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New Zealand

Wellington

Starting From AU$202.60
Starting From AU$202.60

Rover Rings Tours - Lord of the Rings Full Day Tour

Wellingtons original LOTR Tour and still the best! Journey there & back again on a Full Day tour to Middle Earth with Rover Rings Tours

We are the Lord of the Rings location professionals in Wellington. We were the first company in the North Island to operate tours and our passengers are constantly telling us we are the best. If you have an interest in the Lord of the Rings and you want a unique Wellington experience, then this is the tour for you.

We cover a lot of ground on the tour, but there is enough time to explore, recreate scenes (over 25 different ones) for yourself and work out how the movies were made. Due to our small group size we are the specialist in getting you amongst the action whilst enjoying a personal experience. The scenery of Wellington mirrors that of Middle Earth. Come explore it with us on this relaxing day tour!

We pick up from your central city accommodation between 8.30am and 9am. The morning is spent exploring the city locations of Mount Victoria (for spectacular views) and the 'greenbelt' (we spend 40min walking through the OUTER SHIRE. This location includes 'get off the road' and 'shortcut to mushrooms' among others.

We drive the southern suburbs, including Seatoun and Miramar and the South Coast where many of the big name stars lived, looking at Bree and Dunharrow locations. A stop is included at WETA CAVE (exept Public Holidays)and Scorch o Rama cafe (own expense) on the Wellywood Coast. We usually coffee with hoards of hungry WETA crew.

Depending on how friendly security are we can have a look over the fence at STONE STREET STUDIO to see what projects they are currently filming (unlike Universal Studios there are no studio tours. They are out of bounds for all us unmoviemaking mortals). Our knowledgeable guides will discuss past, current and future Peter Jackson/WETA creations including who is currently in town from Hollywood at the moment. ie Mr Del Toro and the team preparing for The Hobbit!

The afternoon is spent exploring the Hutt Valley. Stops include the Hutt River (Great River Anduin) and Harcourt Park (Gardens of Isengard and the famous Orc trees). In Kaitoke Regional Park we include our famous picnic lunch under the elevish trees of the Rivendell location (and a 45min walk through the NZ native forest). If the weather is poorly we shuffle the tour around and provide lunch at Eva Dixons Cafe. In this instance morning tea will include muffins in Rivendell. We aim to complete our journey around 4.00pm.

There are two main components of our tours. Firstly the locations. Our tour visits the best locations in Wellington. Secondly, and our past clients tell us more importantly is the HOW and the WHY and the WHAT! WHAT do we see and talk about? HOW do we get there? and WHY do we go there? By answering these 3 questions we have developed Wellingtons Best Lord of the Rings Tours.

We train up Lord of the Rings fans to be great guides. They are fun, knowledgeable and our biggest asset. Our roomy vans allow for interaction with the guides so you can chat with them and learn LOTR secrets all day. The tour is structured for the best experience. From the order we visit locations, to the order we visit different scenes at locations.

Day 1 : Full day LOTR Locations tour
This full day tour encompasses the best Lord of the Rings locations the Wellington Region has to offer. Combining our half day and locations tours, this is a great day for any Middle-earth fanatic, general film fan or someone looking for a fun activity. Our expert guides will make your experience a memorable one. Starting with a central city pick up, you scale Mt Victoria and stop at the lookout for unbeatable views of Wellington City and Harbour, before a short descent into a unique pine forest where Peter Jackson began the filming of his epic trilogy. You see such scenes as “Shortcut to Mushrooms,” “Race to the Buckleberry Ferry,” and the iconic “Get off the Road” scene, where the Hobbits hid from the Black Riders. Following this, you will take a short trip to Miramar, the home of the Wellington film industry. We show you the studios and post-production facilities that helped bring these films to screen before settling at Weta. Here you have a chance to pose for photos with various characters and marvel at the craftsmanship of the sculptures, armour, and weapons on display and pick up those essential souvenirs and gifts. Here also, you watch a behind the scenes documentary that details the history of the Weta company, from its origins through to present day, and enjoy the “Windows into Workshop” tour. Guided by an actual Weta technician, this tour delves into the creativity and ingenuity needed to create the physical effects for some of the biggest and best movies ever, not just Middle-earth. It will leave you amazed at the vast influence Weta has had on the film industry and in no doubt why we call the area “Wellywood.” With so much information to absorb in the morning, you begin the afternoon with an orc sized lunch from a brilliant beachside cafe called Scorch-O-Rama. Lunch is included in the price of your tour. Once refueled, you can relax as your guide tells more stories of how Lord of the Rings came to life in New Zealand as you head towards more filming locations out of the city. Starting at the Hutt River, see where the Fellowship voyaged down the Great River Anduin towards Amon Hen. Then the Gardens of Isengard where Gandalf sought advice from Saruman the White about the Ring before Saruman’s orc army destroy the gardens. Continuing up Highway 2, you then visit Kaitoke Regional Park, a stunning New Zealand rain forest that became Rivendell. Enjoy a refreshing afternoon tea before wandering the paths walked by Elrond and Arwen, and the newly formed Fellowship of the Ring. You end the tour with a drive back to the city and a final chance to ask any more questions about all things Middle-earth [or anything else for that matter]. You also see the quarry used to film Helm’s Deep and Minas Tirith before being dropped off back in town.
Meals :Lunch

Departs Wellington Information Centre & City Accommodation at 8.30am everyday

 

Departs: 8:30 - 9:00am approx (Pick up from accommodation Wellington)

Returns: Approx 4:30pm

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