Another Hobbit’s Adventures Through Middle Earth (post and photos by mary)

White clay cliffs towering over the River Mangaweka.

The Milky Way looming over the River Mangaweka.

Is it possible that JRR Tolkien had visited New Zealand and became inspired to write the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings?  You saw it with your own eyes how the landscape fit perfectly in the LOTR (that is how it is affectionately called in these parts).  The NZ government’s Department of Tourism has dubbed the country “Middle Earth”.  You can find maps, guide books and tour operators all using some aspect of the filming of these movies.  Apparently many of the more fanatical show up dressed in their favourite LOTR idol; elven cloaks, dwarf tunics, great swords and bows!  I must confess that I am having great regret in putting this awesome long, green hooded cloak back on the rack at a second hand shop I visited on my arrival to South Island.  It was the prefect prop for me to use in my Middle Earth journey.  Dang why didn’t i buy that, only $16.99!

Mere specks in the river were a group of boys on an adrenaline adventure trying to keep up with the ripping current.

I am writing this on Day 13 of my road trip.  I spent a week in Auckland with my darling Niece Sonya and sweet Nephew Shawn and found myself a nice Subaru station wagon.  Four wheel drive with back seats that will fold down for a bed should the weather get wet.  I have named her “Tripper”, which seems a suiting handle for us tripping about the country.  She rides well, power everything and plenty of space for all my stuff.  Unfortunately, it is in 4WD all the time so it tends to guzzle gas (at $2.20/litre!).

Ah, the adventures these signs have led the occasional Hobbit to!

Bilbo Baggins’ Hobbit Hole – unfortunately, not home for tea.

This Hobbit was home for tea!  Was she barring the doors from outsiders tho?

Bag’s End, couldn’t find Frodo nor Sam about. 

My first stop two hours out of Auckland was Matamata; home of the Shire, Hobbiton, Bags End.  What better place to begin my journey but to step out of Bilbo and Frodo Baggin’s front door and set off on my own adventure.  The Shire was fabulous and the level of detail in the village was incredible.  The farm family legally obtained permission to retain the site and is making a mint at $66 per person (by the bus loads) to keep it open.  The location was really the perfect place for creating the Shire.

Wharewerewere Maoiri Village – Haka Greetings

Warrior Pose – the look, the stance, the brandishing his stick and the fiercely strong voice was truly intimidating!


Who is more frightening?

The tour of the thermal village where this community lives.

Geothermal mud – I used some for a face mask and could not believe how good my skin felt!

A short hop down the road lead me to Rotoura, a geothermal hotspot.  I visited a living Maori village, Whakarewarewa (and that is the short name!) where the ground was like a boiling teapot.  Cracks and fissures through out the village, some literally spouting rapidly boiling water.  The Maori people have lived there for centuries and tap into the heat for cooking, running their daily baths, heating their homes, doing laundry and making mud spa lotions and soaps.  It was amazing to walk about and see Mother Earth’s heat source on the surface.

Wellington’s city lighting up in the sunrise.

Leaving the inner harbour to cross the Cook Strait.

Always good to know where the life boats are – just in case!

My aim was to head straight to South Island and spend most of my time exploring south, and hopefully avoid the mountain’s cold autumn weather.  I think South Island is about the same distance from the equator as Canada is (i crossed the 45th parallel).  Fall is full on here so the days have a chill in the wind and a frost in the night.  My tent had frost on it last night!  Sunny days though so far and leaves turning gold and orange.  It is my favourite time of the year.  I am having to reacclimatize to the cold though.  Where is that Australian searing heat!?

Beaches like this at Kaikoura all down the east coast of South Island.

I climbed up that mountain before breakfast on this lovely day!

Met this big boy who gave himself a full scratch massage in the sun! Just Lovin It!

Another wild beach creature – just lovin it!

Christchurch in damage control.  The containers are to protect the road from falling rocks and houses.

You can see how much of this cliff fell taking portions of some houses with it.

This landslide hit a school, shook the tiles off the roof of the house and the street in front is so fragile, cars have to go 30km to prevent the houses from shaking.

I have plotted out a basic route that will bring me to various scenes from “the movie”.   This will give me a perfect perspective of this country.  En route to the mountains, I stopped into Christ Church on the invitation of a woman I met in the Melbourne airport, who kindly said I should stay with her when I come south.  A kindred spirit with gifts of kindness, healing and wisdom; how could I refuse?  I spent two days with Annis Parker, who showed me around the devastation of her crumbled town.  The destruction was beyond my appreciation.  So much of the city’s core infrastructure has been lost and if it didn’t crack or fall during the two quakes, enough damage was done to require the buildings to be taken down.  Streets are closed off, building lots are bull dozed in, cranes stand every where to bring buildings down and homes teter on cliffs ripped open in the numerous land slides.  The people are nervous.  Walking the beach makes them edgy wondering if a tsunami will roll in, cars must go slowly as the roads are still fragile and the ground shakes as cars roll by.  Shakes happen regularly, one rocked the city the day after I left.  The future is very uncertain for these good folks trying to move forward.

South Island, where the sheep roam and farmers and their dogs follow.

  My first glimpse of the Misty Mountains!  Approaching the Raikaia Gorge.

The Raikaia Gorge rounding the river bend.  Pure Glacial water!

My first mountain adventure was to find the castle of Edoras, King Theodin’s realm in Helm’s Deep in Rohan.  The village has been dismantled but the location stands majestically in the great valley.  Stunningly beautiful and o so peaceful.  I enjoyed my stay there immensely.  I was able to pitch my tent at the Mt. Pott’s Lodge, which the treck to Edoras (or Mount Sunday as the locals call it), is part of their farming station.  They have opened a restaurant and have cabins but were most welcoming to let me pitch my tent on their sloping front lawn.  The food in the restaurant is excellent with very reasonable prices. http://mtpotts.co.nz/home/

Sunrise on Edoras, King Theodan’s Realm with the Misty Mountains in the background.

There it is!  No sign of Theodan or the people and horses of Rohan!

My camp at Mt. Pott’s Lodge.  A really sweet spot with really sweet staff.

I was out at 0530 for first light.  Trouble was that the clocks turned back the weekend before and I frankly had no idea what time first light was at.  I stood out in the cold in the valley waiting a good while for the sun to shine on the Misty Mountains.  But it was all worth the cold and the wait.  So lovely to be alone in the most beautiful valley for hours.  By mid day a few travellers showed up and shared the space, otherwise I had it to myself for most of the day.  I adjusted my alarm and set out at 0630 the next morning.

Grand Mother Moon rising over the Harper Mountain Range.

Alas, I had to leave, but not before swinging around to the other side of the Harper mountain range.  Spent the afternoon roaming through Rohans great plains, imagining a large herd of horses and warriors racing across the grassy hills.  Camped at Lake Huron (a much smaller version of the Canadian one).  Lovely sunset and sunrise photos on the edge of the lake all alone with the exception of about 500 cattle!  All mooing and braying incessantly!  Eventually it became like a cow mantra, a cow chant coming from different herds in the valley.  Then there was the herd of big red deer barking at me at sunrise!  At the end of the day, I lay my head on in my downy nest and closed my eyes, I heard in stereo the babbling brook just outside of my tent.  Heaven.  Much nicer than the chanting of cows.

Sitting On Top of the World.  Alone in the most stunning mountain valley – not for the last time.

This was the real beginning of my Solo Soul Trip.  Mary the intrepid explorer.  Seeking deep unsealed roads leading far into mountain valleys.  And that is how I travelled through most of South Island.  Trying to find remote locations to photograph and be away from the steady flow of happy tourists from all over the world.  South Island is a magical land of stunning scenery, golden rolling hills, pristine turquoise rivers, endless beaches and centred by mountains from the north to the south falling into the Tasman Sea on its west coast.  What a journey.