Lord Of The Rings Filming Location Reopens After Eleven Years

Fans of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies will appreciate this beautiful filming location in New Zealand which offers self-drive safari experiences.

New Zealand’s stunning, rugged landscapes, with their scenic lakes, hills, and valleys are the perfect location for many Hollywood films. The country saw the filming of “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” movies and made an impressive backdrop to the stories. One filming location has been closed to the public for some 11 years but is now reopening.

Please note: During the COVID-19 pandemic, always check with your local tourist advisory board before making reservations.

Deer Park Heights, Queenstown

Deer Park Heights is located in Queenstown and originally opened in 1966. The park became a popular attraction, where visitors could enjoy self-drive safari experiences on a beautiful working farm. The farm is surrounded by gorgeous scenery and offers some of the best views in New Zealand.

Now this beautiful farm, which featured in several key scenes in the “Lord of the Rings” films, has reopened for the public to explore and enjoy. For 11 years, it has operated as a deer farm, a fact that will continue when it opens to visitors.

Animal Encounters At Deer Park Heights

An online booking system is set up to provide an access code for a specific, booked day, to enable visitors to enjoy scenic drives and participate in animal encounters. Better yet, the farm plans to be open seven days a week during daylight hours.

Located in Kelvin Heights Peninsula, the park will allow visitors to spot red and fallow deer, miniature horses, goats, donkeys, llamas, alpacas, and Kunekune pigs. The park includes a road that takes visitors to various picnic spots, while a 20-minute hike offers 360-degree views of Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range.

Fans of the “Lord of the Rings” movies will recognize locations that featured in the films, but were also filming locations for “Wolverine” and “Pete’s Dragon.” Visitors will also have access to an interactive online map to guide them through the various filming locations and other areas of interest.

Farms Owners Look Forward To Visitors

The farm is owned by Mike Mee, who wanted to make this scenic area accessible to visitors again. He wants to share the unique beauty of this beautiful spot. “It’s such an amazing location and it seems a shame to not share it. We want to welcome visitors to great fun, good value family day out for those who want to spend time in the outdoors and with our animals. To make it more family orientated we are limiting access to vehicles with up to seven seats, excluding buses, minivans, and commercial vehicles. Unfortunately, there’s no access for hikers or cyclists from the tollgate as they tend to scare the animals away, especially the deer,” Mike said.

Deer Park Heights reopens on October 20. Anyone interested in booking can head to the official website to make pre-bookings, where a vehicle booking costs $55. Visitors must bear in mind that access is limited only to the day booked and they can only enter the farm once.

Visitors to the website will be greeted with the words, “Welcome to Deer Park Heights… where you can leave everything behind.”