Guided tour to Middle Earth

A group of Kiwis have started a tourism venture to take Lord Of The Rings fans to places where the trilogy was filmed.

It is understood Prime Minister Helen Clark will shortly announce Government plans to cash in on the $600 million trilogy, using agencies such as Trade New Zealand, the Film Commission and Tourism New Zealand.

And it is understood the Wellington City Council wants to brand the capital "Middle Earth" for the week of the Australasian premiere of The Fellowship Of The Rings, which screens on December 19 at the Embassy Theatre.

There is hope such proposals will revive New Zealand's tourism prospects after the world downturn that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

With about seven weeks until the film's release, New Zealand's profile overseas is rising. The British newspaper The Independent this month ran a two-page travel feature headlined "Lord Of The Rings Country: The Complete Guide".

Written by Simon Cunliffe, deputy editor of The Press in Christchurch, it gives a detailed rundown of areas where J.R.R. Tolkien's epic trilogy was filmed.

In Auckland, some travel operators and Tolkien fans have formed Red Carpet Tours to cater to Rings junkies.

Red Carpet's chief executive, Vic James, said international interest was so big he had approached dedicated Rings fan Erica Challis to help him and two others develop a tour to take Tolkien fans around New Zealand.

Ms Challis, a musician, helps run the Rings No 1 fan website.

"We have got heaps of replies and interest from people who want to come from all over the world," she said.

Mr James said: "We want to take people from overseas and New Zealand to the sites where filming took place, such as the farm in Matamata, places around Wellington and areas such as Queenstown and Methven in the South Island."

Mr James said a lot of planning had been done. Tourism NZ was excited by the idea and he had support from other Government agencies.

Mr James hoped the project would be in full swing by January or February, with tourists likely to fly into Auckland and be driven around the country by bus.

Marketing would primarily be done on the internet.

"A lot of these Tolkien fans will be academics so we need to have guides who know their stuff inside out."

- NZPA

Feature: Lord of the Rings