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Lord of the Rings


Guest rediguana

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Guest rediguana

Righto. Recently read LOTR, and saw FOTR. Loved it. Awesome story and movie. Now I think we have the opportunity to make some caches that no-one else in the world can, because the movies are filmed here. I would like to track down some of the locations, and where possible (ie if the land is public) place a cache, or maybe a virtual cache with some information about the particular scene and the location etc. Check out the flash presentations at www.purenz.com which details some of the places involved. I imagine a fair bit of research will be required. But it could be loads of fun. I think it would be quite cool.

 

Cheers Gav

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Guest tgsnoopy

re was apparently a set near the desert road up against the mountains, but I understand it is difficult to access. Still it might be worth looking into. Anyone know anyone who might be able to help with first hand information?

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Guest tgsnoopy

I know that one of the filming locations was near Matamata, other side of the Kaimai Ranges from me (nearest cache is 12469 - Stairway to Heaven). Trouble is, to the best of my knowledge all the locations were on privately owned land and are not publucly accessible. There was apparently a set near the desert road up against the mountains, but I understand it is difficult to access. Still it might be worth looking into. Anyone know anyone who might be able to help with first hand information?

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Guest tgsnoopy

Wow, talk about asking forbidden questions, no-one will actually divulge the real locations. However I am on to a positive lead re the set near Matamata, although it appears it's actually closer to Hinuera. Wish me luck it sounds like I'm going to need it. Here's hoping. Now, who's the expert who's going to help create a themed cache for placement there if I can get permission?

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Guest rediguana

quote:
Originally posted by tgsnoopy:

Wish me luck it sounds like I'm going to need it.


 

Hehe. That one is on private property, and the owner isn't letting people come onto the property because of a contract with the movie company. That was in the news just last week, as lots of disappointed tourists wanted to see Hobbiton - which is the set at that site.

 

We may have to accept just setting a cache nearby on public land, and then including as much reference material and information as possible in the cache. I might head up to Erewhon sometime in the next couple of weeks, and see how close I can get there...

 

Cheers Gav

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Guest tgsnoopy

You just hit the nail on the head Gav. I found out who the land owner was via a firm that does work for him, that I used to do work for. The contract is pretty darn tight. He is unable to allow public access to the set area on his property until after the final movie in the trilogy has had it's premiere. The exception of course is if the movie company allows a franchised tour operation, however that is unlikely until they are 100% sure they won't be needing the set again, but I understand it is being considered due to high number of requests. It seems this will be the case with all set locations. It's a darn nice location though, and oh the temptation to get closer for a better look. Never mind, in time I guess.

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Guest BigNick

quote:
It's a darn nice location though, and oh the temptation to get closer for a better look.

Are you not keen on dressing as a sheep and sneeking onto the farm icon_smile.gif (Don't do it durning tailing season eek.gif )

Nick

 

[This message has been edited by BigNick (edited 18 February 2002).]

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Guest BigNick

quote:
It's a darn nice location though, and oh the temptation to get closer for a better look.

Are you not keen on dressing as a sheep and sneeking onto the farm icon_smile.gif (Don't do it durning tailing season eek.gif )

Nick

 

[This message has been edited by BigNick (edited 18 February 2002).]

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I'm very tempted to place a Mount Doom or a Mordor cache. I've been wanting to tackle Tongariro for a while, this might just provide the motivation. Have you had any ideas for the themed cache Snoop? Maybe all the LOTR caches should be linked in some way, like a Multi-Cache Quest. It could even somehow follow along the lines of Frodos quest

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Guest rediguana

l be suitable places around to locate a cache - I guess one will just have to go and do a bit of research icon_wink.gif

 

Cheers Gav

 

[This message has been edited by rediguana (edited 19 February 2002).]

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Guest rediguana

quote:
Originally posted by Adman:

Maybe all the LOTR caches should be linked in some way, like a Multi-Cache Quest.


 

I was thinking things like

 

* near standard naming so all the caches are recognised as a series, perhaps even numbered ie LOTR #4 - Mt Doom ...

 

* including printed information about the region, how it was used, and its role in the overall epic. e.g. Mt Doom was where Sauron forged a fair few rings, including the Ruling Ring. It is therefore the only place that it can be destroyed ra ra ra. And so on. Perhaps a map of Middle Earth showing where it was, and where abouts on the journey they went there.

 

* perhaps if anyone has LOTR paperbacks, they could act as a library cache, where someone takes the book reads it, and returns it to another LOTR cache, see where the book travels icon_smile.gif

 

* there is bound to be other options, with all sorts of LOTR product coming out

 

Just some ideas. Even if I can't get to exactly the location of the filming, I would still like to place a cache as close as is practical nearby. E.g. Rohan in the Erewhon which is my closest, may be on PP but I'm sure there will be suitable places around to locate a cache - I guess one will just have to go and do a bit of research icon_wink.gif

 

Cheers Gav

 

[This message has been edited by rediguana (edited 19 February 2002).]

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Guest rediguana

l be suitable places around to locate a cache - I guess one will just have to go and do a bit of research icon_wink.gif

 

Cheers Gav

 

[This message has been edited by rediguana (edited 19 February 2002).]

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Guest rediguana

quote:
Originally posted by Adman:

Maybe all the LOTR caches should be linked in some way, like a Multi-Cache Quest.


 

I was thinking things like

 

* near standard naming so all the caches are recognised as a series, perhaps even numbered ie LOTR #4 - Mt Doom ...

 

* including printed information about the region, how it was used, and its role in the overall epic. e.g. Mt Doom was where Sauron forged a fair few rings, including the Ruling Ring. It is therefore the only place that it can be destroyed ra ra ra. And so on. Perhaps a map of Middle Earth showing where it was, and where abouts on the journey they went there.

 

* perhaps if anyone has LOTR paperbacks, they could act as a library cache, where someone takes the book reads it, and returns it to another LOTR cache, see where the book travels icon_smile.gif

 

* there is bound to be other options, with all sorts of LOTR product coming out

 

Just some ideas. Even if I can't get to exactly the location of the filming, I would still like to place a cache as close as is practical nearby. E.g. Rohan in the Erewhon which is my closest, may be on PP but I'm sure there will be suitable places around to locate a cache - I guess one will just have to go and do a bit of research icon_wink.gif

 

Cheers Gav

 

[This message has been edited by rediguana (edited 19 February 2002).]

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quote:
Originally posted by rediguana:

near standard naming so all the caches are recognised as a series, perhaps even numbered ie LOTR #4 - Mt Doom


 

Great Idea ...

 

Perhaps if the caches were put in order of Frodos quest and clues were given each cache that helps find the next cache. Because the caches will be so far apart geographically, maybe the clues could be something also retreived from the books, so it wouldn't be a requirement to visit them in order.

 

quote:
Originally posted by rediguana:

perhaps if anyone has LOTR paperbacks, they could act as a library cache, where someone takes the book reads it, and returns it to another LOTR cache, see where the book travels


 

Perhaps a travel bug could be attached to the books

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Guest HunterGatherer

quote:
Originally posted by rediguana:

* perhaps if anyone has LOTR paperbacks, they could act as a library cache, where someone takes the book reads it, and returns it to another LOTR cache, see where the book travels icon_smile.gif

 

]


 

I have a spare copy of The Fellowship of the Ring that i'm willing to contribute.

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Guest HunterGatherer

quote:
Originally posted by rediguana:

* perhaps if anyone has LOTR paperbacks, they could act as a library cache, where someone takes the book reads it, and returns it to another LOTR cache, see where the book travels icon_smile.gif

 

]


 

I have a spare copy of The Fellowship of the Ring that i'm willing to contribute.

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Guest Nemesis

quote:
Originally posted by rediguana:

* near standard naming...


 

Yeah, we will need to be able to distinguish them from those that may soon be placed in the states (with identical names). LOTR caches are a great idea, but as you say, we may not be able to place a cache on the exact spot. Placing them nearby would be fine, especially if there was a view of the actual location.

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

 

[This message has been edited by Nemesis (edited 21 February 2002).]

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Lookie what I just found...

 

http://nzfpm.marketeer.co.nz/category.pasp?emguid=DA80C4EC00084290A0966E2E47EBAFE4&categoryid=43

 

Might try and pick one up tomorrow. Most interestingly, "As well as detailed maps and easy to follow directions, GPS references are provided to accurately pinpoint major locations. ". icon_smile.gif

 

Looks like we could get this project going again. I personally think it would be best if we did this in a community fashion rather than by individuals - of course individuals will be left to do some of the placing etc.

 

This could get interesting icon_wink.gif

 

Cheers Gav

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quote:
Originally posted by BigNick:

Apparently you have hidden two caches quite close to a filming area already.


 

Turns out more even... Secret Swings is very close to three different LOTR locations.

 

In the coming days I will enter all the coordinates into EasyGPS, and can email them in EasyGPS or TopoMap to people. At the least it will be interesting to go to these locations via mapping software and see where they are.

 

I wonder if there are copyright issues with sharing this data??

 

Cheers Gav

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Excellent idea Gav. As for copyright, modify the decimal place by 1 unit in a known direction or convert the WGS84 ti Geod49 and problem solved, as long as we know what you did so we can undo it.

 

Copyright shouldn't apply to something like a location indicator in my opinion, however you never know, so a slight modification is neccessary, you can't be done if they are different.

 

I'm quite keen to look at the different sites used around the country, even if only on a Topo map initially icon_smile.gif. It's a pity the one over in the neraby (to me) Matamata/Hinuera area was destroyed (it was part of the agreement with the landowner, he didn't want people asking to come on to his land to look at it). icon_frown.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by TeamHunterGatherer:

In the FOTR... at the end. after they paddle past The Aragornath... they beach they're canoes... any ideas?


 

Well, the book is back in Chch, and I'm on the road for a few days. The river shots leading up to it were down around Te Anau, near the Kepler Track, and I think the landing you are talking about was on the shores of the Mavora Lakes SSW of Queenstown. I went there last November and it certainly would fit the bill. I can confirm in 10 days or so.

 

Cheers Gav

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let me know if people are going ahead with a LOTR set of caches. Rivendell is just up the road from me at Kaitoke and is a lovely area - one I was thinking would be a nice place for a cache. Not sure of the exact location of the filming though.

 

The quarry used for Helms Deep etc is just South of me in Lower Hutt. Private land I would think and as far as I can see it just looks like a boring old quarry these days! For ages while they were fiming you could see rather spectacluar sets of towers etc from the motorway. There may be somewhere to put a cache that would have a view of the location. Not exactly spectacular NZ scenery it must be said!!

 

Ella.

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Yes Hobbiton is available to the public with guided tours for $50.00 each according to the paper. I was told (and aparently it was also on the news) that it was destroyed after the completion of filming. Obviously it wasn't. I haven't followed it up yet, but it is a cache site I intend to investigate if someone doesn't beat me to it icon_wink.gif.

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quote:
Originally posted by tgsnoopy:

Excellent idea Gav. As for copyright, modify the decimal place by 1 unit in a known direction or convert the WGS84 ti Geod49 and problem solved, as long as we know what you did so we can undo it.


 

Copyright violations can be avoided by measuring the locations ourselves.

 

I have just been up around Mavora Lakes for a few days. I found that most of the locations mentioned in the LOTR Location Guidebook are highly inaccurate anyway.

 

I placed a cache near the Orc Mound (Beside Fangorn Forest). It is close to the road and on government land (I think), if not, it should be OK as the LOTR Location Guidebook encorages visitors, therefore, I suspect that many more LOTR fans will visit than Geocachers.

 

As for naming conventions, I have chosen Fallen Ent, as the cache is in one of the locations used for Fangorn Forest. It would be difficult to choose a specific name that covers all of the locations nearby. It might be called Fangorn Forest, Orc Mound, etc. If we do come up with some convention, I will change the name of the cache.

 

The contents of the cache are quite standard. Maybe I will encorage visitors to leave LOTR related items.

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

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quote:
Originally posted by Nemesis:

Copyright violations can be avoided by measuring the locations ourselves.


 

Yes I have been having a discussion with BigNick about this. I also think that while we can't share the printed coordinates, there is nothing wrong with using those coordinates to find the spots, and then marking our own waypoints, which may well prove to be more accurate icon_wink.gif

 

quote:
I found that most of the locations mentioned in the LOTR Location Guidebook are highly inaccurate anyway.

 

Do you think the coords may in fact be GD49 so as to work with topo maps?

 

Congrats on placing the first rings cache! I have one in mind that I hope to place in a couple of weeks. And maybe even more to boot. But I have a little planning to do first icon_wink.gif

 

Cheers Gav

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quote:
Originally posted by rediguana:

...there is nothing wrong with using those coordinates to find the spots, and then marking our own waypoints...

 

Do you think the coords may in fact be GD49 so as to work with topo maps?


 

I agree, that's what I did.

 

I used WGS'84 and assumed that they may have been GD'49, but, I found that some were spot on (within 5 m), while others were out by over 30 m. It may have been that either one or both the original marker and I had a poor lock and/or poor geometry. This may have caused the WGS'84 and GD'49 locations to appear similar due to random variation. I wish they had printed the datum used in The LOTR Location Guidebook.

 

Cheers,

Donovan.

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quote:
Originally posted by brentc:

I spoke with the very sanctimonious MapWorld Chch this morning and was informed that the datum would be GD49 as the new 2000 doesn't come into force for another 2 years.


 

Hehe gotta love that! linz gd2000 fact sheet

 

Well assuming they used a Garmin, and that they didn't change the default WGS-84 setting, they would have been using a system that is compatible with GD2000 (well within about 100mm anyway icon_wink.gif )

 

Of course they could have changed it, but if they were that smart they should have known to print what datum they were using. But by the sound of the randomness of errors - it was probably just bad readings icon_smile.gif

 

Cheers Gav

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