A Guide to The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand

A  proud Kiwi with a special fondness for The Lord of the Rings and a passion for old planes, shared with  TLOTR director Peter Jackson, author Ian Brodie has produced a guide to the Rings filming locations in New Zealand.    

Every day, Ian Brodie gets a buzz from his job looking after a collection of World War II fighter planes. This year, he's spent his spare time buzzing around in more modern flying machines - up in helicopters exploring all the stunning New Zealand locations used in the filming of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. While he's visited most of the South Island locations before, he wanted to be sure he got everything absolutely right for his book, The Lord of the Rings Location Guide Book.

If you're looking to meet the quintessential Kiwi, you can't go past Brodie. The man dubbed New Zealand's greatest Rings fan, admits he has an enviable life. The 45-year-old father of two took a chance when he threw in a good city job with Air New Zealand in pursuit of a simpler lifestyle and a passion. Brodie headed for the southern lakes region of Wanaka, internationally renowned for its glaciers and magnificent hiking and climbing locations. But it wasn't just the beauty of the Lake Wanaka region that appealed to Brodie it was the chance to carve a career out of a hobby.

Brodie became curator of the New Zealand Fighter Pilots' Museum, set up by pre-eminent New Zealand warbird enthusiast Sir Tim Wallis, who owns the World War II planes on display. The museum opened in 1993 at Wanaka Airport. It became a charitable foundation in 1995, essentially gifted to the New Zealand public by Sir Tim to honour the history of New Zealand Fighter Pilots.

'I've always had an interest in aeroplanes,' says Brodie. 'And now I get paid for my hobby! There is not a day when I wake up that I don't want to go to work.'

About 25,000 people visit the New Zealand Fighter Pilots' Museum annually, as well as the thousands who flock to Wanaka for the biennial Warbirds over Wanaka air show. The original museum has now outgrown its site and is set to move to larger premises in late 2003/2004. The new museum will incorporate hi-tech gadgetry with interactive displays to showcase the story of the fighter pilots in a modern way that appeals to all age groups.

'We're looking to double the numbers going through,' says Brodie. 'We're not changing the subject matter at all, just broadening it so it appeals to everyone.'

One person to whom it already appeals is Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings. A fellow Kiwi, Jackson has an interest in aeroplanes himself and has visited the Wanaka museum several times. The two had a lot to talk about - planes for a start, but then there's Brodie's other magnificent obsession. 

'I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time when I was 13 and was totally captured by the whole story,' he says. 'It really fired my imagination and even at that time I imagined Middle Earth was in the South Island of New Zealand - I really did. I had been down to visit and just got this feeling.'

When Jackson chose New Zealand as his location, all Brodie's boyhood dreams came true. And, in a stroke typical of Kiwi ingenuity, he had an idea.

'I have written a few aviation books and last year after the filming had finished for The Lord of the Rings I thought 'wouldn't it be good to have a guide book for the people who watch the film to actually visit those places around New Zealand? I imagined a blend of Middle Earth, a bit of Maori mythology and all the other things that are part of New Zealand.'

Brodie contacted the film's producers New Line Cinema with his idea. Soon he found himself in Wellington at New Line and Three Foot Six reading the movie scripts and then in Hollywood choosing pictures for the book.

'It was quite bizarre really,' laughs Brodie. 'There I was in Hollywood on the fourth floor of this building looking out across the smog, but looking down on gorgeous pictures of Glenorchy and Erewhon.'

Brodie spent two weeks travelling the North Island with his family and exploring all the film locations as part of the research for his The Lord of the Rings Location Guide Book. The book is a full-colour glossy paperback and its detail even extends to the inclusion of precise location information for scenes. This was achieved through the use of a GPS (global positioning satellite) device to pinpoint the exact location of each scene.

'My 14-year-old son Travis helped with that, and took a lot of digital camera shots from the air,' says Brodie, who is a photographer of some repute himself.

He spent a week doing the South Island, but with most of those locations on his doorstep, the research was easy. He was flown by helicopter to more remote spots. In exchange for the flights, he helped write specialist commentaries for helicopter tour operators who are taking Rings fans on special sightseeing trips. He has also used his specialist knowledge to good effect for other tour operators, by penning scripts for their TLOTR packages. International visitors who have seen the movie and wondered about the spectacular scenery, are booking trips to visit "Middle Earth" opening new opportunities to tour operators.

'I have a strong feeling people will want to come here purely and simply because of The Lord of the Rings,' says Brodie. 'We have had people come to the museum already, for example, who have come out specifically because of that film. That's only the tip of the iceberg - it's early days.'

Brodie began writing The Lord of the Rings Location Guide Book in February 2002 and completed it in July. It is released by HarperCollins and covers the destinations from the Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.

'It is not a travel guide to New Zealand - it is specifically a handbook for The Lord of the Rings tourist,' he explains.

Brodie says the guide has a conversational tone and includes quotes from some of the film's leading actors, on their impressions of New Zealand. Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), who is a talented photographer, poet and painter as well as actor, has also supplied a selection of photos for the book.

"He is a very clever person - his photographs are fantastic. I'm planning a beer with him when he comes over again and of course my wife is insisting on coming along too," laughs Brodie.

Brodie says the book will also serve as a useful guide to those who may have seen the film but not read the book. It includes explanatory sidebars and a guide to Middle Earth-speak.

'It's a bit of reference guide too,' explains Brodie. 'I have some friends who went along to the film without having read the book and they were a bit lost in parts so it will be useful for people like that.'

Not that Brodie counts himself amongst those. He has read the book more than 30 times.

'About once a year I think it's about time to start the journey again and I'll pick up the book and start reading,' he laughs.

This year he'll be helping others make the physical journey too - and nothing could make him happier. Except, of course, his day job.

Further information:

Ian Brodie
New Zealand Fighter Pilots' Museum
Phone: +64-3-443 7010
Email ibrodie@nzfpm.co.nz
 
 
Other Sites:
•  lordoftherings.net
•  fighterpilotsmuseum.co.nz
•  lakewanaka.co.nz

Related article: Tours of "The Lord of the Rings" Locations