The Lord of the Rings: the Legend Lives on

The Lord of the Rings is possibly one of the greatest stories ever told and this is not simply my personal opinion. Almost everyone seems to be in agreement over this: experts, the public and even… history have adequately proved that the epic story of life and war in the Middle Earth is of unique beauty; its charms and its depth have won over the respect and the admiration of most of us and have proven resistant to the test of time.

Lord of The Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien, the writer of Hobbit and the three books that complete the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, is today considered to be a genius, a writer that managed to speak about the serious matters of his times through the creation of a fantasy world that, in some ways and metaphorically speaking, resemble ours. To put it differently, we might not be living among hobbits and elves, and thankfully there are no orcs or Uruk-hai around neither, however, basic elements of human life just like death, war, greed, ambition and most of all friendship are incorporated in Tolkien’s unique literary universe. We might all hide a little Hobbit (which reflects our kindness) inside us and, unfortunately for all of us, some people do resemble to orcs in terms of their nastiness and potentially destructive behavior.  

Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Book Covers

Our generation came in contact with the legendary tales of the Hobbits and men through the movies of Peter Jackson that managed to transfer the magic to the big screen for the first time with the success that the books always deserved. That said, even after you watch the movies, reading the books is still highly recommended. Only by reading Tolkien’s books one can get fully acquainted with his mysterious world; only in there you will be able to grasp his visionary imaginary world at its full glory.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to underestimate the power of the moving image, not at all! I myself have watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy multiple times and of course I didn’t feel like waiting not even for a day when the fourth installment of this epic story came to our screens last Christmas. At this point, I do want to state that the last movie, Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (which actually narrates the story before the time the fellowship of the ring joined forces in order to save Middle Earth from the almighty evil of Sauron), even if  exciting, it did feel that it was slightly less impressive than the first three movies. This is what I felt when I saw the film a few months ago, but something tells me that this could potentially change in the near future and after I will have the chance to watch the movie again… and again… and again!

Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

What is more, with the second movie of the new Hobbit trilogy coming next Christmas, one must admittedly be patient a little bit. Nevertheless, there is a way out of the stress of waiting till this moment comes: one can head to New Zealand where all of Jackson’s films were shot! By booking early your GoSeeDo Attraction tickets you will have the chance to take the Middle Earth Filming Locations Tour and live the legend! As a big fan of Tolkien’s stories as you probably are, a guided tour will help you bring in mind all of the glorious battles you watched on the big screen as you will explore the beautiful Wellington region.
 

The Hobbit Holes. Photograph: Pr

The Hobbit Holes. Photograph: Ian Brodie/PR

A 13m-long sculpture of Gollum diving to catch a fish awaits passengers at Wellington airport. Photograph: Marty Melville/AFP

A sheep farm near Matamata, doubles as the Shire in both The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogy. Photograph: PR

There might be numerous regions in this world that get to be perceived and described as paradises. For Americans, for example, Hawaii is the paradise, while for some North Europeans the Greek Islands of Cyclades are those lands that resemble the most to an earthy Garden of Eden. What is for sure, though, is that in the case of New Zealand most of us would agree that we’re dealing with a geographical region that is unique and renowned for its wild natural beauty. Its attributes and characteristics can only bring in mind a place that doesn’t belong to this earth, but to a rather imaginary paradise, where souls meet in the afterlife for a bit of relaxation.

What is more is that there is also a second choice for the Lord of the Rings fans and New Zealand aficionados. If you choose the Palliser Bay Seals and Lord of the Rings Sites Day, you will once again visit places like the Great River Anduin, Riverndell and Helms Deep. However, this time you will also enjoy a visit to a huge fur seal colony located at the Cape Palliser Bay. Let me put it this way: fur seals are much better than orcs, don’t you think!?

 Rangitikei River Bend in New Zealand, used as River Anduin in LOTR

Kaitoke Regional Park in New Zealand, used as Riverndell in LOTR,

Angitata River valley used for Helms Deep in LOTR