As you’ve seen on my travels around the North Island of New Zealand, there are tons of Lord of the Rings locations you can visit (like Hobbiton and various Middle Earth locations). Here are a few LOTR locations on the South Island:
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Helicopter Ride Over Middle Earth
The Remarkables (the mountain ranges show below) were all over Lord of the Rings. Seeing their beauty IRL, it’s easy to see why. Check out the views from an insane helicopter ride just outside of Queenstown, New Zealand. Watch the video below for an idea of what the helicopter ride was like. However, New Zealanders…
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YAS Queen(stown)!
Queenstown in New Zealand is so amazing, even the drive into town is out-of-control-beautiful. This city is like a Disney World for grown ups. It’s the home of the jetboat (an insane boat ride with 360s and death stops that made me laugh uncontrollably because I was so nervous) and full of plenty of other…
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Glacier Hunting in New Zealand
Franz Josef Glacier is on the South Island of New Zealand. It was a hike to get there, but one of the greatest hikes I’ve ever been on. Follow along on my adventure below. Rock stacking is a discipline. At least, that’s what Wikipedia told me. I love finding these during my travels. It’s always…
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Rocks that look so good, you could eat them.
Punakaiki, a small community on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, is home to the Pancake Rocks. It was my first stop right off the ferry from the North Island. The photo directly below gives you a glimpse into what it’s like driving in NZ. Believe it or not, this is…
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Huka Falls
Huka Falls are a set of torrential waterfalls on the North Island of New Zealand. In the photos below, you get the fell for the water’s pace. What’s even crazier is that you can ride a jetboat down this thing. What’s a jetboat? Oh just a teeny tiny little speed boat that can navigate on…
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Middle Earth is even better IRL
New Zealand is a tremendously beautiful land. Its hills are jagged and grassy and covered in sheep. Driving the countryside, rain or shine, is breathtaking–so breathtaking, it doesn’t feel real. Everywhere you look, you feel as though you’re in the middle of a Lord of The Rings scene. Below is where they filmed the Gates…
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fun in Fiji
Between visiting Australia and heading to New Zealand, we spent a quick weekend in Fiji. It was paradise and it went by way too fast, but we managed to squeeze in a good bit of action. Here’s the itinerary: Stay at the Westin Denarau. There are several pools and restaurants right on the beach. You…
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The Australia Zoo
As a grown-up traveler, it’s easy to write off a trip to a zoo as you make your way around a new country. Well–don’t be fooled and skip over The Australia Zoo. This may have been where I felt the most acute culture shock on my trip down under. Animals just hop around, out of…
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Noosa
Noosa is a small shire on The Sunshine Coast of Australia. It’s pretty much paradise rolled into a great piece of sushi on a surfboard at sunset. It’s home to a bunch of koalas and surfing contests. We did the coastal hike and loved every minute of it. Don’t miss out on dipping into the…
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for the love of nike 