Lord of the Rings New Zealand Tour

As we all know, the real star of Peter Jackson's trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien 's Lord of the Rings is the beautiful country of New Zealand (plus of course, a number of "human" actors in "supporting" roles)." Tourism New Zealand even issues postcards saying "Welcome to New Zealand, Home of Middle Earth" that are distributed to cinema goers watching the films around the world. New Zealand, being a relatively young country (from a geological perspective), has a stunning diverse set of landscapes that seem to fit the various locations of Middle Earth as described by Tolkien perfectly, ranging from the idyllic and rustic Hobbiton, the rugged Misty Mountains, the mighty River Anduin to the forbidding Mordor. I first read the book(s) when I was 15, and have always felt that they would someday make a great film. Ralph Bakshi 's animated version, released in 1978, was a disappointment, but my hope was finally realised when New