March 27, 2016

Middle Earth’s Varied Landscapes

Pacific Hiking & Trekking Traveler Stories

My wife and I spent ten amazing days on a trip through New Zealand’s South Island, exploring its huge variety of landscapes: beautiful mountain ranges, lakes, waterfalls, and magnificent coastline. After visiting, I see why the filmmakers chose this location to film the Lord of the Rings movies. Here is a taste of what we experienced:

A landscape reminiscent of Middle Earth features a blue lake surrounded by mountains under a partly cloudy sky, with shrubs and tall grasses in the foreground along a winding coastline. — Lake Wakatipu, one of our first stops after leaving Queenstown, is almost 50 miles long and surrounded by mountains.

A hiker stands on a rocky trail next to a cliff with water cascading down, surrounded by lush greenery, reminiscent of the varied landscapes one might find in Middle Earth. — First day of hiking on the Routeburn Track.

A tumultuous river flows through a forested area with rocky banks, against a backdrop of misty mountains under a cloudy sky, evoking the varied landscapes reminiscent of Middle Earth. — The Routeburn has rushing rivers and lush vegetation.

A lighthouse sits atop a rocky hill, much like those found in Middle Earth, overlooking the ocean with waves crashing against the rocks below and vegetation in the foreground under a clear blue sky. — One of the most stunning coastline scenes in the South Island, Nugget Point.

A cascading waterfall flows over moss-covered rocks into a shallow pool, surrounded by lush green foliage and sunlight filtering through the trees, evoking scenes straight out of Middle Earth. — This is Parakanui Falls. I positioned myself as low as possible on the rocks in front of this waterfall to take this shot. The light that day was perfect to accent the trees and water below the falls.

A coastal landscape with blue ocean waves meeting a sandy beach, lined with green hills under a clear blue sky, reminiscent of the varied landscapes of Middle Earth. — The magnificent coastline of Florence Bay on the Catlins Coast.

A winding river flanked by grassy marshlands under a clear blue sky with a forested hill in the background, reminiscent of Middle Earth's varied landscapes. Photo credit: Norm Vexler. — Tahakopa Lagoon

A flock of sheep meandering down a rural road amidst the varied landscapes of Middle Earth, surrounded by lush greenery and towering trees, heading away from the camera. — There are roughly 25 million sheep in New Zealand. This is probably the only rush hour traffic you will experience on the South Island!

A coastal landscape at sunset features waves crashing against rocky shorelines, a distant hill reminiscent of Middle Earth, and a dramatic sky filled with clouds and sunlight. — We came to Curio Bay in the evening and I was lucky enough to see this spectacular sunset. The surf was rough and I got wet taking this photo standing on the rocks…but it was so beautiful that I really didn’t care!

A person with a walking stick stands on a sandy beach with a shallow stream, reminiscent of the varied landscapes of Middle Earth; rocky shore and lush trees flank the sides under a blue sky. — We took a small plane over to Stewart Island and here we hiked the Rakiura Track.

An iridescent pigeon with green feathers perched on a tree branch, amidst the varied landscapes reminiscent of Middle Earth, with lush green leaves and rugged tree bark in the background. — This New Zealand bird is called the Keruru. He was high up in the trees when I saw him, but I was able to get a good shot with a 200-500mm lens. This is one of many lovely birds we came across in New Zealand.

Aerial view from an airplane window showing a wing, rugged mountains, and a large body of water with coastline under a blue sky with scattered clouds, resembling the varied landscapes of Middle Earth. — Our last view of the South Island as we flew out of Queenstown, on our way back home to the USA.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this photo introduction to New Zealand’s amazing beauty. Many thanks to our guide, Peter Bersani, for a truly wonderful trip!

-Photos and text by 6-time WT adventurer Norm Vexler, New Zealand: Off the Beaten Path