December 19 marks the 15th anniversary of the first Lord of the Rings movie, The Fellowship of the Ring. To celebrate its starring role as Middle-earth, New Zealand has created a new way to see the country — through the eyes of a hobbit, an elf, a dwarf or a wizard.
Tourism New Zealand has put together Middle-earth itineraries based on experiences each species would gravitate towards. Take the quiz to find out which one you are, and your results will show you where to go and what to do.
For example, I’m an elf and according to my results, “Elves prefer a holiday of beautiful, enchanting places complete with ethereal woodlands, dewy native forests and sparkling waterfalls.” The suggested itinerary includes visiting the country’s national parks (to pretend you’re in Rivendell), sampling vintages at the wineries on Waiheke Island and exploring the Waitomo Caves, lit up by luminescent glow-worms. Sounds good to me!
If you don’t want to plan your own itinerary, luxury tour operator Zicasso.com is also offering a special anniversary tour. The 15-day excursion includes behind-the-scenes access to movie sets (like Hobbiton), touring real-life filming locations, staying in the same hotel as the cast and crew, and seeing the Middle-earth landscapes of the country via a jet boat and a helicopter.
It’s a good excuse for LOTR fans to finally check New Zealand off the bucket list. One trip to rule them all!
