Thursday Milford Sound, Friday Mavora Lake (Orc Mound and the breaking of the Fellowship), and Saturday Wanaka

 After visiting the bottom of the world, Thursday morning we left Invercargill toward Milford Sound. Everyone says that we have to go there, there is even a picture of Milford Sound on the side of our campervan. But it is not until you go there do understand. The drive through the mountains was stunning. 

The trees growing on these steep mountainsides is like nothing I have seen my entire life. To help try to capture the drive in and out, we tried to record in timelapse the 40 minute drive out. We started were we camped in Milton Sound and ended as we entered back into normal farm land.

This next couple pictures is Orc Mound. This is where Aragon, Legolas and Gimli are trying to rescue Merry and Pippin. They find the bodies of the Orc's piled and burned and then track Merry and Pippin into Fangorn forest. We found this location on the drive up to Mavora Lake.

Arriving on north Mavora Lake this is where the GPS showed where the scene was. It was shot around 20 years ago, so the trees looked a little different, but I think this was the right spot. This is where the fellowship of the ring was broken. Aragon, Legolas and Gimli went to pursue Merry and Pippin stolen by the Orc's. Frodo and Sam continued on the journey to Mordor.

Saturday we drove through Queenstown (so many tourists!) and made our way up to Wanaka. We literally drove over a mountain, switchbacks and all to get there.