Celebrate New Zealand on The Lord of the Rings anniversary

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and fans can step into the films’ dramatic backdrops in New Zealand (Aotearoa).

The kiwi director chose his mountainous island nation to recreate JRR Tolkien’s fantasy world in The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003).

As well as making a star of Frodo actor Elijah Wood, the films established New Zealand’s extraordinary landscapes as a blockbuster travel destination.

Today, Tolkien fans can relive the stirring exchanges between Gandalf, Frodo et al in the well-preserved filming locations.

Below, we share directions to the magical settings of the Fellowship’s adventures – as well as what to do between celluloid pilgrimages.

In the rolling farmland south of Auckland, visit Bag End and Bagshot Row in Frodo and Bilbo’s hometown. Colourful doors stud the emerald hills and you can enjoy a fireside ale at the Green Dragon Inn.

Also in the area: The geothermal springs of Rotorua, where Earth’s energy surfaces in a steaming network of furious geysers, bubbling mud and sublime hot pools.

Hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing trail through the stark volcanic landscapes that doubled as Mordor. You’ll spot Mount Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom), Tawhai Falls (Gollum’s Pool), Tukino Ski Field (Black Gate of Mordor) and the Rangipo Desert, where the Orc army gathers.

Also in the area: Pedal the forested shores of Lake Taupō, cruise across the North Island’s vast caldera lake and raft the Tongariro River rapids.

Peter Jackson built his moviemaking empire in the kiwi capital, where forested Mount Victoria stood in for Hobbiton Woods, Harcourt Park for the Gardens of Isengard and the Hutt River for the mighty Anduin. See the trilogy’s props on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Wētā Workshop.

Also in the area: Coffee-mad Wellington claims to have more cafes per head than New York, and you can pair them with vintage shopping on hip Cuba Street.

A replica Elvish archway in these forested foothills outside Wellington marks the entrance to Elrond’s kingdom of Rivendell. The North Island’s wild South Coast also provided settings for the Paths of the Dead (Putangirua Pinnacles), Dunharrow (Lyall Bay) and Bree (Seatoun).

Also in the area: Across Wellington Harbour from the city, the forested slopes of East Harbour Regional Park offer hiking and mountain biking trails to lighthouses.

In the South Island’s rugged northwest corner, Kahurangi National Park is home to Mount Owen, where the Fellowship emerge from the Mines of Moria. Saruman’s crows attack on remote Mount Olympus, while Nelson’s Jens Hansen The Ringmaker crafted The One Ring.

Also in the area: Hike between beaches, cross headlands and forge inlets on the multiday Abel Tasman Coast Track through subtropical Abel Tasman National Park.