Hobbit's Hideaway — Attraction in North Island

This is a great Lord of the Rings spot with two filming locations.

Both frames appear in the Fellowship of the Rings, about a third of the way through. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin are walking to Bree and, having just fled through Farmer Maggot’s field, have fallen down a bank into a heap. Frodo rises and hears ominous screeches and we are shown an eerie shot of the road.

The first frame then appears, in which Frodo shouts ‘Get off the road!’ (see ‘Photo 1’). This location is on the path looking Northward, directly above the hollow described below. Spot the distinctive branches overhanging the road, which I’ve marked in red, to match your perspective with the movie!

The second frame then appears, in which the hobbits scramble into a dell (see ‘Photo 2’) as a Nazgûl approaches. The dell remains and is easily recognisable, sitting just below the path to its West. Please note that no tree sits within the dell - that which we see onscreen is merely a prop made by Wētā Workshop. Spot the tree trunks in the middle background, which I’ve marked in red, to align your frame with the movie!

Please note - above the dell, as the hill slopes Eastward, there is another dell which does have a tree within it. Many use this dell to recreate the movie scene, despite that it wasn’t the location used. Have fun there too, if you like!

Overall, a super fun Lord of the Rings location with two memorable frames to...

beautiful walking track and of course makes me happy as a big Lord of the Rings and the Hobbits fan!

Well, you will see landscape and trees only here, but you can imagine when it's used as one of the sets for LOTR movies.

The track is friendly for beginner and I love the fact that I can enjoy fresh air, beautiful landscapes and hear the happy chirping of the birds.

The track is not too far from the parking spot. It's not suitable for those with wheelchairs.

There are benches with some quotes from the movies and some benches also overlook beautiful Wellington skyline.

Stop by if you happen to be in the...

Get off the road!

Had fun finding this spot with the kids. They had no idea what was going on but the enjoyed playing about in the forest.

Obviously there was a fair bit if set dressing on the day but with a pinch of imagination you can hear hoof beats as you huddle under the roots of the tree.

Green spaces in cities are really important. They can really connect us back to the great outdoors and soak away the stress of day to day life. And this one is so accessible that I don't have to worry about taking the toddlers too far off the...