It’s no wonder I couldn’t help myself while road tripping around the region. Everywhere I looked I could envision orc battles, hobbits having second breakfast, and elves and men riding their horses across vast landscapes.

I sought out many of the South Island film locations with my equally nerdtastic travel companion, Carolina. Some were easier to find than others and some were less accessible than others. But in the end, we visited most of the locations completely independent from any paid tours—and we had great adventures of our own finding them!



Pillars of the Kings (FOTR)

Kawarau River near the Chard Farm Vineyard

Most people visit this location because of how easy it is to get to. It’s just off of the main highway, up a back dirt road. I noticed online many people take a photo looking upstream. Like this: