Today we head towards the South Island of New Zealand. The road will be long, but on the way are many wonders to discover. Among them are Dimholt Road (Putangirua Pinnacles). We follow a path along a dry river bed to end up in a valley made of grey stones, forming peaks all around us. Here came Aragorn to find the Paths to the Dead, in a scenery that comes straight from another world.

Further down the road, we have the chance to visit the place where laid Rivendell, city of the elves and its vibrant forest.

This day couldn’t be complete without another interesting location, which turned out to be the green gardens of the tower of Orthanc, in Isengard, full of trees, as they were before Saruman got corrupted by the evil of Sauron.

Before leaving the North Island, we still have the chance to visit a temple of cinematic special effects: WETA caves. In there, no picture is allowed for the majority of the time, but we get to view incredibly realistic movie props, follow the creation process of a dwarf battle helmet, witness the sight of a full-size warthog straight out of Halo and have a glimpse of the full armor of the dark Lord Sauron. Needless to say, the visit was worth it!

There we embark with our trusty Jacky towards the wonders of the South Island, its vast spaces of nature and wilderness. On we go! To adventure!

#bucket-list

• Visit Dimholt Road
• Visit the garden of Isengard
• Visit Rivendell
• Get onto New Zealand south island