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Remember the site of the mighty Argonath or Pillar of the Kings from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.? While those massive imposing statues with their hand outstretched were computer generated, the gorge and river they are traveling down are real. The famous scene was filmed in the Kawarau Gorge on the South Island of New Zealand just out of Queenstown.

The Kawarau Gorge is a key part of any Lord of the Rings Tour of New Zealand. No trip to New Zealand is complete without visiting Queenstown and learning why this area was chosen to be the mystical land of Middle Earth (and why it is the center of adventure sports in the Southern Hemisphere). Queenstown is an excellent base from which to explore much of the best New Zealand has on offer.

The Kawarau Gorge Is In The Heart Of Middle Earth

The Kawarau Gorge is just about as stunning in real life as one is led to believe in the movie. It runs through some of the world's southernmost alpine vineyards - rights through the wine-growing community of Gibbston.

Take the time to same the acclaimed Central Otago Pinot Noirs as well as white varieties such as Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Tour an impressive selection of wineries, restaurants, and breweries dotting the valley in which the Kawarau River flows.

It is located in the heart of Central Otago - and it was Central Otago where most of the scenes of Middle Earth were filmed. The region here offers many of the most eye-watering landscapes of New Zealand.

The area is known to have New Zealand's most spectacular autumns. New Zealand is one of the windiest countries on earth (the capital, Wellington, is often considered to be the windiest in the world). But here in the center of the South Island and protected by mountain ranges, the trees are protected from the winds and turn beautiful golden colors.

Related: Hobbiton Is On New Zealand's North Island, And This Is Everything You Need To Know Before You Go

Beauty Of The Kawarau Gorge & Activities To Enjoy In And Around The Gorge

The Kawarau River drains from Lake Wakatipu (the large and stunning lake that Queenstown rests on). Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of the world. Go kayaking and riverboarding and then bungy jump headlong into the gorge from the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge. The Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge is the site of the first commercial bungy jumping site in the world.

  • Height: 43 Meters
  • Bungy Jumping: First Commerical Bungy Jumping Site In The World

Towering over the Kawarau Gorge are the mountains the Remarkables and Coronet - both home to two of the most acclaimed ski resorts in the Southern Hemisphere. Queenstown is at the heart of skiing in New Zealand.

The area is also the center of the Otago Gold Rush of the 1860s. Visitors can see the preserved remains of several miners' cottages (they were mostly used by Chinese migrants). See the Roaring Meg hydro scheme and the Goldfields Mining Centre (where visitors can go gold panning).

Related: Lord Of The Rings: 25 Things Most People Don't Know About Where It Was Filmed

Whitewater Rafting & Kayaking On The Kawarau Gorge

The Kawarau Gorge is a trip through the wonders of Middle Earth and is a mecca for whitewater fans. Some of its notable rapids are called 'Smiths Falls', 'Twin Bridges', the appropriately named 'Do Little Do Nothing' and the 400-meter-long 'Chinese Dog Leg'.

River Boarding (a pioneer in the sport) offers riverboarding tours down the Kawarau River. The Kawarau River is the home of river surfing and people get experience the thrill of riding grade 2 to 3 rapids on modified bodyboards. Experience the fun of surfing standing waves, riding whirlpools, squirting, and more.

River Surfing:

  • Level: Level 3
  • Age Restriction: 8+
  • Duration: 4.5 Hours
  • Cost: From $235 NZD ($140 USD)

Visitors can also go whitewater rafting on the Kawarau River with Challenge Rafting. Their rafting package combines two of Queenstown's most iconic adventures - jet boating and whitewater rafting.

  • Grade: 2-3
  • Duration: 3-4 Hours
  • Cost: $219 NZD ($130 USD)

Between the rapids as one coasts over the calmer stretches of river, sit back and picture the gorge as it was in Lord of the Rings and imagine being in the world of Middle Earth.

Arguably the most adrenaline-gushing place to go whiter rafting is on the Zambezi just under Victoria Falls in Africa.