I found this brief article in the local paper this morning and thought some of you might find it interesting.
Looking for a holiday in Mordor
January 22 2003
Overseas tourists are trying to book trips to Middle Earth without realising it’s fictional.
Places featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and two films directed by New Zealand’s Peter Jackson, such as Mordor and Rivendell, have become popular holiday destinations on Internet search site Yahoo Travel.
Mordor is the stronghold of the forces of darkness and Rivendell is the elves’ picturesque refuge in a deep valley near the Misty Mountains.
Yahoo.co.uk travel producer Morgan Williams said it was interesting to see the effect certain films could have on people’s imagination. “Personally I’d never want to go to Mordor. The film’s real location, New Zealand, on the other hand, is a truly magical place,” he said.
The latest Rings film, The Two Towers, has also sparked considerable interest in visiting real places in New Zealand.