# If you could, woould you go to New Zealand?



## SeverinR (Feb 1, 2013)

On the bucket list, I noticed several people like me, wanted to go to New Zealand.

Do alot of Fantasy/Sci-fi fans want to go to New Zealand?

From all the Fantasy movies filmed there the terrain looks amazing, also to see where the movies were filmed would be great too.

Would you go if you could?


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 1, 2013)

Sure, I guess. I mean, why not?

I'd rather go to Venice, though.


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## Chilari (Feb 1, 2013)

Yes. New Zealand is third priority on places to visit if I can afford a holiday, after France (where my grandparents live - they can't travel any more and if I want to see them before they die, I have to go to them) and Corinth (which I really should visit if I'm writing a book about it). But New Zealand would be just for me, no reasons behind it but that I want to, no justification. If I weren't planning on a June wedding I'd want my honeymoon there (or we could honeymoon a few months after the wedding...)

I just can't think of a single place on earth I have so much wanted to visit for so long.


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## Rho (Feb 1, 2013)

Yep, tis a nice spot alright. I wouldn't want to live any where else.


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## Devor (Feb 1, 2013)

I'd love to go to New Zealand.  But if it were up to me to pick a country to visit for the landscape, without doing any extra research, I think I'd pick Iceland.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Feb 1, 2013)

Chilari, congrats! Planning the wedding–exciting times!

Devor, a former coworker thinks Iceland would be a great place to live. He did research… but he's still here, so make of that what you will.

On-topic, New Zealand would be higher on my list if I still lived in Hong Kong. My wife and I used to travel around southeast Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Macau, China) back then. We never did get to Japan or Australia. Between kids and the fact that my wife has family in Hong Kong, it's hard to plan trips that far unless it's to visit family. But I always wanted to travel to the southern hemisphere just to see the different stars. Maybe someday Australia or New Zealand will happen.


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## CupofJoe (Feb 2, 2013)

I'd move to NZ if I could... Somewhere nice and isolated on the South Island, a big farm where I could write and hide.
In report after report NZ is one of the least or last affected areas by  global warming, it's geographical isolation means that epidemics and  zombie apocalypse should be easier to control... and apparently there is  a really nice view of the Milky Way...
This is if my plan to win the Euromillions and buy half of New Mexico doesn't pan out...


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## Chilari (Feb 2, 2013)

Legendary Sidekick said:


> @Chilari, congrats! Planning the wedding—exciting times!



Lol no. I've been engaged almost 6 years now. At this stage one of the few decisions we've made - the get married at my parents' house - could in fact have to be changed by the fact that they're considering moving when Dad retires in 2 years. Because we might not be married by then.

There will be a point when I snap, drag him down to the registry office plus parents and just sort it out. But for now I'm being patient. There are legitimate reasons not to go ahead just yet, and I do want that perfect wedding - all our friends and relatives, pretty dress, cake, bouncy castle, flowers etc - but if it really does come down to a point here my parents are starting to get the house ready to sell, I will fast track it and do it a bit more low key.


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## PaulineMRoss (Feb 2, 2013)

Chilari said:


> I do want that perfect wedding - all our friends and relatives, pretty dress, cake, bouncy castle, flowers etc - but if it really does come down to a point here my parents are starting to get the house ready to sell, I will fast track it and do it a bit more low key.



It's a difficult balance. I've been to a few way over the top weddings in recent years - not so much bouncy castle as genuine castle (really! it was in Scotland...), and I went to one where it was registry office and then down the pub, and that one was way more fun. The posh ones I just sit there looking at the monogrammed napkins wondering how much the whole thing cost, and why they didn't just spend it on somewhere to live.

Slightly more on topic, I fly out to New Zealand tomorrow... <big grin>


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## Chilari (Feb 2, 2013)

PaulineMRoss said:


> It's a difficult balance. I've been to a few way over the top weddings in recent years - not so much bouncy castle as genuine castle (really! it was in Scotland...), and I went to one where it was registry office and then down the pub, and that one was way more fun. The posh ones I just sit there looking at the monogrammed napkins wondering how much the whole thing cost, and why they didn't just spend it on somewhere to live.
> 
> Slightly more on topic, I fly out to New Zealand tomorrow... <big grin>



Oh gosh no, I wouldn't go all OTT and spend huge amounts to get everything "perfect". In fact for the dress I plan on getting an off-the-shelf white summer dress, and getting Mum to make the cake, etc. Mostly it's gonna be fairly simple compared to some weddings. As long as the people we want there are there, and we've got some good food, some fun stuff to do (like the bouncy castle and also Rock Band) and the weather isn't awful I'll call that a success. But lots of people - extended family, friends from far away - and having the vestiges of a traditional wedding, plus bouncy castle hire, and also sorting out the legal issues surrounding getting married at my parents house rather than a licensed premisis, push costs up and require a lot of organising. So the "quick" version would be closest friends, parents, siblings, no bouncy castle, registry office, homecooked meal, down the pub.


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## Jess A (Feb 3, 2013)

It's surprising I haven't been. It's practically next door, yet I've been all the way to Canada. I'm planning on going to NZ and will within a year or so.


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## JohnKPatterson (Feb 4, 2013)

I'd love to pay a visit to New Zealand. Of course, there are all of the Middle Earth locations to visit. And one particular animal draws my attention. The tuatara lives on a few islands there. It's a fascinating (and highly endangered) lizard-like reptile left over from the dinosaur age. Beautiful creature, and a jewel among the assorted fauna in NZ.


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## SeverinR (Feb 4, 2013)

PaulineMRoss said:


> It's a difficult balance. I've been to a few way over the top weddings in recent years - not so much bouncy castle as genuine castle (really! it was in Scotland...), and I went to one where it was registry office and then down the pub, and that one was way more fun. The posh ones I just sit there looking at the monogrammed napkins wondering how much the whole thing cost, and why they didn't just spend it on somewhere to live.
> 
> Slightly more on topic, I fly out to New Zealand tomorrow... <big grin>


Envious!



JohnKPatterson said:


> I'd love to pay a visit to New Zealand. Of course, there are all of the Middle Earth locations to visit. And one particular animal draws my attention. The tuatara lives on a few islands there. It's a fascinating (and highly endangered) lizard-like reptile left over from the dinosaur age. Beautiful creature, and a jewel among the assorted fauna in NZ.



Is the middle earth locations mapped somewhere, or do you have to do the homework to find where they were filmed?


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## JohnKPatterson (Feb 5, 2013)

SeverinR said:


> Is the middle earth locations mapped somewhere, or do you have to do the homework to find where they were filmed?




A lot of the locations are specified on maps of New Zealand. I think the DVDs of the trilogy have special features that show where they filmed. Plus, after the filming of _The Hobbit,_ New Zealand turned the Shire houses into a tourist attraction.


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## SeverinR (Feb 5, 2013)

Cool, would love to see the shire. <-- Are they all together or spread out?

If you could build a Hobbit home, would you?


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## Rho (Feb 5, 2013)

Yep they're still all where they were originally built in a small town called Matamata in the Waikato. I used to live there, the one time I went to go have a look was before they rebuilt the set for the Hobbit and I felt 60 bucks each was a tad over the top to look at a few pieces of polystyrene.....


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## Sheilawisz (Feb 5, 2013)

I would go to New Zealand only if a friend there invited me, so the travel would have a lower cost and I would count on said friend to guide me and take me to all the interesting places... yeah, it would be nice to visit that stunning country where they have filmed The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings!!

Without a friend and invitation, I would choose to spend all that money on a travel to other places like the Swiss Alps, Finnmark, Stockholm, Surrey in England or maybe the famous Ski Towns of Colorado =)

The mountains of New Zealand are very beautiful, too.


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## SeverinR (Feb 6, 2013)

Rho said:


> Yep they're still all where they were originally built in a small town called Matamata in the Waikato. I used to live there, the one time I went to go have a look was before they rebuilt the set for the Hobbit and I felt 60 bucks each was a tad over the top to look at a few pieces of polystyrene.....



$60 NZ?  That would be $50.51 US? Univeral studio Orlando is $67(US) and has alot more to see and do.
Is there anything else to see or do besides seeing the hobbit houses for $60?


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## Jess A (Feb 6, 2013)

SeverinR said:


> $60 NZ?  That would be $50.51 US? Univeral studio Orlando is $67(US) and has alot more to see and do.
> Is there anything else to see or do besides seeing the hobbit houses for $60?



You kidding mate? New Zealand is full of fun. Adventure stuff and skiing, photography opportunities, hiking and trekking etc. Some great culture too. I can't wait to go. 

Or do you mean LOTR related? I think there are tours, aren't there? I've never been so I don't know, but I would love to go on the tours. Mostly for the scenery, I think.


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## SeverinR (Feb 7, 2013)

I actually meant at that one site, not just in general. If it was nothing but the scenery I think it would be enough.
$60NZ just to see some fake houses is too much.


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## Rho (Feb 7, 2013)

Tour from Matamata - Hobbiton Movie Set Tours - Matamata Tours / Activities Waikato

There's a rate chart at the bottom, looks like $75 per person for a 2 1/2 hr tour.
So it's gone up $15 in the last 2 years since me and the Missus went to have a look.


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## SunnyE (Feb 8, 2013)

You bet. I had a friend in high school that was an exchange student from there. He put the bug in me to want to visit. The pics and descriptions were amazing. Then the long list of movies that were filmed there just added to it. I've heard the people are wonderful. I actually just had some friends go there a couple of months ago. I was terribly envious.


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## Nihal (Feb 12, 2013)

Regarding the hobbit lovers, I guess it's relevant:


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## Aravelle (Feb 12, 2013)

I'd like to go, just because it seems so pretty... it's not a top priority visit, I'd much rather go to Japan.


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## Jess A (Feb 12, 2013)

That Hobbit pub looks great!

My cousin just invited me to go and stay with him. May have to take him up on that some time soon. When I get time, that is.


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