New Zealand Highlights
- Airfare Wellington to Christchurch
- Amon Hen and Ithilian
- Arrowtown - historic gold mining town
- Auckland - 'City of Sails'
- Christchurch - city sights tour
- Edoras
- Emyn Muil, Mordor and Mt. Doom
- Entry fees to private LOTR sites
- Fangorn Forest
- Gollum's fishing pool
- Hobbiton (lunch at 'The Shire's Rest' )
- Huka Falls - the mighty waterfall
- Isengard Gardens
- Interislander Cruise
- Lake Tekapo - Church of the Good Shepherd
- Leaving Lothlorien and Gladden Fields
- Mt Cook - NZ/s tallest mountain
- Powderhorn Chateau (where the stars stayed)
- Queenstown - Free day in New Zealand's adventure capital
- Queenstown - Skyline Gondola and Buffet Dinner
- Rotorua - Hangi Feast and Concert
- River Anduin
- The Calligrapher
- The Elven cloak factory
- The film studios
- The Lord of the Rings horses
- The Misty Mountains
- The Pelennor Fields
- The Rohan sites
- Wellington - Cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound
- Wellington - Te Papa (New Zealand’s National Museum)
- Opportunity to see Waitomo Caves - Glowworm caves
Meals
- 11 Full Buffet Breakfasts (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
- 2 Hotel Dinners (D)
- Welcome Drink
Escorted Coach Tour Standard Inclusions
- Luxury air-conditioned coach
- Experienced, professional Tour Director
- Twin share accommodation with private facilities in quality hotels
- Admissions Outlined in the Itinerary
- Airport transfers to/from hotel
- Hotel Porterage
| 1 |
Arrive Auckland You are met at the airport and transferred you to your hotel, the Spencer on Byron. We gather informally this evening to meet each other and prepare for our early start tomorrow. |
 Accommodation: Spencer on Byron |
| 2 (B) (L) |
Auckland - Hobbiton - Rotorua Be ready to depart at 08.00 - Auckland to Rotorua via Hobbiton. Prepare to be enchanted by Hobbiton - a very special site to visit. Have us take your photo beneath the Party Tree and outside Bag End. We have lunch at Hobbiton in 'The Shire's Rest', on the farm. (Lunch included in tour cost.) In Rotorua later today, we'll show you some geothermal activity and suggest optional activities - such as a riding a Zorb and / or enjoying a relaxing hot mineral Polynesian Spa Pool. In the evening, a chance to experience traditional Maori Culture at it's very best. |
 Accommodation: Sudima Rotorua (2 nights) |
| 3 (B) |
Rotorua - Ohakune From Rotorua to Ohakune, via bubbling mud pools and the beautiful Huka Waterfalls at Lake Taupo. We stop for 'Second Breakfast - Morning Tea' on our way to Mt. Ruapehu and the sites of Mordor, Emyn Muil and Mt Doom. See the spot where Sam and Frodo were lost amid volcanic lava flows and where they first met Gollum. Visit Gollum's fishing pool, where Andy Serkis was careful not to plunge over the waterfall! - Stay tonight where the Stars stayed. |
Accommodation: The Powderhorn Chateau |
| 4 (B) |
Ohakune - Wellington Ohakune to Wellington. via a 'River Anduin' site, where there's an optional extra Flying Fox activity for the mad and daring - great viewing for the rest of us! We stop for lunch in Foxton and continue on to visit the Black Rider's Ranch. Meet him in person and enjoy his hospitality. He trained the horses , taught the actors to ride and had several key roles in the trilogy. Then, it's on to Wellington City - just in time to see the "Get off the road!" site on Mt Victoria, overlooking the city. Tonight we suggest dining at "The Green Parrot Restaurant" - said to be a favourite of Viggo's. Wellington (2 nights) |
Accommodation: Duxton Hotel (2 nights) |
| 5 (B) |
Wellington We are joined at breakfast by the LOTR Calligrapher, Cartographer and Artist, Daniel Reeve. After breakfast he'll show us samples of his exquisite work - some are for sale - and talk about his involvement in the movies, including his more recent works - King Kong, Narnia, Pirates of the Carribbean, etc. Next, a "Wellywood!" city tour past Peter Jackson's movie studios, and a wonderful stop at Weta Workshop's new 'Weta Cave' - for souvenirs, viewing their promo dvd, and more ! Make sure your camera batteries are fully charged!! Your afternoon is free to explore Wellington. We recommend a visit to the excellent Te Papa Museum - just across from our hotel. Dinner tonight? Perhaps "Strawberry Fare" - specialising in delicious desserts - just up from the Embassy Theatre, where the ROTK Premiere was held. |
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| 6 (B) |
Wellington - Fly to Christchurch Today we call in at the Elven Cloak factory and see how the cloaks (and other garments for movies) are made - opportunities here for purchasing and photographs. Then it's over the hills (weather permitting) to the beautiful tranquility of the Leaving Lothlorien site - and where Smeagol strangled Deagol! On our return to Wellington we'll take time for a visit to Rivendell, the Gardens of Isengard and the site of Helms Deep and Minas Tirith. This evening we fly south (45 minutes), to Christchurch where a special guest who starred in the movie, joins us. |
Accommodation: Copthorne Central Hotel |
| 7 (B) (D) |
Christchurch - Twizel Your South Island adventure begins and it's time to head for the site and magnificence that is Edoras. We buy a picnic lunch today, as this is a remote area. Bring shorts (or trousers that roll up to the knees) and sturdy footwear. We cross three streams on our way to the summit! Later we'll view the beautiful, mountain fed lakes - Tekapo and Pukaki and see N.Z's highest Mountain - Mt Cook, which is over 12,000 ft high. This is a great place to study the night sky - have you seen the Southern Cross?. |
Accommodation: Twizel's McKenzie Country Inn |
| 8 (B) |
Twizel - Cromwell We depart at around 9-00 a.m. for the Pelennor Fields - an area that once rang to the thunderous sound of 250 horses on the charge, as King Theoden's battle speech roused men to battle. Moving on, we check out the site of The Great Chase and then head to scenic Lake Wanaka for lunch. After lunch we make time to try your archery skills - perhaps we have a budding Legolas amongst us? If Ian Brodie, author of the LOTR Guide Book, is available we call in and say hello while we're in the locality. |
Accommodation: Golden Gate Lodge |
| 9 (B) |
Cromwell - Queenstown We head out through Alexandra this morning, to where the Rohan village was burned. We walk through the canyon where the leaf brooch was dropped. (Dwarves are 'dangerous over short distances' here, or so Gimli tells us!) This afternoon - Queenstown - and the remainder of the afternoon is free. |
 Accommodation: Novotel Gardens Hotel |
| 10 (B) |
Mavora Lakes We take a picnic lunch to the Mavora Lakes today and visit 4 LOTR sites:
Stunning scenery! Later you may like to jet boat down the River Anduin or take a helicopter ride to P.J.'s favourite location. There is also an optional Glowworm Caves tour available this evening. |
 Accommodation: Distinction Luxmore Hotel |
| 11 (B) |
Queenstown, day at leisure Today our group returns to Queenstown, via Arrowtown - a charming old settlement, historically significant in the gold rush days of the 1860s. It's also the location where Isildur was attacked by Orcs at Gladden Fields. This afternoon and tomorrow you are free to pursue optional activities:
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Accommodation: Novotel Gardens Hotel (2 nights) |
| 12 (B) (D) |
The last day of our "Fellowship" Devote today to further optional activities and last minute shopping. How about:
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| 13 |
Departure Day Alas, your journey through Middle-earth is at an end. We thank you for travelling with us...there and back again. |
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