Journey through Middle-earth Tolkien’s New Zealand | National Geographic

The landscape flows from jagged cliffs to rolling hills, from distressed limestone formations to ramparts—a constant ebb and flow of the landscape I love so much. North Island greenery fills car windows.

Thinking of my friend Grant Roa. He is a writer, producer, and actor who has been involved in one way or another in most of the films set in New Zealand. He also has a soft spot in this part of the country. “The South Island has beautiful scenery, but I love the contrasts of the North Island,” he told me as I was planning my trip. “I like when you have a hilly landscape in front of you and you turn around and see the snow-capped mountains behind you. Or when you’re on the beach and there’s nothing but native woods behind you.”

About 140 miles south of the Hobbiton Hills, Tongariro National Park embodies both of these extremes. There are three active volcanoes – Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe – and the ski resort of Whakapapa. The garden was used as a backdrop for the Shadowland of Mordor, an abandoned and desolate stronghold of evil in Middle-earth.

Tongariro is also one World Heritage site And one of my favorite places in New Zealand. After half a dozen visits, I’ve now climbed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, descended the slopes of Whakapapa and enjoyed the white landscapes and cool air while feeling like I was on top of the world.

Iwekau Village

But Lons and I are alone today in the village of Iwekau at the top of the ski area, shrouded in mist. The temperature has dropped dramatically since Matmata and is hovering around the freezing point while winds are sweeping us from all sides. Waheed thinks this is strange. “Mordor shall be hot and dry,” he says.

My interpretation of Mordor is that it’s just a totally uncomfortable place – and deceitful, which Tongariro certainly holds true. Whenever you are here, the sky is clear like glass. I know the weather can change quickly — and violently — here, but this is the first time Tongariro has shown its wild side.

Now I see the tangled heap of black and red remains of cooled lava more distinctly, which among the shimmering white and green vegetation almost tries to wrestle its presence. The rocks seem to reach the sky. I can imagine being completely lost here. In fact, we are only a ten minute drive from Chateau Tongariro, the granddaddy of all New Zealand hotels in the historic village of Wakapapa.

The elegant neo-Georgian building from the 1920s exudes a European vibe. Sensation of a tuxedo and crystal glass on the wall of an active volcano. As I sipped a glass of red wine from Gisborne, a wine region some 260 miles away on the east coast, I was thinking about spending time with two good friends. Not only with Lunes, but also with the place that captured my heart the first time I saw it.

“That’s the great thing about movie locations,” Lones says. “If you miss a place you love, you can always revisit it at the movies.” Visiting Tongariro with The Lord of the Rings in mind allowed me to see it in a different way. Tongariro has an impressive and profound unpredictability.

Ohakune-Tongariro

Beech trees crowd for the best vantage point, and the road that leads from the mountain village of Ohakuni to the southern tip of Tongariro is crowded. It’s hard to believe that this peaceful ski resort awaiting winter is located just 45 minutes east of Pipiriki. There, on the edge of Whanganui National Park, lush forests provide the backdrop for the River Queen. The 2005 film focuses on the conflict between the indigenous Maori and European settlers in the 1860s. ((Worth reading: Destinations for Star Wars fans)

After a few minutes of Ohakune, most traces of the outside world disappeared in our rearview mirror. We head towards Turoa Ski Resort at the base of Mount Ruapehu about 30 minutes south of the hotel to look for Mangawhero Falls. I have skied Turoa many times but never looked left or right, always focused on the road in front of me. Three kilometers before the ski area, we spot the sign on the right side of the road that indicates the path to the waterfall. Under the falling canopy of beech trees, a brown grass path dotted with red mushrooms and white lichen suddenly leads to a familiar sight.

As I watched the small river lap over rusty brown rocks before tumbling into a waterfall, it hit me the same way it would when I heard a favorite song on the radio: here was the two-tongued Gollum in The Two Towers, the second film in the Lord of the Rings series, hunting Fish. My memory of this place was as clear as water, even though it was my first time seeing it. I waded into the river. The water was very cold and my feet were sore.

Here every fan’s heart beats faster

I’ve driven on this road many times and never knew this place was here. “We would have missed him if he hadn’t been in the movie,” says Lones. “The scouts really did all the work and picked carefully these amazing locations. It’s like a treasure map. You just have to follow it.”

We return to Wellington, the southernmost city in the North Island. This is where I first lived in New Zealand – the base of my early explorations – and it’s also the home of the film genius that Tolkien brought to the big screen. But there is one stop on my journey:

I choose a path I’ve never walked before and find myself in the spooky, needle-strewn trails of Mount Victoria. I’m climbing a hill and suddenly stop when I realize something. In front of me, I lay on the crooked tree roots where four young hobbits hid from the evil cloaked rings, the Nazgûl, after finding a shortcut to some mushrooms in The Fellowship of the Ring.

I know that feeling now, like seeing a familiar face in a crowd; That thrill of finding a long lost friend.

The article first appeared in the June/July 2015 issue of National Geographic Traveler.