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As with the Lord of the Rings, all of the filming for The Hobbit was done in New Zealand. There is probably no other country on earth that offers such a variety of stunning scenery to allow a fantasy-type movie to be shot entirely within its borders. It is in fact this unique quality of New Zealand that has attracted productions of many other films as well.
Locations in both the North and the South Islands were used. Here is a list of the major locations and the scenes in which they were used.
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1. Matamata (Waikato, North Island)
As in the Lord of the Rings, farmland near the Waikato town of Matamata is again the scene for the Shire of Middle Earth's Hobbiton.
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2. Piopio (Waitomo, North Island)
Piopio is a small town in the Waitomo district in the central west of the North Island. Although better known for the Waitomo gloworm caves, the area is also home to the Mangaotaki Rocks. The ancient forests and unusual rock formations were used in several Hobbit scenes and settings, including Straddles Farm and Trollshaw Forest.
3. Pelorus River (Marlborough, South Island)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug features a scene of the dwarves floating down a river in giant barrels. It was shot here, halfway between Blenheim and Nelson.
4. Twizel (Canterbury, South Island)
Twizel is a small alpine village in the Mackenzie district of central Otago. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields was filmed here, as was part of the Wargs chase.
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5. Aoraki/Mt Cook (Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, South Island)
Aoraki/Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain and is situated within some of the highest peaks in the Southern Alps of the South Island. The mountains and glaciers will be instantly recognizable in several scenes of The Hobbit.
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6. Lake Pukaki (Mackenzie Basin, South Island)
Lake Pukaki is one of the largest lakes in the South Island and is situated at the southern end of Aoraki/Mount Cook. It is fed by the Tasman Glacier and is close to the well-known Lake Tekapo.
Scenes filmed near here include the Warg Chase, the Shores of Laketown and the approach to Rivendell.
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7. Wanaka (Otago, South Island)
The Treble Cone skifield near Wanaka was used in several scenes in The Hobbit movies.
Treble Cone is one of three ski fields in the area which offer unsurpassed skiing and snow sports.
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8. Queenstown (Otago, South Island)
No fantasy movie filmed in New Zealand could leave out Queenstown. The lakes, mountains, glaciers, rivers and other terrain are magical and offer the perfect setting for many parts of the movies.
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9. Fiordland National Park (Fiordland, South Island)
Fiordland, in the south-western corner of the South Island is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most pristine wilderness areas in New Zealand. Some of the grandest scenes in the movies were shot here, including that where the company escapes the mountains riding on the backs of eagles.
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Experience The Hobbit Movie Scenes Yourself
Many of the movie locations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are available for visiting, either on a guided tour or on your own. Some of the locations are more accessible than others, however. See below for more information on tours.
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