Category Archives: New Zealand Travel Blog

Mount Doom New Zealand: Complete Guide to Mt Ngauruhoe and the Lord of the Rings When Peter Jackson needed a mountain that looked like the end of the world, he found it in the middle of New Zealand’s North Island. Mount Ngauruhoe is the perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone at the heart of Tongariro National Park.

Lake Moke, Glenorchy and Queenstown: Filming Locations of Top of the Lake Not every great drama needs a studio. Lake Moke, Glenorchy, and Queenstown proved that. Jane Campion chose this corner of New Zealand’s South Island for her acclaimed TV series. Top of the Lake first broadcast in 2013, and it brought the raw landscapes

Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata: The Real-Life Shire from The Hobbit Hobbiton Matamata, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movie set in New Zealand, is the rare filming location that looks even better in person than it does on screen. Rolling green hills are dotted with round doors and smoking chimneys. Tended gardens stretch across

Paradise, Glenorchy: The Real-Life Heart of Middle-earth Few places on earth blur fantasy and reality quite like Paradise, Glenorchy. This small, gloriously named valley sits at the top of Lake Wakatipu. It is one of the most iconic stops on any Lord of the Rings filming locations New Zealand journey. The valley also remains one

Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata: The Real-Life Shire from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Few destinations let you step straight into a beloved story. Hobbiton Movie Set is one of them. Tucked into rolling green farmland just outside Matamata, in New Zealand’s Waikato region, this is the genuine filming location. It’s not a

Hiking the Mount Taranaki Summit Track – What You Need to Know Some mountains look approachable. Mount Taranaki is one of them. An almost perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone rising 2,518 metres above the Taranaki plains, it dominates the western North Island skyline in a way that makes you feel like you could simply walk up

Paparoa National Park: One of New Zealand’s Best-Kept Secrets There are places in New Zealand that stop you mid-sentence. Paparoa National Park is one of them. Situated on the wild West Coast of the South Island, the park packs an unlikely combination into 430 square kilometres. Ancient limestone formations that look like they belong on

Visiting New Zealand in Autumn: Your Complete Guide There’s a version of New Zealand that most international visitors never see. Visiting New Zealand in autumn – March, April, and May – means arriving after the summer crowds have gone home, into a country that’s still warm, still open, and wearing colours that the rest of

Visiting New Zealand in Spring: Your Complete Guide Visiting New Zealand in spring is one of those travel decisions that tends to surprise people. September, October, and November sit in an odd spot in most travellers’ mental calendars – the peak summer crowd hasn’t arrived yet, the ski season is winding down, and the country

Visiting New Zealand in summer is, genuinely, one of the better decisions a traveller can make. December through February brings long golden days, warm temperatures, open trails, and a version of this country that simply isn’t available at any other time of year. The beaches are swimmable. The Great Walks are fully open. The vineyards