tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190384462024-03-07T00:54:24.638-08:00A Long Expected JourneyFrodo returns to Middle Earth!Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-70415280277758956292017-11-30T09:01:00.003-08:002017-11-30T09:01:38.597-08:00So, PhotoBucket wants 400 bucks/year or else it holds your photos hostage.Boo! Photobucket, thou foul of Sauron.Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-78323064910145335812012-12-04T11:50:00.000-08:002012-12-04T11:50:46.467-08:00
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 Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-46451034282193556612012-12-01T21:44:00.000-08:002012-12-01T21:44:33.702-08:00
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 Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-27306955604226443812012-11-30T09:18:00.000-08:002012-11-30T09:18:50.211-08:00
Get off the Road!
A shortcut to Mushrooms? Wait, those aren't Hobbits - those are three Germans and a Frenchman. The Frenchman is on the bottom - that is so typical!
Frodo meets an old friend at the Weta Cave.
This concludes our broadcast day - please enjoy this lovely lily while I share the super-tip-top-secret portion of this post.
For $20, you could actually take aKate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-66483776433893102152012-11-29T21:29:00.001-08:002012-11-29T21:29:46.651-08:00
The Embassy Theatre, where the premiere was. Sigh.
The quarry where the Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith sets were built. Surprisingly, it's right on the highway where anyone driving by could see what was happening.
Imagine Gandalf riding up to Isengard.
And then conferring with Saruman in the garden. That's our tour guide, Tid. I think it's really Ted, but he said it was Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-70414528041012741192012-11-27T21:07:00.000-08:002012-11-27T21:07:55.777-08:00Sorry for the long lag between posts - I was hit with a double whammy of a bad fall which injured my back and a bad case of food poisoning. I ended up at Urgent Care Sunday night, and spent the next three days throwing up and taking pain killers. I ventured out today to the last day of the Hobbit Artisan Market, but I didn't take my camera along. I missed my premiere party and I'm currently Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-69755790197519978362012-11-24T09:45:00.000-08:002012-11-24T09:45:01.524-08:00
One last look at Mt. Doom!
Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-8179366612624648872012-11-23T10:44:00.000-08:002012-11-23T10:44:52.235-08:00
Yesterday was the day we visited Mt. Doooooom!
This was one of our tour guides. Frodo was very happy to find out that his name was Sam!
Our first stop was a view of the recent eruption on Mt. Tongariro - it's still steaming. Sam was within 200m of it when it blew. He says lots of people ran up to him asking, 'What do we do? What do we do?" He told them, "Run away!" Perhaps he Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-6370820178440594962012-11-21T17:31:00.000-08:002012-11-23T10:45:38.495-08:00
Oh, noes! Mt. Doom!
And the other Mt. Doom!
Actually, both Mt. Ngauruhoe (first picture) and Mt. Ruapehu (second picture) 'played' Mt. Doom in the LOTR movies. Most of the action was filmed on or around Mt. Ruapehu, but Mt. Ngauruhoe looks more like a perfect volcano (although both are active) so it got most of the good shots.
Ruapehu is supposed to erupt sometime in the Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-50763733385016779112012-11-20T20:34:00.000-08:002012-11-20T20:34:29.180-08:00Random observations:
Matamata is probably the most un-touristy tourist attraction on Earth. Aside from the film set itself and the 'Welcome to Hobbiton' sign, there's not much here that caters to tourists. Which made it a wonderful place to spend the 'decompressing' portion of my vacation. Everyone I told was surprised I was spending four days here - 'are you getting a job?' Steve, the tour bus Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-57593291223263892322012-11-17T17:11:00.000-08:002012-11-23T10:46:54.736-08:00
The friendly folks at Air New Zealand - the best airline in the world!
Yes, I'm really here.
Apparently, Hobbits are a bit more cosmopolitan than they were in my time.
We're still not speaking to each other until he gives me my finger back.
My first view of Hobbiton in a long, long, long time.
If only someone were at home.
Bag End! I'm almost home!
Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19038446.post-89160034209778739212012-11-09T07:13:00.000-08:002012-11-09T07:13:53.505-08:00
Greetings! My name is Frodo Baggins, and next week I will be travelling back to Middle Earth (known nowadays as New Zealand).I will be visiting my old hometown of Hobbiton, as well as the premiere of a new movie about my Uncle Bilbo called 'The Hobbit' (Nice name).Join me as I chronicle my adventures travelling from one end of that beautiful country to the other. Who knows who we shall meet Kate Halleronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08097028157969058637noreply@blogger.com1