After departing the beautiful town of Dunedin and leisurely enjoying the scenic train ride to Pukerangi-Middlemarch, we were eager to visit more Lord of the Rings film locations. However, 25 years had passed since the first movie was released, but we joined this cruise to Australia & New Zealand with my two older sisters, who are more rabid fans of JRR Tolkien's story, The Lord of the Rings. At the same time, we went to relax, spend more time with family, enjoy Nature's beauty, exercise, try regional cuisine, and make new friends and meet old ones in New Zealand. Before signing up for this 8-hour "Journey to Middle Earth" excursion with my sisters, we refreshed our memories by streaming The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Our excursion first took us through Christchurch, then we were off onto the expressway, heading to the Hakatere Conservation Park, for nearly two hours. Along the way, we passed by many peaceful-looking farmlands and small towns sprinkled in between. Then, we noticed how remote, scenic, and nature-preserved the uninhabited lands became as we caught glimpses of New Zealand's Southern Alps. We did pass by a few designated camping areas, such as Lake Camp or Ōtautari, where true off-the-grid (no WiFi, no electricity, or no running water) stays can be enjoyed. When we finally arrived at Mount Sunday, also known as "Edoras," our guide showed us several photos of the mountain as it appeared in the movie, with the set built on it. Looking at the pictures and seeing the site in person was quite exciting for us, and we took advantage of our stop to quickly hike up and back Mount Sunday. The hike was probably less than 3 miles, mostly flat, but there was an elevation change of about 330 feet to the summit. It was an exhilarating hike where we noticed the other "star" feature in this conservation park, which was the Chinook or King Salmon in the river flowing nearby. Our guide mentioned that many New Zealanders come out to walk, hike, or bike the trails at Mount Sunday (on weekends, of course), Lake Emma to Lake Camp, and the Manuka Hut Track, or to hike and climb the more challenging Mount Somers and Mount Barrosa Tracks. There are more hikes, walks, or climbs, but these are only what I remember. If you're not a LOTR fan but are a Nature Lover, I'd highly recommend spending time at the Hakatere Conservation Park. read more

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