
Filming locations
39° 19.161'S 175° 30.158'E~Mangawhero River (Ithilien)~Gollum catches a fish.
39° 19.217'S 175° 30.315'E~Mangawhero River (Mordor)~Frodo and Sam pass a ruined column in a clearing.
39° 14.114'S 175° 33.522'E~Whakapapa skifield (Mordor)~Isildur cuts off Sauron's finger and the Ring.
39° 14.177'S 175° 33.670'E~Whakapapa skifield (Mordor)~Frodo and Sam catch Gollum. Gollum leads the hobbits down the Emyn Muil.
39° 16.667'S 175° 36.626'E~Tukino skifield, Mt Ruapehu (Gates of Mordor)~Frodo, Sam and Gollum look out over the Gates of Mordor before setting out to climb around them.
41° 26.861'S 175° 14.674'E~Putangirua Pinnacles (Dimholt Road)~Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli ride to meet the Army of the Dead.
41° 33.493'S 172° 32.401'E~Mount Owen (Dimrill Dale)~The Fellowship, now without Gandalf, escape Moria.
40° 53.456'S 172° 30.654'E~Mount Olympus/Boulder Lake (Outcrop south of Rivendell)~The Fellowship hide from the crebain, Saruman's black crows.
43° 25.720'S 170° 10.105'E~Mount Gunn, near Franz Josef Glacier (Ered Nimrais)~The beacons that run along The White Mountains from Gondor to Rohan are lit.
43° 32.899'S 170° 53.591'E~Mount Sunday (Edoras)~The capital of Rohan and home to Meduseld, the hall of King Theoden.
44° 50.724'S 168° 41.054'E~Skippers Canyon (Ford of Bruinen)~Arwen defeats the Nazgûl by conjuring up a flood.
44° 40.417'S 168° 20.457'E~Dan's Paddock (Isengard)~Gandalf rides up to Isengard in Nan Curunír.
45° 4.151'S 168° 32.587'E~Twelve Mile Delta (Ithilien camp)~Frodo, Sam and Gollum watch the battle between Faramir's Rangers of Gondor and the men and Oliphaunts of Harad. Sam and Gollum discuss coney cookery.
45° 0.711'S 168° 53.567'E~Kawarau Suspension Bridge (The Argonath on the Anduin River)~The Fellowship pass the Pillars of the Kings on the Anduin River.
45° 16.024'S 168° 10.500'E~North Mavora Lake (Nen Hithoel)~The Fellowship moor at the side of the lake at the end of their journey down the Anduin. The hobbits hide from the Uruk-hai.
45° 18.970'S 168° 10.744'E~Mararoa River swingbridge at South Mavora Lake (Silverlode and Anduin rivers)~The Fellowship leave Lothlórien.
45° 19.968'S 168° 10.404'E~Mavora Lakes (Fangorn Forest edge)~Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli follow Merry and Pippin's trail from the mound of burnt orc bodies left by Eomer's Riders of Rohan.
45° 25.358'S 167° 20.800'E~Norwest Lakes, near St Paul's Dome (South of Rivendell)~The Fellowship move south out of Rivendell.
45° 21.087'S 167° 54.477'E~Bog Pine Paddock (Fangorn Forest)~Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli meet Gandalf the White.
45° 29.755'S 167° 40.159'E~Waiau River (Anduin River)~The opening aerial shot of The Fellowship of the Ring showing the forested banks of the Anduin River.
45° 29.567'S 167° 41.897'E~Kepler Mire (Dead Marshes)~Gollum guides Frodo and Sam through the swamp, saving Frodo as he falls under spell of the dead that seem to float within it.
37°51′27″S 175°40′47″E~Waikato (Shire)~Hobbiton Set
Referencias
1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 28/05/2026.
