If you want to see some fantastic New Zealand scenery, take in a couple of the sights of where Lord of the Rings was filmed, and you’re a bit of an adrenalin junkie, than a jet boat ride up the Matukituki River is the thing for you…
I was supposed to be heading to New Zealand’s west coast for another week of climbing in the Southern Alps, however with weather forecast to be less than favourable we decided to postpone our departure by two days.
Mind you, the weather around Wanaka has been perfect during our stay and we’ve been making the most of it!
After a short drive through grazing lands just outside of Wanaka we arrived at our departure point for the trip up the river.
Janet and TomO
Strewth, what a great ride it was!
Our guide expertly pointed the boat through the various water channels on the braided river, which was still flowing quite fast due to all the recent rain. Yes, the same rain I experienced whilst on the Bonar Glacier trying to climb Mt Aspiring last week.
Beech forest
After about half-an-hour we hopped out of the boat and took a nature walk, marvelling at the giant beech tree forests. These trees are very old and quite spectacular.
And the view of Avalanche Glacier was breathtaking.
Avalanche Glacier
Back on the boat we made our way towards Lake Wanaka, stopping at one of the spots where Lord of the Rings was filmed.
If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you will recall a scene where Frodo Baggins is standing on a hill and is stabbed in the shoulder by one of the Ringwraiths.
This scene was filmed in the Matukituki Valley.
Lord of the Rings
I must confess to being a big fan of the series, and as I walked out of Mt Aspiring a week ago, down the valley and through the forest it truly felt like I was in “middle-earth”.
After bidding our guides farewell, Janet and I relaxed by the shores of Lake Wanaka, while TomO went for a swim…
TomO
Life is too short to eat bad ice-cream
That looks great!! YUM! yeah, yeah, and your trip looks like fun too.
More icecream today
now you’re just rubbing it in, cause you know i’m on a break! meanie!!
Does Mr. Whippy still come around with 99s? If so, have one for me.
what’s a 99?
Vanilla soft ice cream with half a flake bar in it- it was my very favourite in NZ.
I’ll keep an eye out for it!
Life is too short to have bad ice cream!!! What a fun activity to do!!! The scenery is breathtaking
How gorgeous! That Beech forest is beautiful.
I love that car!!
Haha I love that quote on that car!!! If I ever make my way to New Zealand, I’m definitely taking that tour and Jetboat ride!!
I’m very jealous, I really want to visit NZ. Are there lots of Lord of the Rings fans there now? We get a lot of Torchwood fans come to Cardiff, you see them all down the Bay looking for the secret entrance to the underground lair
The tour guide said the Lord of the Rings and Hobbitt movies have brought lots of fans to New Zealand…it is a wonderful place!