| On the Scene: The Land | The Imprint of Kong, Hobbits, and Lions | The Movies: the action | The Set: Locations of the Movies | More on Lord of the Rings |
|---|
ON THE SCENE: THE LAND
a little about nz-land
The incredible nature in New Zealand is picturesquely presented in multiple large-scale productions, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe , and King Kong . There is certainly an aspect of surreal beauty; it is unearthly enough in that the scenery and landscapes have survived relatively untouched, thanks to many Kiwis (as the New Zealanders are self-proclaimed) protecting kiwis (their beloved, awkward, and charmingly peculiar, native birds). And all in all, being incredibly environmentally aware. It's a crime punishable by law to knock off a tree, and the business of trimming them is a very delicate one that also involves the law. In addition, the population density of this lovely haven is a little less than that of, say, New York. The isolation is doubtless one of the reasons for the breathtaking sights. Where else in the world can you find such a diverse and beautiful assortment of scenes--aside from in the movies?An Isolated Set
New Zealand's isolated location is a key reason for its unique scenery. Approximately 85% of its vascular plants are not found in any other place in the world. The survival of certain species as well as the beautiful, complex ecosystems is mainly because New Zealand has evolved apart from the majority of the world. In this aspect it is similiar to Australia, whose marsupials and monotremes are not found elsewhere in the world. Its isolation, of course, also makes it an ideal site for unobstructed filming.
Scenery Diversity
New Zealand has a unique shape from is history of glaciation and because of its fairly recent occupation by people, it has retained its diverse landforms and mountain ranges that support various plant communities each with a singular collection of species. As Peter Jackson, the director of King Kong and The Lord of the Rings trilogy observed, "New Zealand is the best country in the world to shoot this film [Lord of the Rings], because of the variety of locations we have."
Environmentally Friendly
New Zealand's natural ecosystems are fiercely protected both legally and physically (i.e. direct purchase or fencing); otherwise, a great deal of it would have been cleared or logged or further harmed by the introduced mammals (like cats and possums, which cause much trouble and hazard for kiwis). This also, of course, means that before Peter Jackson could use conservation sites and National Parks and such protected sites, he had to employ a special lawyer. The crew had to make sure they didn't destroy cultural symbols, and later replanted plants that had to be uprooted to make space for filming and stored in temporary custom-made nurseries. For Lord of the Rings, 30 conservation sites were used.
back to top
IMPRINTS OF KONG, HOBBITS, AND LIONS
the impact
The Lord of the Rings movies have had an immense impact of New Zealand, and could possibly be considered what first drew major media attention to this country. It used 350 purpose-built sets in more than 150 locations all over New Zealand. "The Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook is New Zealand's fastest-selling book. And international visitors flock---by jet boat, kayak, four-wheel-drive and helicopter---to places around the country that were magically transformed into Middle-Earth."-Wellington's Going Ape During a personal visit to the New Zealand Hobbiton site, a local guide declared that the small town which had remained fairly obscure had plunged into traffic after the location of Hobbiton had been released. There are now a vast number of tours that visit Lord of the Rings sites and general sitegeeing activities.
King Kong, too has furthered New Zealand's growing reputation as a movie making site. Almost all of its scenes, including the New York sets, were filmed in Wellington, New Zealand. Skull Island, the undiscovered, mysterious island in the movie, which contains all sorts of giant creatures, furry, scaly, and flying, was filmed on Shelly Bay. Skull Island, unlike the various mountainous regions and sloping hills of Lord of the Rings is an exotic, jungle-esque setting which highlights the amazing diversity of ecosystems in New Zealand.
Add Narnia, and the set of fantasy-type landscapes is just about complete.
back to top
THE MOVIES: THE ACTION
King Kong
"Locals noticed a trail of giant footprints leading away from the car, but no one was perturbed. It was just another day in the Hollywood of the South Pacific, a town that is used to hobbits, elves and wizards roaming its streets." -Wellington's Going Ape Talks about the impact of films--mostly King Kong --on Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand.
Wellington's Going ApeLord of the Rings
Talks about the process of creating Lord of the Rings, and Peter Jackson's choices.
Lord of the Rings-New Zealand
Chronicles of Narnia
back to top
THE SET: LOCATIONS OF THE MOVIES
| movies | locations in nz |
|---|---|
| Lord of the Rings (trilogy) | AUCKLAND: Hamilton, Matamata; CAPE REINGA; Mt. Ngaupuhoe, Mt. Ruapehu, Rangipo Desert, Rauhine Range; WELLINGTON!; Mt.Olympus, Mt. Owen (Tasman Bay area); CHRISTCHURCH; DUNEDIN, Queenstown | King Kong (2005) | AUCKLAND (Auckland Studios, New York Alhambra theatre); WELLINGTON: Miramar (Venture Set, Venture pier scenes), Hutt Valley (New York City Settings), Kapiti Island (Venture Ocean Scenes), Lyall Bay (Skull Island Wall), Wellington Central Business District (theater rehearsals), Seaview (New York set), Shelly Bay (Skull Island); COOK STRAIT (Venture Ocean Scenes) |
A LIST OF VARIOUS NEW ZEALAND FILMS
NZ Film Listings
Bibliography