New Nomad Safaris trip celebrates decade of Lord of The Rings success

A New Zealand tour operator celebrating an impressive 10-year pedigree of Lord of the Rings scenic tours is adding another outstanding location to its portfolio.

As excitement builds once more around Lord of the Rings and the release of the first Hobbit movie, Queenstown-based Nomad Safaris is introducing a new Paradise Safaris Mavora Lakes trip to the more than 20 tour options it already offers year round.

As well as 4WD pioneer adventures, quad bike safaris and guided walks, Lord of the Rings tours have been a mainstay of the company since the first Sir Peter Jackson movie came out a decade ago.

“While many may have thought that interest would have died down for Lord of the Rings locations tours, we always believed they would have a lasting appeal,” said Nomad Safaris co-director David Gatward-Ferguson.

“We did our research on The Sound of Music tours in Austria, and could see there was an enduring market for film sites long after the movie came out.

“A large proportion of their tourism is based on those visitors and we see a similar pattern here in Queenstown.

“We’re pretty confident that the release of The Hobbit in December this year will only re-ignite interest all over again in these locations and the ones that will feature in the new film.

“We’re already working on new exclusive trips to ‘as-yet-to-be-revealed’ Hobbit locations that we plan to launch later this year.”

The Paradise Safaris Mavora Lakes adventure begins with a voyage from Queenstown across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak on vintage steamship the TSS Earnslaw.

From there Nomad’s knowledgeable guides will transport passengers to the heart of Mavora Lakes where they will learn about the many legends of the area, marvel at panoramic views and visit movie locations from the Lord of The Rings trilogy.

After a picnic lunch at Mavora Lakes, the trip returns to Walter Peak for a classic Kiwi Farm Show followed by afternoon tea at the Colonel’s Homestead before catching the Earnslaw back to Queenstown. Each trip departs at 9.45am and returns at 5.30pm.

Nomad Safaris has more than 20 tour options operating year-round, ranging from 4WD pioneer adventures in rugged Skippers Canyon and remote goldrush country Macetown, to quad bike safaris, guided walks and Lord of the Rings tours.

Nomad Safaris has run a series of tours in to the historical gold mining areas of Queenstown since 1988 and introduced Lord of The Rings location tours early in 2002.

Mr Gatward-Ferguson said trips ranged in length from two hours to all day, and operated year-round.

“Our trips can be fully customised for special interest and conference groups on request,” he said.

For more information about Nomad Safaris please visit www.nomadsafaris.co.nz