Dawn & Tim McNamara, originally from Chicago, Illinois, have been living in Hawaii for the past three years. Being avid Lord of the Rings fans they wanted to visit New Zealand before they returned home to mainland USA.
Their ten day, North & South Island adventure started with a tour of the Hobbiton Movie set and banquet lunch. Upon reaching Rotorua that evening they enjoyed a cultural show and hangi dinner at Te Pa Tu Maori Village in Rotorua.
En-route to Mt Doom & Mordor the following day the couple took a walk through the geothermal valley of Waimangu before checking out the Aratiatia rapids where the Hobbits escaped in barrels to Laketown.
Their journey continued with visits to the Emyn Muill, Gollums Pool, the Secret Door to the Lonely Mountain and where Smeagol caught his fish. Plus they spent the night at the Powderhorn Chateau in Ohakune where many of the cast & crew stayed during filming.
Onwards to Wellington their guide Constance showed them the locations for Osgiliath Wood, Trollshaw Forest and the Pelennor Fields.
They quenched their thirst with some craft beer at Brewtown before checking out the nightlife at Zealandia an eco-bird sanctuary. The highlight of this tour was spotting two Kiwi, NZ’s national bird.
Lester, from Xplor Tours looked after Dawn & Tim for a day while Constance had a day off. He took them to many key LoTR locations in the Shire, Rivendell, Isengard and to the iconic Weta Cave.
It was an early morning start so the trio could fly to Queenstown. It was Tim’s birthday and what better way to celebrate than with another LoTR experience, this time with Nomad Safari’s who took them out to Glenorchy to visit more of Isengard, Amon Hen and Lothlorien.
Before shooting down to Te Anau to see some glow worms and stay at the stunning Fiordland Lodge, Dawn & Tim chose to take a steamboat ride on the TSS Earnslaw for a farm show and morning tea at Walter Peak Station.
With a leisurely start the next day Constance took them to see the Takahe, one of NZ’s endangered bird species and two LoTR sites; the Dead Marshes & where the opening aerial shot was taken.
Later they boarded the Fiordland Discovery for an overnight cruise on the Milford Sound. On the return journey to Queenstown the next day they enjoyed some nature walks and a visit to Arrowtown, an historic mining town known for its fall colours.
Dawn & Tim were fascinated by the bungy jump at the Kawarau Bridge, but could not be persuaded to give it a go. Instead they enjoyed a cheeky tipple at the Gibbston Valley winery before having a culinary experience at Rata.
Moving on to Franz Josef the next day the trio enjoyed a coffee and cheese scone at the Cardrona Hotel, NZ’s oldest establishment then a refined tasting at the local distillery.
After leaving Wanaka and the most photographed tree behind they hit tortential rain as they ventured closer to the wet West Coast. After a hearty meal at Haast’s Hard Antler Cafe they braved the elements once more.
Sadly the inclement weather meant that their helicopter ride to the glacier had to be cancelled so they pushed on to explore the coastal townships of Hokitika and Greymouth, with lunch at the Monteiths Brewery.
Traveling over the Arthur’s Pass they encounted the cheeky kea and took short strolls to view the Devil’s Punchbowl waterfall and linestone rock formations at Castle Hill. That evening’s accommodation was the luxurious Fable golf resort of Terrace Downs, near Lake Coleridge.
The next day, their last, dawned a little brighter as they made their way to Christchurch. Constance took them on a little tiki tour through Lyttelton, Sumner Beach and the city centre, which was damaged by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. They ended their road trip with a visit to the Antarctica International Centre.
