Reporter Ian Allen on a Hobbit hunt: The Pelorus River, 60 kilometres west of Blenheim, features in a scene from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, showing barrels plunging down the scenic waterway during a perilous journey undertaken by Bilbo Baggins and the dwarfs.
Just like Elmer Fudd on the prowl for pesky wabbits, I headed to Pelorus Bridge on Friday in search of hobbits.
Being armed with Marlborough Express photographer Ben Curran, instead of Elmer’s preferred shotgun, was all that separated me from the hapless hunter.
We had received a tipoff from a source that hobbit activity had escalated in recent days as Peter Jackson’s production company 3 Foot 7 prepared the location for 10 days of filming starting from today. More..
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Not to be overly dramatic but I have given up. I am finished. Throwing in the towel, calling it quits, raising my hands to the sky and surrendering. The elements and complicated plots twists have combined forces to conquer me.
Yes, officially, I have accepted the inevitable and I am now facing the cold hard truth: I am a travel blogger.
I am here in New Zealand, Matamata as matter of fact and the sun is up and birds are singing and the weather is beautiful. I am in a lovely little accommodation called the Broadway Motel in a town that fancies itself as Hobbiton. I have been in New Zealand just shy of a week and I have written a fair bit about Queenstown and some of the amazing places and people there. But since my stay there I have been traveling — a lot. Continue reading “MrCere officially ‘gives up’ in NZ / ME”
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GLENORCHY, NEW ZEALAND — Without question, Queenstown is a wonder. It is so beautiful that it is on the verge of being absurd. It is grand with lakes, mountains and forests and deserves every accolade it receives.
But it isn’t Paradise — or Glenorchy for that matter.
If Lake Wakatipu is shaped like a Harry Potter scar, Queenstown sits at the horizontal point just before the final descending line. If you climb in your car and drive across that horizontal bar and up to the top point of the lighting bolt, you will arrive at Glenorchy. (After a stunning drive on some roads that demand real courage.) Continue reading “A Tolkien reader’s Paradise”
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From Otago Daily Times: Up to 250 members of The Hobbit film crew were
working on Treble Cone, in the Matukituki Valley, yesterday but those in charge were keeping mum about who was in town and what part of J.R.R. Tolkein’s popular story was being filmed.
The second production unit of Peter Jackson’s company, 3Foot7 Ltd, began setting up camp in a Cattle Flat Station paddock at the base of the Treble Cone ski area access road on Monday.
The film crew began arriving on Tuesday for a single day’s filming, but visitors were kept out by security guards.
Unit manager Belinda Lee Hope apologised for having to decline to give any details about the unit’s activities, but said she could understand if locals were excited about the film crew being in the area and that Wanaka locations could appear in the film. more..
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Beware, thar be Spoilers ahead, read at your own Peril!
Welcome back to Middle Earth! One more report from Denize Bluffs (aka Mangaotaki Rocks) before we move on to the next (and pretty awesome, I might add) location.
This day was fairly unique as far as location shooting goes. Typically you go out in the wild to get big establishing shots, which is why a whole lot of the footage I’ve seen so far involves running. With the quickly changing light, fast moving clouds, uncooperative weather getting anything but quick bits is often difficult and will make even the most adventurous director long for the controlled confines of a studio.
More. . . Continue reading “AICN Hobbit set report #5”
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Welcome, welcome to the fourth set report from the set of The Hobbit and the very first from a brand spankin’ new location! We started in Matamata (Hobbiton) and the plan was to work our way down the North Island of New Zealand, zig-zagging south until we hit Wellington again where the 450 strong main unit would board planes and ferries bound for the South Island and the bulk of location photography. Upon departing Hobbiton I made my way to a small town called Te Kuiti. This lovely little farm town is famous for being home to (Colin Meads), one of the most revered All Blacks of all time. The dude is so famous that my place was on Meads St. More..
Continue reading “AICN Set Report 4”
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