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New ZealandManawatū-WhanganuiNorth IslandMangawhero Falls - Gollum's Pool & Ithilien

Mangawhero Falls - Gollum's Pool & Ithilien

Ohakune Mountain Road, Tongariro National Park 4691, New Zealand
4.6(239)
Open 24 hours
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Pet friendly
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Posts

Jordan BriggsJordan Briggs
Here is a filming location for the Lord of the Rings. The scene filmed here appears in The Two Towers film, about 2/3 through. While Frodo, Sam and Gollum are in Ithilien, Gollum chases a flying fish downstream and Frodo and Sam discuss what the ring did to Gollum, and whether he will ever recover. (No other Ithilien scenes were filmed here - head to Lake Wakatipu for the Ithilien camp filming location.) On the day of filming, Mangawhero Falls were unseasonably snowy. The crew spent ages thawing away the snow and ice. Then, Andy Serkis leapt into the river! The water was freezing - Andy’s limbs quickly turned numb from the cold! - See ‘Photo 1’ for the exact location, at the edge of the waterfall, where Gollum looks back to Frodo and Sam. I’ve marked the angles of the rocks in red to show it’s the same location. (Gollum’s face hidden to avoid copyright issues!) - See ‘Photo 2’ for exactly where Gollum chases the fish downstream, about ten feet upstream from the top of the waterfall. See the circled, distinctive boulder to match the location with the movie! - See ‘Photo 3’ for a bonus chunk of trivia. If you look down from the viewing platform (I have flipped my image, to match the movie), you are now looking into the ‘Forbidden Pool’ from later in the movie, when Faramir considers shooting Gollum with arrows for entering that secret place. While this angle begins that scene, all floor-level filming was done at Tawhai Falls, also in Tongariro National Park. So, this is a great place! It’s easy to imagine Gollum thrashing down the river. Yet, even those unfamiliar with Lord of the Rings will love the beauty of the falls. Do visit!
Patrick HaeslerPatrick Haesler
A great location with a short walk to reach some amazing views. Even the drive up Ohakune Mountain Road is gorgeous. I suspect Mangawhero Falls was not used for "Gollum's Pool" when filming the Lord of the Rings, but the stream just before the falls was definitely used to film the iconic scene in which Gollum chases a fish down running waters. This is a must-see for Lord of the Rings location-seekers on the North Island. Be very careful when exploring this area. Stick to the paths and stay behind the fences. The drops are quite sudden, and a fall could easily be deadly. But if you're safe - it's a beautiful view and iconic location.
Frank WinklerFrank Winkler
A stunning view! Mangawhero Falls is simply amazing. The site is quite small, but the beauty it contains is amazing. I personally visited the place to see a filming location for Lord of the Rings, and I was not let down! The place looks exactly like in the movies! You can easily match shots and recognize the place where they filmed gollum back in 1999/2000. Parking is done right by the falls, and there is a small 300m path you can follow that let's you get a view from the other side of the waterfall.
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Reviews of Mangawhero Falls - Gollum's Pool & Ithilien

4.6(239)
avatar
5.0
1y

Here is a filming location for the Lord of the Rings.

The scene filmed here appears in The Two Towers film, about 2/3 through. While Frodo, Sam and Gollum are in Ithilien, Gollum chases a flying fish downstream and Frodo and Sam discuss what the ring did to Gollum, and whether he will ever recover.

(No other Ithilien scenes were filmed here - head to Lake Wakatipu for the Ithilien camp filming location.)

On the day of filming, Mangawhero Falls were unseasonably snowy. The crew spent...

   Read more
review photoreview photoreview photo
avatar
5.0
2y

A great location with a short walk to reach some amazing views. Even the drive up Ohakune Mountain Road is gorgeous.

I suspect Mangawhero Falls was not used for "Gollum's Pool" when filming the Lord of the Rings, but the stream just before the falls was definitely used to film the iconic scene in which Gollum chases a fish down running waters. This is a must-see for Lord of the Rings location-seekers on the North Island.

Be very careful when exploring this area. Stick to the paths and...

   Read more
review photoreview photoreview photo
avatar
5.0
6y

A stunning view! Mangawhero Falls is simply amazing. The site is quite small, but the beauty it contains is amazing. I personally visited the place to see a filming location for Lord of the Rings, and I was not let down! The place looks exactly like in the movies! You can easily match shots and recognize the place where they filmed gollum back in 1999/2000.

Parking is done right by the falls, and there is a small 300m path you can follow that let's you get a view from the other side of...

   Read more
review photoreview photo
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