I used to be only dimly aware of New Zealand, imagining it as somewhat of Australia’s Canada; close to Australia, similar to Australia, just not quite the same. After spending five months of the last year in New Zealand I’ve come to know it quite a bit better, finally learning why Peter Jackson chose it as the location of Tolkin’s Middle Earth.
New Zealand tourism received a huge boost from the Lord of the Rings trilogy since so many fans saw the amazing scenery in the films and wanted to know more about where it was filmed. One of the main reasons the Trilogy was so beneficial to New Zealand tourism was that it was filmed in so many locations. A number of guidebooks are available to show the enterprising fan around the country, pointing out all of the shooting locations for the film. Many private businesses that helped transport those working on the film to the various locations are now more than happy to transport fans to the same places for a fee. LOTR travel has become a great boon to New Zealand tourism; even though most people don’t travel to New Zealand explicitly to see the shooting locations many of them will take side-trips to see the locations for some of their favorite scenes.
Though the Lord of the Rings tourism has helped the country’s economy considerably, the biggest boost to New Zealand tourism has come from the advent of adventure tourism. These days taking a vacation no longer means merely hanging around on a cruise ship or traveling to a nice beach where you can lay around, drink cocktails with little umbrellas in them and maybe read a book. More and more people, especially younger travelers, are looking for a little more adrenaline in their vacations. New Zealand had jumped at the opportunity to provide travelers with all sorts of adventure opportunities. Near Rotorua you can go zorbing, which consists of sliding into what amounts to a giant hamster ball and rolling yourself down a hill. Many companies provide jet-boat rides up whitewater rivers and through tight canyons at breakneck speeds. You can toss yourself off the highest bungee jump in the world or take part in world class whitewater rafting. The Waitomo area offers a huge host of caving opportunities, from the board-walked tourist caves to rappelling and sliding through mud and water to explore extensive underground labyrinths. Though this new breed of New Zealand tourism may not give you any trouble finding adventure, you may have a bit of trouble fitting it all in.
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