Over five years ago, we took a trip through New Zealand. Along the way, we visited locations from The Lord of Rings and The Hobbit that I have blogged about several times. This last blog post on these trilogies is about Kaitoke Regional Park, seen in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING as Rivendell, home of the elves in Middle-earth.
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| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 1:27:04 |
After being stabbed, an unconscious Frodo (Elijah Wood) is taken to Rivendell by Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) to recover. When he wakes up and walks outside he sees mountains and waterfalls. The rocks and waterfalls are actually in Fiordland on the South Island while the buildings have been digitally added. Only the balcony where Frodo stands was actually filmed in Kaitoke.
It was removed after filming completed, as were the other sets built for the movie.
Kaitoke Regional Park is located on the North Island, about 45 minutes of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. Unlike other locations we have visited, very little in this nature preserve reminds of the movie that was filmed here. To accommodate movie tourists, posts and signs with photos and information have been placed in the park.
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
One of the information boards has detailed descriptions about the scenes that were shot here, including the moment when the fellowship from the movie title leaves. The tree on the far right fell down two years after filming. According to the sign, “truckloads” of autumn leaves, both real and plastic, were brought to Kaitoke.
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| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 1:48:59 |
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
The information board also includes a map showing where the sets were built, including Frodo's bedroom and the home of Elrond (Hugo Weaving), the elf who founded Rivendell.
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
The tree to the left of the information board can be seen in the middle of the screen, as the hobbits prepare to leave. Over the years, trees and bushes have taken over the open spot.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 1:45:51
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
Especially for fans of The Lord of the Rings, at the initiative of Ted Guise of Wellington Movie Tours, the archway that all characters pass when they leave Rivendell was rebuilt in 2015. This archway has different patterns and is smaller than the original but large enough to walk under yourself.
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| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 1:49:09 |
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
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| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 1:49:12 |
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
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| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 1:49:39 |
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
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| Kaitoke Regional Park, 5 January 2020 |
The extended edition on dvd was used for the screenshots.
Screenshots © New Line Cinema/Wingnut Films
