Lord of the Rings country

As a cycling tourist you have to be strategic about the places you travel when you are on a time plan. You cannot make the odd side trip at will as you can with a car. I'd heard about the must see 'three volcanos' park in the middle of the north island.

'Mount Doom'

I can hear the Uruk Hai coming over the hill

I'd just clocked up 600 NZ kms ion the north island and decided to rest for a few days, albeit hiking up Mt Tongariro in the Tongariro National Park just south ot Lake Taupo. It's pretty much the dead centre of the north island and Mt Nguaruhoe just a few kms to the south of Mt Tongariro was used by Peter Jackson to represent Mt Doom in the LTR trilogy.

It took me two years to read the full LTR trilogy as I read it on the weekly bus trip to my classical guitar lessons in Adelaide in the early 1980's. This followed a reading of the Hobbit which my friend at the time, Anne said it was perfect for me and my 'space'.

It certainly has an eerie quality and looks impressive against Mt Tongariro which is currently emitting sulphur clouds from its Te Maari crater.This walk has been promoted as one of the best in the world and is certainly spectacular especially on a clear sunny day.

 

 

Oh, and by the way I saw The Hobbit in 3D in Wellington, this city being the 'home' of the LTR journey, so I could not miss it really.

Tonight's music Walter Piston - Violin Concerto No 1.

 

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