"Sculpted by ice ages, eroded by wind, rain and waves, this country’s landscapes--from a mushroom-shaped rock at Port Waikato to the buttress beech trunks in Fiordland--have always resembled fantasy."

"Tongariro National Park, with three dramatic volcanoes, was an obvious choice for Mordor. Between takes, ski lifts shuttled personnel uphill and down. Cameras rolling, the Fellowship of the Ring (the nine good characters) either hid successfully or fought off menacing Orcs amid steam vents, lava rocks and scoria; they also fought hypothermia. ‘You didn’t have to act,’ said Billy Boyd (Pippin), ‘Because you were actually on this adventure.’

At day’s end, the cast and crew of the film took refuge in the vintage Grand Chateau Hotel, favored by skiers in winter and hikers in summer. Hike Tongariro’s Northern Circuit and you’ll climb rocky saddles between what Tolkien called ‘conical mountains that sleep uneasily.’ Or, pass Mount Ngauruhoe on the Tongariro Crossing, and you’ll recall Frodo and Sam, wearily trudging up Mount Doom."