Following the fellowship’s footsteps

By Zhang Liuhao  |   2008-11-15  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

NEW Zealand is a country boasting spectacular scenery, but no visit is complete without checking out where the blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" movies were filmed, challenging even the most vivid imagination, writes Zhang Liuhao

A trip to New Zealand would not be complete without a tour of the shooting locations of the massively successful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

So being a huge fan of the films — which cost US$280 million to make and collected a combined 17 Academy Awards — played a major part in my decision to visit the South Pacific island nation.

The three movies filmed between 2001 and 2003 were "Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King."

During my visit, I took part in a "Lord of the Rings" full-day tour around the city of Wellington, located in the southern part of New Zealand's North Island.

Even before the tour began, I was excited to see a miniature Legolas doll on the dashboard of my group's van. The guide told me that the vehicle was called "Legolas" in honor of the blond archer in the movies, played by Hollywood star Orlando Bloom.

What a coincidence, as Legolas is my favorite character in the trilogy and I took it as my English name. So Legolas was riding in Legolas!

Including me, the tour group was comprised of just five people, making it just another fellowship of the ring, poised to follow in the hobbits' footsteps.

Mount Victoria, east of the center of Wellington, was the first stop of the tour and was a main stage for the early filming of the "Fellowship of the Ring" in 2001.

We quickly found the woods that director Peter Jackson, a New Zealander, used as the Outer Shire where Frodo Baggins and his fellow hobbits escaped to from the Shire, which was their home.

Overhanging trees formed a green tunnel through which Frodo gazed fearfully, listening for the approach of the terrifying Nazguls — nine undead human kings.

I stood in the middle of the path, and the rustling trees helped me feel the fear of that frightening encounter. Our guide also showed us the place where the four hobbits crouched to hide from the Nazgul riders.

In addition to the filming locations, Mount Victoria is a great vantage-point to view Wellington and a good place to photograph the backdrop of Wellington Harbor.

Another picturesque stop is Kaitoke Regional Park just north of Wellington, which was the location for Rivendell, the refuge and rallying place for elves in the movie.

As most exterior shots were digitally rendered, it was impossible to find the picturesque Rivendell in the movie, but we still recognized some contours of the stunning site.

Still, a walk through the park's native bush was even more interesting, especially for someone like me who is more used to urban life.

Of course, anything related to Legolas excited me and near the Rivendell site, we found a tree where publicity photos of actor Bloom were taken.

Another of the filming locations we visited was the Hutt River, which was the River Anduin on which the fellowship traveled after leaving Lothlorien at the end of the first installment of the trilogy.

What makes the river special is its terrain. Cliffs dotted with pristine vegetation dominate one side while the other side is a rugged bank.

On our way to Kaitoke Park, we stopped at the site where the stronghold of Minas Tirith was located. Our guide told us director Jackson paid a large amount of money to rent the area for a year to build the Gondor city.

Sadly, the site has been restored to its original function as a quarry. Dust, stones and trucks were all that we saw there. But as we looked about, it was hard not to admire Jackson's imagination and the digital technology used in the movie.

For "Lord of the Rings" fans, a visit to these places is lots of fun but it can also be a little bit disappointing, especially if you have already taken in some of the breathtaking real landscapes in the South Island.

Many of the magnificent scenes in the movies do not really exist as they were digitally created by combining scenery from both the North and South islands.

But beautiful scenery is quite common in New Zealand, a country boasting a variety of natural landscapes.

At the beginning of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy a voice says: "History becomes legend. Legend becomes myth."

After visiting New Zealand, there is no doubt that Jackson and the Middle Earth Kingdom he built did a great job in impressing the world with New Zealand's incredible natural heritage.

No doubt the Kiwis will ensure the legend continues.