Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power filming locations
"The Rings of Power" is the new Prime blockbuster and tells the story some 1,000 years before the original trilogy. Unfortunately, that means no dreamy Aragorn or cute Samwise Gamgee, but there are a number of other well-known characters passing by, such as Galadriel, Elrond and Isildur. With a budget of almost 1 trillion dollars (!) the show certainly looks fantastic. As travel fans, our hearts naturally skip a beat seeing the beautiful landscapes on the screen. So where was "The Rings of Power" filmed? And most importantly, can you travel there?
Rings of Power filming location: Aotearoa New Zealand
Rings of Power was recorded in faraway Aotearoa New Zealand. This is not unexpected, because that's also where the Hobbit films and the original Lord of the Rings trilogy were filmed. Fortunately, many scenes were shot outside the studios as well, at 38 locations across the country. During a tour of New Zealand you can also visit the outdoor locations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. And you can visit Weta Workshop in Wellington, the studio that worked on the designs and sets of all the films.
1. Rhovanion and the Harfoots - Kahurangi and Denize Bluffs
The Harfoots provide an interesting glimpse of the ancestors of the Shire Hobbits as we know them. Their habitat in the series has been filmed at multiple shooting locations in New Zealand.
Kahurangi National Park
In the Lord of the Rings world, Rhovanion is the piece of land east of the Misty Mountains and the Anduin. Later, under Mordor's corruption, this becomes Mirkwood. At the time of this series, lovely Harfoots still live there. Many of the forests and mountains are filmed in Kahurangi National Park, New Zealand's second largest national park and heaven for outdoor enthusiasts. You can go hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, cave exploring and fishing. Te Waikoropupu Springs Walk is a must-try for novice walkers. This route gives you a great experience of the mossy, green environment where the Harfoots lived. Plenty to explore, but be careful not to let a mysterious Stranger fall on your head!
Denize Bluffs
If, like Nori, you want to stroll along limestone cliffs, Denize Bluffs is the place to be. This beautiful piece of land is located on the North Island in the Mangaotaki Valley, near Piopio in the Waikato region. It also acted as Trollshaw Forest in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. You remember, the story with the three trolls!
You cannot visit this private area independently, but Warrick and Suzie Denize, the owners of the land, organize tours. They worked with Peter Jackson themselves when filming was taking place on their estate, so they have many stories to tell! The tours cost NZD 70 (about 35 pounds) for adults and 40 NZD (about 20 pounds) up to 14 years old. The tours last 90 minutes. The Hairy Feet tour gets great reviews so definitely worth checking out.
2. The Northern Waste / Forodwaith - Mount Kidd, Fiordland National Park
The first images of the Rings of Power series are set in the harsh conditions of the Misty Mountains in the Northern Territories. Galadriel leads her group of reluctant Elves to hunt clues of Sauron. The icy cold footage was filmed on and around Mount Kidd, a remote mountain range in Fiordland National Park. This is the largest natural park in New Zealand and is located at the most Southwestern tip of the South Island.
The area is difficult to visit for novice adventurers. Maybe that's why so many Elves in the series dropped out at this point! However, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the mountain with a helicopter flight to the top.
Fiordland National Park offers beautiful walks and boat trips along waterfalls, high mountains and dense forests. The area around Milford Sound is very beautiful and easily accessible. Lord of the Rings fans will also want to visit Te Anau Lake. This location features as both the Anduin River and the dangerous swamp that Frodo and Sam must traverse in LOTR: The Two Towers.
3. Númenor - Hauraki Gulf and Anawhata Beach
Númenor is one of the biggest 'wow' moments in the series. This beautiful island has amazing buildings that remind us of the later built human city of Minas Tirith. Many scenes are set on beautiful beaches and coves. New Zealand has plenty of those!
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf is the sea East of Auckland on the North Island. Around this large body of water is a beautiful nature park (Coromandel Forest Park) and a large number of extraordinary islands that can be visited by boat. The most recognizable spot in 'Númenor' is the beach at Te Whanganui-A-Hei, also known as Cathedral Cove. Here Isildur comes ashore and is greeted by his sister.
Anawhata Beach
Other beach scenes were recorded on the dark beaches of Anawhata near Piha, west of Auckland. This location is conveniently placed at a 45-minute drive from Auckland. It is a popular spot for surfers. So go with a surfboard and (if you are a beginner) a surf instructor. Using a raft like Galadriel and Halbrand do in the series is probably less suitable!
4. Eregion en Khazad-dûm - Otago Region
Eregion is an interesting place in Rings of Power, because it lies between a few well-known places that appear extensively in the earlier films. It is not published exactly where the scenes in Eregion were filmed and it must have been partly in the studios. According to Atlas of Wonders, Earnslaw Burn has been the setting for the exterior of Khazad-dûm in the series and in previous films. If you see the photos of the mossy mountainside with waterfalls, it sure sounds plausible! In any case, film crews have been spotted in this region when filming for Rings of Power was happening. For the very experienced hikers there is the Earnslaw Burn Track, a 15+ miles challenging climb to the peak at 9,200 feet.
Do you want to feel like a Harfoot or an Elf at these beautiful locations? Then you have to have deep pockets, as tickets to New Zealand are not cheap. Low-budget travel fans of the series can rejoice in the future. Season 2 of Rings of Power will be filmed in the UK itself (most likely in Scotland). So we will be able to follow in Galadriel's footsteps right in our own backyard!
The following sources were used for this article:
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