As well as boasting the world’s leading rugby team, New Zealand has as much to offer off the pitch as on it. And this summer those in Wellington will have a rare opportunity to see the artistry behind the newest of The Hobbit films.
Director Sir Peter Jackson has made available props and costumes from the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series’ films for ‘The Middle of Middle-Earth Costume Trail’.
The trail runs across 15 locations, including Te Papa – Museum of New Zealand, and is being launched to coincide with the release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Artists, in cinemas in New Zealand from December 11, and the UK from December 12, until the end of February.
British & Irish Lions fans travelling to New Zealand for the 2017 tour will also be interested to learn of the newly launched Weta Workshop and evening tours of Hobbiton, providing the ultimate Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy experience.
The final film features backdrops of the stunning Lake Pukaki in the south island, among others, location visits can fly over before hiking and cycling through Mount Ruhapehu in the north island.
The north island’s Matamata is the home of the Hobbiton movie set – one of New Zealand’s premier tourist attractions.
Tourism New Zealand’s International Visitor Survey indicated that 13 per cent of the 2.5 million international visitors to the country in the 12 months to June 2014 noted the The Hobbit Trilogy was a factor in stimulating their interest in New Zealand as a destination.
