I CAN'T BELIEVE IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE THIS, part 2

Here we go... sorry about the delay. Also, sorry about all the misspelled names of characters. I'm too lazy to look the correct spellings up.

Lord of the Rings. Something most Kiwis (read: my Kiwi host) don't care about. Something I still hesitate to tell people ("Hey, what are you doing this weekend?" "Er... I'm doing a horse trek... of Middle Earth..." awkward moment while I gage what the other person thinks of LOTR).

So clearly, LOTR put NZ on the map for me. Really, it was all the extras I watched diligently with Sara again and again. And yes, visiting the real Middle Earth was a top priority for me. And yes, my slightly worrisome obsession with all (most, I don't know Elvish and I never will!) things LOTR, led to me saying repeatedly, "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE THIS!" 

(a guide's horse)

So, Sunday morning, again dawned far too early (7:30). We checked out of our lovely hostel and (this is something that is so awesome about NZ) we were picked up at our hostel and taken to Dart Stables 45 min outside of Queenstown. (Where in America does the tourist company actually take really good care of the customers? Picking and dropping them off?) 

We stopped real quick on the drive out to see where the olliphants attacked. It looks exactly the same.

From there we were taken to our horses and we began our journey into Middle Earth/ other movie sets. 

(me and Priesly)

I saw the field Hugh Jackman ran through naked in Wolverine. 

I saw where Boromir died. Also where Prince Caspian fell off is horse and blew the horn that called the great kings and queens of old back to Narnia.

I saw Isengard. 

I saw where Frodo met Galadrial and she tried to take the ring.

Really, Lothlorian forest didn't really look the same in real life... but Isengard was amazing. And riding horses was amazing, if very painful afterward.