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Source: Shyong Foo
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Hobbit rumors continue as Sir Peter Jackson has been denied access to Mt. Ngauruhoe, aka Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. With only five weeks until cameras start rolling, the Maori have refused to let Jackson film there once again, as they consider the mountain sacred. Now Jackson is forced to look at other locations such as Southern Alps as well as New Zealand’s Lake Wanaka and Mt Taranaki.Meanwhile Aratiatia Rapids, located in the middle of New Zealand’s north island, is preparing for Jackson and his crew to arrive. It’s roaring waters have caught the producers’ eyes, so the site will be closed for four days, for the filming of The Hobbit. In an article released by the nzherald, Jonathan Milne writes,“While production company 3foot7 Ltd isn’t saying what role the Aratiatia Rapids will play in The Hobbit, it is possible they could feature as the Forest River, down which Bilbo and his dwarf friends float in (and on) wine barrels to escape the elves of Mirkwood.” He further writes, “Wanaka would seem a perfect candidate for Laketown, the town devastated by the wrath of Smaug till the dragon was brought down by the black arrow of Bard the Bowman”
Wanaka is located on the south island of New Zealand and has been reported by the Otago Daily Times to be “…in the sights of the makers of ‘The Hobbit’.”
Sources: Otago Daily Times, nzhearld
