Lord of the Rings! (Warning: Contains Corny Tourist Poses)

Our hosts arranged for Crissi and me to go on a 1/2 day Lord of the Rings Tour where we were taken to some of the places the movies had been filmed. The tour guide provided us with a lot of interesting facts, one of them being that the filming industry is now the 2nd largest employer in New Zealand, thanks to Peter Jackson. For any of you who are Lord of the Rings fans, I will "wow" you with some of my other newly acquired knowledge upon my return.

Living with New Zealand families for this travel experience has immersed us in the local culture so we have not really been perceived as "American tourists"... until this day. Crissi and I cut loose and just went with the whole tourist package for this one, and we have the pictures to prove it. We had fun being silly and laughing while we enjoyed the breathtaking scenery of "Lord of the Rings."

Prepare to be amazed as you look at photos of scenes from the movies... and then see my identical pose in the exact place it was filmed... ; )

In the shot below, you'll have to imagine the added tree roots...

On Location...

Afternoon Tea on the Tour

I warned you... More REALLY corny tourist shots...

My favorite part of the tour was the temperate rain forest - One of only 3 in the world...