Embark on an epic journey through Middle-earth in Wellington. Visit four of the key Lord of the Rings filming locations in the Hutt Valley, go to Weta Workshop in Mirimar, and end the tour at the Weta Cave where you can purchase souvenirs and pose for photos with some of the Weta characters and props.
From your hotel or i-Site pickup, make your way to the Hutt Valley. The first stop is the Dry Creek Quarry where you see the filming site of Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith.
A short drive will see you stop at the River Anduin (Hutt River) where the Fellowship travelled to Amon Hen. Then it is on to the site of Gardens of Isengard Harcourt Park, where Gandalf met Saruman the White to discuss the Ring, and it is also where Saruman’s Orc army destroyed the gardens.
Next, stop at Rivendell (Kaitoke Regional Park), the home of the Elves. Enjoy a walk through Rivendell and see the nearby river used for the scene where Éomer recovers the dying Théodred, son of King Théoden. More adventurous travellers may also cross the swing bridge over the Hutt River.
Now, head to the Weta Workshop in Miramar. Here, enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour (entry included in your tour price) where you will see how props and weaponry are made and possibly meet artists at work making props.
At the Weta Cave, you will be given the opportunity to purchase souvenirs and have photos with Gollum, Lurtz the Uruk-hai, Bilbo’s three Trolls, and characters from other films that Weta has been involved in.
Your guide will discuss with you any lunch preference, Café, takeaway, pub (all depending on time). After lunch, head to Mount Victoria to the Hobbiton Woods where the filming of the epic trilogy began.
This is the home of the Shortcut to Mushrooms scene; Sam and Frodo’s Second Breakfast; the location where the Hobbits hid from the Black Rider (“Get off the Road!”); the Race to the Buckleberry Ferry scene; and King Théoden’s Dunharrow Encampment.
A little further on is the Mount Victoria Lookout and here you will see spectacular views of Wellington’s city and harbour. Have your cameras ready. The tour concludes with a drive past the Embassy Picture Theatre, the home of two Premieres “Return of the King” and the first Hobbit film “The Unexpected Journey”.
