The view from our hotel room in Queenstown.

No oliphaunts here today.

You may need to enlarge this one - the mountain in the middle is where they filmed the Caradhras scenes.

This is a location from The Hobbit - there was a house built here. Our best guesses were Radagast's house or Beorn's. Guess we'll have to wait and see the movie!

Apparently it's not allowed to leave New Zealand without playing dress-up. Here we are in Lothlorien with Sting and a wool cloak - which we needed because it was COLD.

On the way to Mt. Sunday, AKA Edoras.

Also on the way. These mountains are the New Zealand Alps, on the South Island.

Our first view of Edoras - it's that little hill in the middle there.

And a close-up view. It's a lot taller in person. No, I did not make it all the way to the top.

The plains of Edoras from the slopes of Mt. Sunday,

A view from about half-way up. This is as far as I got.

Another view, from the other side of the mountain to the previous one. Mt. Sunday is out in the middle of nowhere, almost literally (the area is know as Erewhon). We left at 9 am and got back to Christchurch about 5:30 pm, with stops for morning tea and for lunch.

Our tour guide was Hammond Pete, a double Oscar winner for sound on Return of the King and King Kong. Yes, he does tours to supplement his income. Sound production is not the key to riches, even after winning two Oscars.