Comments on: Exclusive: Barrel-Riding Test Photos at Aratiatia Rapids

By: Helen Hope

Helen Hope — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 06:26:00 +0000

Forget pedantic nit picking, I just think the location is awesome, and when Sir Peter Jackson works his magic on the raw material it is going to really confirm New Zealand as majestic and magical Middle Earth. Well done crew!

Helen Hope

By: Swordwhale

Swordwhale — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:59:00 +0000

Gorgeous “swift forest river”…so that’s how Legolas got to be such a good paddler (quote from LOTR mentions he knows boats and has paddled the “swoft forest river”). I’m packing my kayak….

By: Rosie

Rosie — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:16:00 +0000

To get away from the ELVES!

By: Siobhán

Siobhán — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 09:41:00 +0000

Yeah, gotta argee with the comments below… Call yourself a Hobbit fan, and yet you get the story wrong! They were escaping from the dungeons of the Wood Elves not Orcs! ….may I suggest keeping the book with you, so can refer back to get and get it right!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 02:43:00 +0000

Looks like things are moving along nicely with the film, I wonder when they launch the theme park ride! Seriously they have chosen another lovely NZ location.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:21:00 +0000

First off, they were not escaping from any orcs when they rode the barrels down the rapids, they were escaping from Thranduil’s castle/prison, in the dungeon area by the cellar.

Second, Bilbo never rode inside any Barrel, only on top, so the smaller barrel is not a “Hobbit” size barrel for him to fit inside. Instead, it’s being used for force perspective…..aka, and this is just my guess, to make the rapids look bigger than than actually are. If you send one of the big barrels down stream those rapids are going to look pretty puny……but if you send a small one down the very same rapids, the rapids will look huge!

By: Autumn Loamsdown

Autumn Loamsdown — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 21:05:00 +0000

Bilbo rode ON the barrel not IN for a while, then he put on the ring and rode on the raft with the elves, great to see things moving along on the movie. Thoughts and best wishes to our Kiwi friends.

By: Lmcpferreira

Lmcpferreira — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:59:00 +0000

Weren’t they rolling on top of trolls to escape from the wolves?

By: Brendan

Brendan — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Bilbo never went into any barrel. He rode on top of the barrels

By: Mattforce7

Mattforce7 — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:17:00 +0000

ya, i felt the same way about the scaling size in these photos, but i have a feeling he wants the river to feel even bigger than it actually is. There’s my justification

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Be glad your getting to see anything at all.

By: Garrett

Garrett — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:08:00 +0000

“…rode the rapids in barrels to get away from orcs, I think….” What?? You call yourself a Tolkien fan? They ride in barrels because it’s the only way to escape from Thranduil’s dungeon in Mirkwood. Come on.