“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

-- J. R. R. Tolkien

When I first visited New Zealand it was a very short trip, and a very unsuccessful one. Every sight I was hoping to see was fraught with problems caused by the weather. It was like we'd stumbled into Moria and awoken a Balrog that had followed us all the way to Mordor (or Tongariro rather). Nine years later it was time to make that long-expected return to the country that had doubled as Middle Earth. What would we face this time?

Contents

• Trip Preparation
• Day 1 - Leicester to London
• Days 2-3 - London to Singapore to Auckland
• Day 4 - Exploring Auckland
• Day 5 - Queenstown
• Day 6 - Milford Sound
• Day 7 - Te Anau
• Day 8 - Doubtful Sound
• Day 9 - The Pelennor Fields
• Day 10 - Alpine Exploration
• Day 11 - Coromandel Peninsula
• Day 12 - Te Rā!
• Day 13 - Hobbiton
• Day 14 - Mount Doom
• Day 15 - A Short Rest
• Day 16 - Wai-o-tapu
• Day 17 - Ruakuri
• Days 18-19 - The Return Journey