“What business does an Elf, a Man, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark?”

Amidst snow-capped mountains on the South Island of New Zealand lies a striking slope overlooking the sweeping Rangitata Valley. This impressive hill was the location of Edoras, the capital city of Rohan, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And wow, was the view magnificent.

We stayed the night in Methven, which is a quaint ski town a little over an hour and a half away from Christchurch. The morning of our trip we eagerly awaited our 4 Wheel Drive jeep to pick us up.

….Thinking back, my shoe-choice for this trip was probably questionable: low-heeled boots (oops); they’re my travel go-to footwear and super comfortable/a perfect fit, so I figured they’d be fine. I know hiking enthusiasts out there might be looking down on me right now- but the hiking wasn’t difficult, and I had walking poles to help me along …but I should still buy myself a good pair of hiking boots one of these days. I’m also probably one of the few who has hiked up in a dress, but who needs pants?!

Our only other companion for the tour was a lovely Sri Lankan-American woman, who wasn’t a rabid Lord of the Rings fan like us but joined the tour simply for the experience. Our tiny group was a great match, and we were all excited for the beauty that lay around us (because New Zealand is just incredible).

Edoras was filmed on Mount Sunday – named not for an actual mountain, but because boundary riders from the nearby high-country stations would meet there every Sunday.  It was mostly a remote country sheep station until Peter Jackson and the LOTR crew arrived. It took 9 months to build the set including the Golden Hall (Meduseld) and the surrounding buildings. It was even more of a massive undertaking due to the typically high winds that rush through the valley.  

As we turned onto the gravel Hakatere Potts road, overtaking a small car crawling along with our monster-sized off-road capable vehicle, I was awed by the utter beauty surrounding us. Imposing mountains in the distance, vibrant blue lakes, golden tussock grass gently waving in the wind …and a storm brewing on the horizon.

We stopped near a lake to stretch our legs, then went on to look at Edoras from afar. The dark skies on the horizon were advancing, and a light drizzle started. I started to become worried that we’d have to climb up to the hill’s summit in a downpour.

Returning to our jeep, we jostled down to the end of the gravel road, through a parking lot, and onto the rugged dirt path (if you can call it a path) toward Mount Sunday. When we reached a relatively sizeable stream, our guide had us unbuckle our seatbelts, rolled down the windows, and drove into the water. It felt like such a fun adventure (yes, just driving through a little water), it was somewhat deep and leaked through the bottom of the doors a little. Off-roading! First time ever.

Dodging a few cows we parked at the bottom of Mount Sunday and exited. There was a funny-looking cow standing to the side staring at us with its’ mouth hanging open full of grass, he looked shocked we were there (so cute). The other few cows near us mostly ignored our presence, more interested in their abundance of food.

To add to our tour, our guide had brought along some necessities: hiking sticks and swords. One of which was Andúril, Flame of the West, the reforged sword Narsil (aka Aragorn’s sword). We grabbed our chosen weapons, hiked up to the summit, and once we reached it my breath was stolen by the spectacle. The 360-degree panoramic view of the valley and mountains in the distance was phenomenal.

Usually, the area is incredibly windy, but even though the storm clouds slowly crept towards us, we were actually lucky to have only a slight breeze at the top. Climbing around, we found where the Golden Hall formerly stood, and in the distance the exterior of Helm’s Deep. None of the set remains, as it was imperative for the production to remove everything brought to the site to preserve the environment, but some small evidence remains in the form of a few bolts here and there.

Apparently, Viggo Mortensen, who portrayed Aragorn, stayed overnight camping under the stars on Mount Sunday during the filming. Stories about Viggo Mortensen seem to be a favorite of New Zealanders on Lord of the Rings tours; he also frightened the locals of Wellington when he practiced his sword technique around town and had people thinking there was a mad-man on the loose.

As rain finally started to pour down onto our heads, we made our way back down to the jeep and then out toward the front of Mount Sunday, where those hiking up from the parking lot would make their pilgrimage up the hill. We got out walked around, crossing over a small bridge and admiring our last views of Edoras, we didn’t mind the rain.

Our tour ended at the nearby Mt Potts Lodge with a picnic lunch, chatting over sandwiches and champagne. It was a magical day in Middle-earth, and is truly a trip worth taking, even if you aren’t a Lord of the Rings fan.

Getting to Edoras

Hassle-Free Tours: https://hasslefreetours.co.nz/
Cost: $299.00 NZD (about $195 USD)
Pick Up Locations: from Christchurch or Methven
(this is the tour we took)

You can drive there yourself! (and save a chunk of change) But beware: It is a gravel road, and not ideal for cars without 4 Wheel Drive, and a lot of car rental policies prohibit driving on gravel roads (though if you drive slowly and wash the car afterward you’re probably fine if you’re willing to risk it). It is a long road, and you will pass a little town/holiday village before you get there. You will have to park in a gravel parking lot a distance away, it will be on your left, and take about a 30-45 minute hike to get to Edoras/Mount Sunday.

Wear appropriate shoes! (not like me) Although the hike is relatively easy, there are a lot of rocks and cow pies to navigate around and you don’t want to twist an ankle.

Accommodation: Methven is a great place to stay if you are visiting (and much closer to Mount Sunday than Christchurch), there are hotels and hostel-type accommodations, whichever you prefer. I’d also recommend the Irish pub: The Dubliner (http://www.dubliner.co.nz/), for food, it was delicious and the service was excellent.

Other things to note: We traveled to Mount Sunday in May, during the off-season, and were lucky to have Edoras to ourselves save one other couple who wandered up near when we were about to depart. From other blogs and pictures I have seen, it does seem like there can be a lot of people on the trail during the high-season – But! It is nothing near the crowds at Hobbiton as this location is much more remote. Plan your time according to your desire.

Looking for some more Middle-Earth?

Read about my journey to Hobbiton here

Have you traveled to Middle-earth? Or want to? Share a comment below, I’d love to hear about your adventures!