Photo Essay: Tongariro, Middle-earth

Are you as excited about the latest The Hobbit trailer as I am? Five weeks from today I will sit in one of those wide and comfy cinema armchairs, glued to the screen, absorbing Peter Jackson’s latest visual tricks like a sponge, while marvelling at the Trilogy’s sceneries.

Mt. Ngauruhoe aka Mt. Doom, in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Best thing about it: I have been there! Most outdoor scenes have been filmed in New Zealand, just like most scenes for The Lord of the Rings. New Zealand is officially Middle-earth; and Mt. Ngauruhoe in Tongariro National Park is the most popular location among orcs fans, as they can attempt to climb “Mt. Doom” and conquer Mordor.

One does not simply walk into Mordor? Oh well, I must have gotten lucky the last 6 times I visited. Yes — visited. I looked and behaved like a tourist in Mordor, and of course I captured it on film (in the form of a 16 GB memory card).

On a foggy day, the region is indeed all about doom and gloom (like in the movies). But on all other days, Tongariro is one surprisingly colourful place to discover. I have been lucky enough to visit the region during all 4 seasons. Each season is unique and totally worth it. But let’s allow some photos to talk for themselves.

SPRING: Parts of the Tongariro Crossing are still covered in snow

View over the Red Crater

Turn around 180° and you will see the Blue Lake

Turn around another 90° and you will discover the Emerald Lakes

Getting close to the Emerald Lakes

Occasionally, Tongariros volcanos can smoke (a lot)

SUMMER: Not how you imagine summer? Weather forecasts are nearly impossible for Tongariro

But you can always marvel at the Park’s “low altitude beauty”, like the Tawhai Falls

Heaps of flowers

Blossoms

Colourful bushes

On a rainy day you can visit the thermal pools in Tokaanu

Beautiful underwater landscapes at Tokaanu

Or you can stroll around Lake Rotopounamu; a natural shelter from the rain

Rotopounamu is a bird’s paradise; this little fellow is a North Island Robin

AUTUMN: Returning to Tongariro in autumn looked like summery doom and gloom all over again

Though magic was in the air

The next morning looked very different

Perfect day for the Tama Lakes Walk

Or the walk to the Taranaki Falls

Passing the most colourful moss

Moss in all kind of shapes

WINTER: There is rarely snow on the lower altitudes

Only Tongariro’s volcanos are covered in snow

Perfect place for a snowboarding session

Skiing is fine too of course

Whakapapa ski field in Tongariro

What an enchanted place!

Who else is looking forward to rediscover New Zealand in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies?

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