Get the app

Shadowing practice: THE LORD OF THE RINGS | Top 10 Filming Locations

Listen to the line, then say it out loud
Line 1

Full transcript

  1. Traveling to New Zealand and going to the Lord of the Rings filming locations is kind of like a pilgrimage for the fans of the movies and I've been fortunate0:02
  2. enough to visit New Zealand four times over the last 19 years.0:09
  3. The first was back in 2006 when they hadn't even rebuilt the Hobbiton set yet and they only had the facades left from shooting the original trilogy and I've been0:12
  4. to many of the filming locations around the country since then.0:20
  5. Not all of them, but a lot.0:23
  6. So in this video I'm going to give you my list of the top 10 Lord of the Rings filming locations that are worth visiting in New Zealand, including a0:24
  7. couple that people often actually get wrong and I've tried to prioritise the list on the locations that are the most accessible and the most enjoyable to visit rather than0:32
  8. some of them which are just a bit like, ah, you see this patch of grass here?0:40
  9. Uh huh, well they shot a scene here.0:44
  10. Wonderful.0:46
  11. So let's get the most unbelievably obvious one out of the way.0:49
  12. Did you know that you can visit the Hobbiton set?0:52
Show all 193 lines Show fewer lines
  1. Of course you did.0:55
  2. This has become one of the major tourist sites in New Zealand and people go and visit the set even if they haven't seen the movies.0:56
  3. I've even got a QR code here where you can book the Hobbiton tour, but if you want to take your experience there a step further, as well as just1:02
  4. doing the regular tour, what we did the last time I was there is we booked the second breakfast tour.1:08
  5. What this means is you get the regular tour around the set and then whilst every other group would leave, you then go into the mill room and have a1:13
  6. big banquet breakfast.1:19
  7. And there was so much food, it was absolutely delicious, we were completely stuffed afterwards and it was nice just having a bit more time to enjoy being on the1:21
  8. set because normally you get your one drink in the Green Dragon and just as you're certainly down with it they're like, right, you guys are going to leave.1:27
  9. They also do an evening banquet tour where you get to do the regular tour again and then you have this huge roast dinner inside the Green Dragon and then1:33
  10. after that you get to go through the set once more when it's dark carrying lanterns.1:40
  11. We wanted to do this on my last trip to New Zealand, but it had sold out seven months in advance.1:45
  12. Nooooo!1:51
  13. So if you want to do it, plan ahead.1:52
  14. Number two, Gollum's Pool.1:55
  15. So this is one of the ones that people often get wrong.1:57
  16. I really was the God of fish, so juicy, sweet!2:00
  17. Tall High Falls in Tongariro National Park often gets referred to as Gollum's Pool and if you look it up on Google Maps it's even referred to as Gollum's Pool2:05
  18. and I remember going there in 2013 when I was on the Kiwi experience and we walked down to it and they were like, behold, Gollum's Pool and I was2:13
  19. like, that's not it.2:20
  20. And so I became that insufferable nerd where I was like, actually, I think you'll find and they actually shot this in a studio.2:23
  21. Stupid fact, haven't it?2:29
  22. But I think the reason this confusion came about is because of this Laudering's Location Guidebook.2:31
  23. Now, despite what it might sound like, this book is absolutely amazing.2:35
  24. You can tell how much I've used it over the years because some of the pages are falling out.2:39
  25. It has so much detail, it even has the GPS coordinates of the locations in the book.2:44
  26. And if you go into my Amazon store, you can actually buy the book from there.2:47
  27. Even if it says they're not available, click on it because you might be able to buy a use copy because this is a lot harder to come by now.2:51
  28. But anyway, in the book, he describes Tall High Falls as a river tumbling over an ancient lava flow into a rock pool that can easily be imagined as Henneth2:56
  29. Annan.3:05
  30. Yeah, someone who's an even bigger nerd than me is going to correct me on my elvish pronunciation.3:06
  31. No!3:10
  32. So I think someone saw that and misunderstood that as actually being Gollum's Pool and then from there, it just started getting referred to that on different tours and things.3:12
  33. And before you know it, everyone thinks that's where they shot the waterfall.3:20
  34. But if you drive 50 minutes south from there to Manguero Falls, that's where they shot the scene where Gollum was chasing the fish down the river and Frodo and3:23
  35. Sam have their argument.3:31
  36. What do you know about it?3:33
  37. Nothing!3:34
  38. And something worth knowing is, if you want to get to the majority of these Lord of the Rings locations, you're going to need a car.3:35
  39. A lot of them are pretty remote.3:41
  40. Public transport is not going to go near them, so you're going to need a car to be able to access these places.3:42
  41. And when we were in New Zealand, we booked our car through DiscoverCars .com, which, wouldn't you know it, just so happens to be a sponsor of this week's video.3:47
  42. With Discover Cars, you can compare rental prices through many different suppliers.3:56
  43. So if I look here, just getting a car from Auckland to Wellington, I can see a variety of cars for a variety of different prices from a variety of4:00
  44. different rental companies.4:06
  45. Click through and you get a full price breakdown, no hidden costs.4:07
  46. I've been using Discover Cars for quite a few of my recent trips.4:11
  47. They've got a four -point -six rating on TrustPilot, and if you want a discount of your first booking, just use this link right here that's also in the description.4:13
  48. OK, moving on to Mordor.4:24
  49. I made that sound so cheerful, it's like, ah, let's just pop to Mordor.4:26
  50. This is another one that people often get wrong, because when you do the popular day trek of the Tongariro Crossing, that's near to where they shot Mordor, but not4:30
  51. actually where they filmed it.4:37
  52. And so often, people refer to Mount Narahoi as Mount Doom.4:38
  53. You used to be able to climb Mount Narahoi, I did it back in 2017, but they've now closed it to public access, because one, it was actually very dangerous,4:41
  54. and two, it's a sacred mountain and they don't actually want people climbing on it.4:50
  55. But I've seen videos of people online, even as recently as this week, where they're going, oh my god, I'm climbing the real Mount Doom where they actually shot the4:55
  56. movie.5:03
  57. No, you're not.5:04
  58. We couldn't shoot the peaks, because the peaks themselves were sacred.5:05
  59. Instead, we have our, you know, created version of Mount Doom.5:08
  60. On top of it being a sacred mountain, the other problem if they actually tried to film there would be accessibility, because there's no roads leading up to Mount Narahoi.5:12
  61. But they actually shot most of the Mordor scenes at one volcano further south, which is Mount Ruapau.5:20
  62. And the reason being is because there's ski resorts there for the winter season, so for when they wanted to film, they had roads leading up to it, accommodation, and5:25
  63. chair lifts going up the mountains, so they could get to these really cool spots.5:33
  64. So, at Wacapapa Ski Field, you're actually going to get two locations there.5:36
  65. One is Mead's Wall, where they shot Emin' Wheel for the opening of two towers.5:40
  66. And also in that area is where they shot Frodo and Sam scrambling up Mount Doom, and the whole, I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you5:44
  67. scenes.5:51
  68. And then, on the other side of Ruapau is Tukino Ski Field.5:53
  69. You'd have to drive all the way around to get there, but that's where they shot this scene of Frodo and Sam walking through Mordor.5:57
  70. Alright, let's move on to number four, The Paths of the Dead.6:05
  71. The Batanghi Ruapinicles are about a two -hour drive outside of Wellington.6:09
  72. The hood is there, kind of remind me of Bryce Canyon in Utah and the States, except instead of being this lovely bright orange, they look grey and dead.6:13
  73. You used to be able to walk amongst them, but right now, you can only go to a viewpoint there, and that's because there was like a minor landslide.6:20
  74. But I've still kept this in my list, because by the time you watch this, they may have reopened the path.6:26
  75. The way is shut.6:30
  76. Now you must die.6:33
  77. Alright, moving on to the Borders of the Shy in Wellington.6:36
  78. So, in Mount Victoria's, where they filmed the whole, get off the road, quick scenes.6:40
  79. And it's literally like a 20 -minute walk from the centre of town to get up there, or if you've got a car, it's like a two - to three6:45
  80. -minute drive.6:50
  81. And when I first went there, I had my guidebook in hand, and I was trying to find the exact spot.6:51
  82. If you go there now, it's signposted, so you can't miss it.6:55
  83. There's now Google Maps markings, and people dress as hobbits, which kind of gives it away.6:58
  84. Also right by there is the tree that Frodo was hanging out in in the extended Cut of Fellowship, just before they saw the wood elves.7:03
  85. And whilst you go to Wellington, you have to do the Weta Cave tour, where you get to see behind the scenes of Weta Workshop, and how they created all7:09
  86. the practical effects.7:15
  87. All of the props are there, and the gift shop there is amazing.7:16
  88. James is going to make sure I don't spend all of our life savings.7:20
  89. Alright, moving on to the South Island, and all the way down to Queenstown.7:26
  90. And just opposite Queenstown, in front of the Remarkables is this big hill called Deer Park Heights.7:30
  91. And this place is like a Lord of the Rings playground.7:35
  92. There's several different locations up there.7:37
  93. If you want to visit Deer Park Heights, you have to go to their website, and it costs 75 New Zealand Dollars to register your car, because they do limit7:39
  94. how many vehicles can go up there per day.7:45
  95. And this was primarily used in the two towers, for when they're travelling from Ediris to Helms Deep.7:47
  96. So you have the lake there, that the refugees walk around.7:51
  97. You have the spot where Gimbly fell off his horse, and Eowyn gives Aragorn that disgusting stew.7:54
  98. There's quite a few different spots from the whole Wark attack scene, including the cliff that Aragorn fell down.7:59
  99. Easy!8:19
  100. And also from Return of the King, it's where you see Gandalf riding towards Minsteroth, and from the extended cut, it's where they exit the Paths of the Dead.8:21
  101. So it's definitely worth checking out, and I took my wife Jamie and our friend Matt up there, and they were a bit like, oh, okay, we'll have to do8:32
  102. all these Lord of the Rings locations, but they ended up actually lovin' it, because the views you get of the surrounding area are just spectacular.8:39
  103. It was really fun!8:45
  104. Yeah, it was actually really, really cool.8:46
  105. Alright, number seven, Isengard.8:50
  106. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!8:53
  107. A day trip you can do from Queenstown is driving to Glenorchy, and on the way you can stop at another location called the Twelve Mile Delta, which is from8:54
  108. the two towers where Sam and Gollum are arguing about cooking, and then they spot the Oliphons.9:02
  109. No one at home will believe this.9:08
  110. And then just north of Glenorchy is an area called Paradise, and they shot loads of stuff around this area.9:10
  111. A few of these are actually marked on Google Maps, so you've got the location of Isengard there, Dan's Paddock is where Gandalf approaches Isengard in the Fellowship, and also9:16
  112. the edge of Lothlorean Forest is there too.9:24
  113. Steakhouse and hobbits!9:30
  114. And also from the Hobbit films, this is where they shot the exterior of Bayant's house.9:33
  115. As a side note, if you get to do the scenic flight from Wanaker to Milford Sound, you'll be flying right over this area.9:39
  116. And I can't recommend doing this activity enough, because Milford Sound is beautiful in itself, but doing the scenic flight, it's like you're flying through Middle Earth.9:45
  117. And I remember on the journey back, I was pointing out to my wife Jamie where Isengard was.9:55
  118. Alright, let's move on to number eight, and this is one of my favourite ones in the country, which is the Bavora Lakes.10:06
  119. I wish the ring had never gone to me.10:11
  120. I wish none of this had happened.10:13
  121. It's about a two hour drive from Queenstown, and it's on the way to Tiano, so if you're staying in Tiano to go to Milford or Doubtful Sound, you can10:15
  122. do a slight detour to this on the way.10:22
  123. So you'll turn off the main road on this gravel track driving for about 40 kilometres, and here's another place where you're going to get two locations for the price10:25
  124. of one, because just before you get to the lakes, is where they shot the edge of Fangorn Forest.10:31
  125. And where the Orc Bound is, is actually marked on Google Maps.10:39
  126. And did you know that when they filmed Aragorn kicking the helmet, that Vigo broke?10:46
  127. Yeah, everyone knows that now.10:50
  128. And then at the Mavora Lakes itself, is where they shot the whole ending of Fellowship of the Ring.10:56
  129. So you'll get to the southern tip of the North Mavora Lake, and if you go like 150 metres up the hill, you'll find a big tree stump, which is11:01
  130. where Frodo was hiding against, and next to it's a fallen down tree, which Mary and Pippin hid underneath.11:07
  131. So Frodo hid up against here, and Mary and Pippin were hiding in just there.11:14
  132. Yeah, I don't know if this is the best of hiding spots really.11:20
  133. You'd like find the halflings, oh, there they are.11:23
  134. And then on the shores of the lake, that's where they shot the Fellowship Making Camp, and then later on, Frodo and Sam departing.11:28
  135. That's a great thing about New Zealand, there's so many of these unspoiled areas, untouched.11:34
  136. You know, if this place was in Europe and North America, it'd be helpful if people camping out on boats, barbecues, whatever.11:39
  137. Here, all to myself.11:48
  138. So let's move on to what is apparently one of Peter Jackson's favourite locations, which is Poolburn in Central Otago, which is another couple of hours drive away from Queenstown,11:53
  139. and I stopped there in 2017 on the way to Dunedin.12:02
  140. As soon as you start driving through this area, it immediately looks like you're in Rohan.12:05
  141. Rohan, home of the host loads.12:09
  142. One of the most recognizable spots is Poolburn Lake, which is where the Urukai attacked the Rohan villages.12:12
  143. I'm actually making it all the way to the lake because there's a really bumpy, gravelly road to get there.12:17
  144. I was all by myself and I was like, if something goes wrong, I'm going to be stranded in the middle of nowhere.12:22
  145. I don't want to go back.12:27
  146. And finally, we're going to finish with my favourite Lord of the Rings location in all of New Zealand, which is Edoras.12:29
  147. So they shot this in a place called Mount Sunday, which is miles from anywhere.12:35
  148. And when I first went there in 2006, you had to book a Jeep tour to get there because to actually get to the mountain, it was always like little12:39
  149. rivers that you had to drive through.12:45
  150. But when I went back there in 2017, when I was driving from Mount Cope to Christchurch, I was like, I'll drive there and just see how close I can12:47
  151. get, see what works out.12:54
  152. And it turns out sometime between 2006 and 2017, they built a full -on car park there.12:55
  153. They built little footbridges across all the rivers, and so you could just park up and walk up there by yourself.13:00
  154. And this is one of those locations I recommend people to go to, even if they don't like the movies or haven't even seen them, because it's just so stunning.13:06
  155. And I remember being there, and there was a couple of tour groups in the car park and a few other people actually on the hill.13:13
  156. But I just sat around and waited for them out, and then before you know it, I had the whole place to myself.13:18
  157. It's funny, I remember when I came here in 2006, I was like, oh, I brought a video camera.13:22
  158. But now I'm back and I've got a freaking drone.13:26
  159. And the way over there, see that hill?13:47
  160. Eric went up on that on his way to Helmsteep, he did a big helicopter shot around to reveal Helmsteep, that little canyon tucked in there.13:50
  161. Music plays Melanin.14:05
  162. So there you go, there's my top 10 Laudering's Film locations in New Zealand.14:10
  163. Now, obviously, there's loads more locations that you could visit.14:14
  164. And if you're watching this and you've been to some of them and you're thinking, how could you possibly not mention that place, then please leave it in the comments.14:18
  165. There's a couple that I haven't been to still that I really want to go to, which is Mount Olympus and Mount Owen.14:23
  166. And that's where in the Fellowship of the Ring, they have the scene where Boromir was training the Hobbits and they had the spies of Saruman flying over.14:29
  167. And at Mount Owen, they shot the scene of the exit of the Mines of Moria, where they were all grieving Gandalf's demise.14:37
  168. But the only way to get there is with a helicopter tour, and they do run those tours from the town of Nelson, but you either need a minimum of14:47
  169. three people to go, or you can go by yourself but just have a massive wallet, because you have to pay for the whole helicopter.14:54
  170. But yeah, one day I'll get there.15:01
  171. Just a fool's hope.15:03
  172. But anyway, hopefully you liked this video.15:05
  173. Give it a like, comment, share and subscribe and all the usual stuff.15:07
  174. Please go check out our recent New Zealand Road Trip documentary series, where my wife Jamie and I drove around both islands.15:10
  175. Check out my Amazon store where I got lots of travel essentials, plus a little law -thrilling section where you can get the guidebook and a few other nerdy little15:17
  176. things.15:23
  177. And then next week's video is actually going to be another film location, but a very different genre, because on the way back from New Zealand, we stopped in Hawaii15:24
  178. for one night, and we stayed at the hotel from forgetting Sarah Marshall.15:31
  179. You sound like you're from London.15:35
  180. So make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss out on that, and I'll see you again very soon.15:37
  181. Thank you.16:00

A Fast British Travel Guide to New Zealand for English Speaking Practice

This clip is a narrated travel rundown, a British host counting down his top ten Lord of the Rings filming locations across New Zealand. It runs at 249 words per minute, faster than 94% of the catalogue, so it is a real test for anyone building up to natural speed rather than the slow, over enunciated clips beginners usually start with.

The CEFR level is B1. The vocabulary stays everyday, hobbits, guidebook, trilogy, resorts, but the sentences run long and conversational, the way someone actually talks when they are excited about a topic they know well. That combination, familiar words at speed, is exactly what makes it useful for english speaking practice: you are not decoding new terms, you are training your mouth to keep pace with a native rhythm.

British English Pronunciation Practice in the Opening Lines

Listen first to how the host opens the video: "Traveling to New Zealand and going to the Lord of the Rings filming locations is kind of like a pilgrimage for the fans of the movies and I've been fortunate". It is one breath, one idea stacked on another with no pause, which is the real challenge in this recording for british english pronunciation practice: the connected flow, not any single hard word.

A few lines later he catches himself listing exceptions, and the correction is worth studying on its own: "Not all of them, but a lot." Six words, dropped tone at the end, the kind of throwaway phrase that carries the whole clip's casual register.

Then there is a short exchange he stages with himself, mocking the lazy version of a filming location tour: "you see this patch of grass here?" followed by "Uh huh, well they shot a scene here." That second line has the loose, sarcastic "well" and "uh huh" that never show up in scripted textbook English.

  • "Traveling to New Zealand and going to the Lord of the Rings filming locations is kind of like a pilgrimage for the fans of the movies and I've been fortunate": one long run on clause, no breath, good for pacing practice.
  • "Not all of them, but a lot.": short, blunt, falling intonation on the last word.
  • "you see this patch of grass here?" and "Uh huh, well they shot a scene here.": a mock dialogue with casual filler words, "uh huh" and "well".

How to Shadow This Clip: A Line by Line Order for B1 Learners

Do not start at full speed on line one. Its length alone will trip most B1 learners on a first pass, so warm up on the shorter lines further in before circling back.

  • Start with line 5, "Not all of them, but a lot." Repeat it five times until the falling stress on "lot" feels automatic, then move on.
  • Take the mock exchange in lines 8 and 9, "you see this patch of grass here?" and "Uh huh, well they shot a scene here." Say both parts yourself, switching your tone between the bored question and the flat reply.
  • Only then go back to line 1, the full opening sentence. Break it into two chunks at "movies and", shadow each chunk on its own, then join them.
  • Play line 12, "Did you know that you can visit the Hobbiton set?" and line 13, "Of course you did." back to back. The question rises, the answer is flat and dry. Getting that contrast right is most of what makes this clip sound native.
  • Record yourself on all four and compare your version against the host's before moving to the next section of the video. This clip runs at 249 words per minute, so improve your english speaking accuracy at half speed first, then bring it back up to match him.
Download on the App Store