Palliser Bay Seals & Lord of the Rings Day Tour

Get off the beaten tourist track on this tour of amazing scenic diversity. From world famous Lord of the Rings film locations to wondrous mountain ranges, elegant villages, boutique wineries, rural farmlands, and the rugged and untamed Palliser Bay.

Combine the breathtakingly scenic Lord of the Rings sites with a spot of wine tasting and lunch on this full day out in Wellington’s surrounds. 

In the Wairarapa district you will visit the charming town of Featherston and then stop at a local Martinborough winery to taste the pinot noir and sauvignon blanc that the region is known for.  Continue through the sleepy fishing village of Ngawi on the wild south coast in the midst of fantastic natural coastal scenery.  It is then on to Palliser Bay, home to the largest seal colony in the North Island where seals literally lie in the grass on the roadside.

Your tour starts with the retro Embassy Theatre where the world premiere of Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took place in 2003.  Next you will head up Mt Victoria to see the Hobbiton Woods where the Hobbits hid from the Nazgul.  The lookout at the top of Mt Victoria provides you with wonderful 360 degree views over the city and Cook Strait. Helm’s Deep, the site of the battle between King Theodore of Rohan and the Orcs, Rivendell, the home of the Elves, and the Great River Anduin that flowed through Middle Earth all merit a visit as you head up through the Hutt Valley and over the Rimutaka Ranges.