Twizel New Zealand – Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith

Twizel was a charming town with gorgeous foothills and mountains, featured in the Battle of Pelennor Fields in LOTR. We enjoyed a leisurely hike along the Dusky Trail and stayed at the tranquil Manuka Retreat. We also drove the stunning route along Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook National Park and the filming location for Minas Tirith.

Dusky Trail to Pelennor Fields

Pelennor Fields is on private land and a tour is required to go onto the field. Since we were limited on time, we opted for the DOC hike through the Ben Ohau range (Christchurch NZ Pelennor Fields guide). We hiked about 1.5 miles (30 minutes out-and-back) of the 23 km Dusky Trail (start location: 44°13’16.1″S 170°02’55.3″E). Along this easy walk, we were able to recognize many of the foothills and mountain ranges featured in the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

Manuka Retreat

We stayed at the phenomenal Manuka Retreat just outside of town. We savored Shapau Pizza and wine while relaxing on the patio, taking in the spectacular views of the foothills and mountains.

I am no man!

The exact spot where the Eowyn scene with the Witch King of Angmar was filmed is a bit unknown so I reenacted it at Pelennor Fields (Twizel), Minas Tirith (Mount Cook National Park), and Queen Elizabeth Park. I was getting better at the scene by the final take but still very scary how bad my acting is 🙂

For Frodo

Made a “For Frodo” shirt in remembrance of our cat, Frodo, that recently passed. We weren’t able to visit Rangipo Desert where the charge of the Black Gate was filmed, and Pelennor Fields seemed like a great place to wear it.

Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park (Minas Tirith)

We had extra time and decided to find the LOTR film location for Minas Tirith at Mount Cook National Park (Christchurch NZ Minas Tirith guide). The drive along the western shore of Lake Pukaki offers remarkable views of the lake and mountains. It’s a little tricky to find the parking location and path entrance so be sure to pin locations before you head there in case you lose cell service. There are many spots on the vast field that will provide close angles to those used for Minas Tirith in LOTR (our location: 43°44’49.2″S 170°07’28.6″E).