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September 23, 2017
If you really want to experience what trudging to Mordor must’ve been like for Sam and Frodo, then a visit to the Tongariro National Park on New Zealand’s north island is essential. There’s a reason Peter Jackson chose this area to represent Sauron’s infernal homeland. Like much of New Zealand, the park is volcanically active with three impressive peaks, Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Ruapehu lined up in a neat row and all visible on a clear day. The chaos bubbling beneath the surface has created a primeval feel above — producing a craggy, semi-barren landscape swept by cold westerly winds and often covered in snow and ice. The weather is as unpredictable as the tectonics, with both rain and snow possible year round. Indeed, the park is simultaneously beautiful and hostile and I guarantee it’ll quicken your pulse and shorten your breath. |
During the production of the first trilogy, the volcanoes were used extensively. The central peak, Mount Ngauruhoe, may be familiar to fans of the movies as its conical outline was the basis for the fictional Mount Doom. The northernmost peak, Mount Ruapehu, was the backdrop for a variety of shots, including the opening battle in Fellowship of the Ring where Isildur cuts the One Ring from the hand of Sauron. This is also the place where the traumatized Fellowship briefly rests after escaping the mines of Moria, having lost Gandalf in the process.
Our Fellowship visited the park in late October, at the tail end of spring in the southern hemisphere and well before the tourist season had begun. Aside from the visitor’s center and a single restaurant, none of the amenities were open and we wandered around in relative, wonderful isolation. The air was extremely dry and a blisteringly cold wind increased in intensity as we headed up the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. Unless your car’s properly equipped, you’ll have to stay below the year-round snow line but you can still travel high enough to give you an amazing view of the other peaks, the little village of Whakapapa and the massive volcanic plain which stretches as far as the eye can see.
We parked on the side of the road and despite our chattering teeth, spent a good deal of time exploring the volcanic hodgepodge of dark reds, browns and black. There were no trees here, only tiny scrub and bunch grasses which pushed their way through the cracks in the terrain. It was among this desolation that all of us symbolically tossed our replicas of the One Ring (which I had gifted to everyone prior to leaving Los Angeles) onto the ground. It was as close as we’d get — or would want to get — to Mordor.
Our Fellowship visited the park in late October, at the tail end of spring in the southern hemisphere and well before the tourist season had begun. Aside from the visitor’s center and a single restaurant, none of the amenities were open and we wandered around in relative, wonderful isolation. The air was extremely dry and a blisteringly cold wind increased in intensity as we headed up the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. Unless your car’s properly equipped, you’ll have to stay below the year-round snow line but you can still travel high enough to give you an amazing view of the other peaks, the little village of Whakapapa and the massive volcanic plain which stretches as far as the eye can see.
We parked on the side of the road and despite our chattering teeth, spent a good deal of time exploring the volcanic hodgepodge of dark reds, browns and black. There were no trees here, only tiny scrub and bunch grasses which pushed their way through the cracks in the terrain. It was among this desolation that all of us symbolically tossed our replicas of the One Ring (which I had gifted to everyone prior to leaving Los Angeles) onto the ground. It was as close as we’d get — or would want to get — to Mordor.
If you visit Tongariro, here’s some advice. If go off-season like we did, your food and drink options are extremely limited and very expensive so take your own. Also, layer your clothing. While we were in T-shirts on the valley floor, the temperature changed rapidly based on our elevation and the vagaries of the local weather. Finally, bring sturdy shoes. If you plan to take even a short nature walk along the slopes of Mount Doom, you won’t find any of it easy. Regardless, it’s well worth the effort.
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