AUCKLAND, New Zealand, 2015-3-26 — /Travel PR News/ — The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – New Zealand Home of Middle-earth Featurette Part 3 presents two new locations completing the ‘Real Middle-earth’ story.
In the third and final New Zealand Home of Middle-earth featurette, cast and crew introduce viewers to two new real Middle-earth locations featured inThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
Lake Pukaki – Lake-town
Tasman Downs station based on the shores of Lake Pukaki in New Zealand’s Canterbury region was used for the Lake-town refugee scenes.
Lake Pukaki has a pure distinctive light and amazing turquoise hue, which were a major attraction for director Peter Jackson who has used the region three times to backdrop major location scenes in his The Lord of the Ringsand The Hobbit Trilogies.
At the head of Lake Pukaki, sits New Zealand’s highest peak Aoraki Mt Cook, which draws serious alpinists and mountaineers from around the world.
The region is also a popular destination for star gazing, winter snow sports, cycling, summer hiking and walking, and romantic getaways.
Filming at this location was one of the largest operational periods in the shooting schedule with around 700 people on set.
Mt Crawford – Dale
Mt Crawford in New Zealand’s film capital Wellington was used as the setting for Dale – the town of men that sits in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain.
The location is on private land, however tourists can view this spot by looking across from neighbouring Mt Victoria – the site of many other locations in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy including the famous “get off the road” scene.
An entire set was built at Mt Crawford to depict the village, but was burnt down as a part of the filming.
The location is only five minutes from Sir Peter Jackson’s Stone St Film Studios in Miramar, meaning travel distances were short and a weather back-up was always close by.
Over the past decade New Zealand’s capital city Wellington – sometimes referred to as ‘Wellywood’ – has risen to become a film production and screen technology hot spot, as well as being famous for its nightlife, café scene and culture.
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Lake Pukaki in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park – location of Lake-town in The Hobbit Trilogy – in autumn is a spectacular vision of golden trees contrasted against opaque turquoise waters and the snow-covered Southern Alps.
Credit: Tourism New Zealand / Rob Suisted