"It looked like something from Jurassic Park."
Actor Graham McTavish
(played the role of Dwalin)
"The beautiful rock formations cliffs and then down down down in to the most incredible bush."
Actor William Kircher
(played the role of Bifur)
Great visit to filming locations in a beautiful part of the world
"Exceeded expectation with some unadvertised surprises. Very personable guide filled with the kind of anecdotes a Tolkien fan appreciates. Even if you've never seen the movies, the scenery is spectacular and surprising in its diversity."
Richard Cadena
Totally Brilliant!
"The experience far exceeded our expectations. The welcoming, courteous and knowledgeable presentation by Suzie was outstanding. Recommend this to all LOTR and Hobbit devotees. We totally enjoyed and were rewarded by the tour of the film location sites. Awesome experience! Thanks so much."
Darren Gerrard
Fantastic!
"Definitely worth seeing if you're a fan of the Hobbit and if you're not a fan there's a lot of beautiful scenery to keep you entertained during the tour. I've been on several different Lord of the Rings tours and this one was sweet since you could see the exact places that were used in the film without using your imagination to add in lots of CGI effects. Guide was also friendly and knowledgeable and had lots of insider stories from filming. One of the best Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit tours!"
Melony Newman
A tour not to be missed! Exceptional!
"Our tour was given by the owner Warrick who did a fantastic job of bringing to life the filming done on his property of "The Hobbit" and he was wonderful. His property is absolutely beautiful. And his stories of the filming were so interesting. He is so passionate about his tours and it shows. We wished we could have stayed longer and just talked to him and roamed his property. This is a must see tour."
Monica Welke
Amazing tour!!! A must do for the north island
"This tour exceeds expectations. Our guide had great stories about the filming, and walked us through shot by shot the locations. She was fun to listen to and interact with. Thanks for setting up such an amazing experience on your farm!"
Candace Warzecha
Amazing Hobbit tour - one of the best!
"Very insightful look into the film-making experience. Stunningly beautiful location, a lovely family-run farm, and a great guide with some wonderful stories."
Jonathan Rix
Amazing!
"Booking was quick and simple, all I had to do was turn up and everything was sorted! Loved the tour, loved the day! Wish there were other Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit locations with this kind of amazing experience! Suzie was great, enthusiastic and very friendly. Really made the tour into something special!"
David Vaughan-Jackson
Fantastic tour! Lovely hosts!!
"Absolutely stunning location! One of the best tours we have been on. We are so thankful that Suzie and Warrick opened this tour and gave such personal accounts of the movie experience. This is a must do tour for any "Hobbit enthusiast", and anyone who wants to see a beautiful spot in the country!"
Cathy Baker
Stunning location, fantastic experience for any Hobbit fan
"Well worth the visit to this Hobbit Film location. Your guide is very knowledgeable and brings the scenes to life. You are not rushed and only small groups go out, only 5 people on our tour. Well worth including this incredible, scenic site in your itinerary."
Jeff Butler
Excellent Experience!
"Effortless booking online and were warmly greeted at the site on the day by Warrick and his lovely wife. The tour was fantastic, both hosts were extremely enthusiastic and well-informed about the Hobbit and it’s filming. Their farm is gorgeous on its own, but it was extremely cool to also be immersed in part of The Hobbit. THANK YOU for a memorable experience."
Terryanne Fletcher
"It seemed ancient, lots of moss on all the great rocks - it seemed incredibly old."
Actor Sylvester McCoy
(played the role of Radagast)
"It's a lot of native bush in that area – it’s a stunning location."
Actor James Nesbitt
(played the role of Bofur)
"My favourite part of the journey in filming at this location was not the actual shoot days, but the months of preparation and planning that went in. Each step of the way was an adventure in itself, from designing and constructing new roads up into the steep hill country, to closing up the paddocks from stock so the grass and plants could grow wild. However the most rewarding part was definitely working with the community and bringing everybody onboard to help achieve the end result captured in the movie."
Jared L E Connon
Supervising Location Manager – 3 Foot 7 Ltd, "The Hobbit"
"We actually recreated part of the forest from this property in the studio, and filmed it before we went anywhere near the location. It was incredible to see it be brought to life in our sound stages, piece by piece. I don’t think the landowners would have even been able to spot the difference it was that well done... Seeing the end result of our filming in the Mangaotaki Valley up on the big screen was incredible to say the least. The aerial photography was superb, and coupled with the '3D' cinema experience, it really gave the audience an opportunity to see a unique part of New Zealand that had truly captured the film makers imagination."
Jared L E Connon
Supervising Location Manager – 3 Foot 7 Ltd, "The Hobbit"
"The Mangaotaki Valley was always one of my favourite locations in "The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey" as it was the first 'new' location that Peter Jackson confirmed from all our scouting work."
Jared Connon
Supervising Location Manager
3 Foot 7 Ltd, "The Hobbit"
"On our initial recces through the Waitomo region, Peter was always very keen to explore the area thoroughly, eventually discovering the ideal location not far from Piopio. The Mangaotaki Valley is truly like another world at times, with its looming cliffs and prehistoric forest, visitors often leave in awe of this hidden gem only 45 mins from Waitomo."
Jared Connon
Supervising Location Manager
3 Foot 7 Ltd, "The Hobbit"
"The logistics of filming in the Mangaotaki Valley, were some of the most intensive operations I was involved with during the entire location shoot for all three films. From catering marquees, to helicopters, resource consents, and warg attacks on wizards, we had an amazing time bringing the script to life on the Denize farm. The family welcomed us with open arms and worked hard to ensure that the film makers were able to realise their vision throughout the entire process."
Jared E Connon
Supervising Location Manager – 3 Foot 7 Ltd, "The Hobbit"