Middle Earth

New Zealand

New Zealand aka Middle Earth is known as the land of Hobbits and Elves, and it does not disappoint. One of the most stunning landscapes you will ever encounter in very small space. This tour begins on the North Island in Auckland and will finish on the South Island in Queenstown.

Itinerary

Day 1
We’ll start our adventure with a dinner in Auckland.

Day 2&3
We kick off our trip in earnest with a tour of Hobbiton and Middle Earth before heading to Rotorua for a walk among the Redwood trees at 75ft in air near the tree tops finishing with a sunset shoot of the trees. Rotorua is a place filled with geothermal geysers, so we’ll be visiting 2 geothermal parks and of course we'll partake in a natural spring spa as well.

Day 4
Fly to Christchurch on the South island and begin a proper Lord of the Rings adventure.

Day 5+ 6
We will take an easy drive to the west coast of the South Island. Here we will spend the next couple of nights on the beach shooting the coastline and the pancake rocks at Punakaiki. We will also visit a cavern to view the infamous glow worms.

Day 7
We head south along the west coast of the South Island to Fox Glacier, shooting along the way. Time permitting, we will do a short hike to Lake Matheson.

Day 8
We start with a morning heli ride to see Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers that will include a snow landing! Afterwards head south to Wanaka stopping at some waterfalls and the Blue Pools along the way.

Day 9
Following a sunrise shoot at That Tree in Wanaka, you’ll have the option to hike to Roy’s Peak, aka the most instagrammed spot in all of New Zealand.

Day 10
Take one more crack at That Tree before leaving for Te Anau shooting along the way

Day 11 - 12
No New Zealand experience is complete without a visit to a sound. We’ll take an all day cruise to visit Doubtful Sound filled with natural waterfalls and if we’re lucky, we’ll see dolphins and seals! And of course we’ll have to find some silver ferns to photograph, after all, it is the national tree. This means we’ll do some hiking near Te Anau.

Day 13-14
Our last leg on this journey will be in Queenstown. We’ll have an easy day of shooting on our way to Queenstown. The day will end with a gondola ride to the top of Queenstown for a spectacular view and then a hike back to the bottom. For those who want an adrenaline rush, Queenstown is the place to get that. You can opt take a bungy jump or go on a high speed boat ride, or spend the day relaxing and eating chocolates.

Day 15
Return to Auckland.
Transportation

You will be responsible for all international transportation requirements. This photo tour will begin in Auckland (exact hotel and meeting location will be provided after registration) and end in Queenstown (flight back to Auckland is included; if you would like to continue on in Queenstown please let us know). Once the photo tour begins, all internal transportation costs are included in the registration fee including flights. We will be using private vehicles and walking within city limits when possible. When moving between cities we will use private vans to get from city to city.
Accommodation

You will be staying in local hotels with a 3-4 star western standard rating.
Meals

All breakfasts will be included. Lunches, dinners or beverages are not included. Please note that a couple of breakfasts will not be available right away because we will be leaving too early in the morning. Please bring 2-3 of your favorite power bars to get you through 1-3 hours before we can find something!
Medical

It is recommended that you have all of your childhood immunizations up to date and/or boosted.
Documents

Citizens of most western countries with a valid passport are not required to apply for an entry visa to New Zealand. Please check your local embassy or consulate office for your requirements. You are responsible for fulfilling your own visa requirements. Registration does not include any visa fees.
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