 The landscapes of Middle-earth were forged in the imagination of the author JRR Tolkien from places he had visited and the mythical lands he had encountered during his studies of ancient texts. His detailed descriptions of this land enabled the reader to imagine them within their mind in great detail.
Since New Zealand Director Peter Jackson released the first part of his epic film trilogy The Lord of the Rings all these thoughts have become three-dimensional, and the country of New Zealand, where all the filming was undertaken, has been transformed into Middle-earth.
Souvenir Sheet
All eight stamps feature on the Home of Middle-earth miniature sheet, together with a stunningly evocative image of the mighty warrior Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Legolas (Orlando Bloom), prince of the Elven Kingdom of Mirkwood. The two fight with passion and bravery, playing vital roles in the battles that determine the fate of Middle-earth.
The Ford of Bruinen/Skippers Canyon - 45c
Who can forget the scene where Arwen summoned a great flood to prevent the darkly malevolent Black Riders from crossing the Ford of Rivendell - and claiming the Ring for their master, Sauron? In reality, the Ford is the Shotover River, deep in Skippers Canyon near Queenstown - once the most prolific of the local goldfields and now a popular visitor destination. Meanwhile, you'll find the horses' track to the river on the banks of the Arrow River, only minutes away from the historic gold-mining village of Arrowtown.
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South of Rivendell/Mt Olympus - 90c
In the South Island's remote and spectacular Kahurangi National Park, a local helicopter pilot spotted an ideal site for the rough country south of Rivendell. Several months later, the cast and crew arrived to film the Fellowship seeking shelter from Suruman's 'crebain' (black crows) under the rocky outcrops of Mount Olympus. Sprouting from the side of the mountain, these rocks have twisted and cracked into surreal column-like shapes, stark pillars that add to the area's mystically magical air.
Edoras/Erewhon - $1.50
Further south, and within deep valleys hidden near Mount Sunday in the towering Southern Alps, the Rings team created the Rohirrim city of Edoras and the Golden Hall, home of King Theoden. In this rocky, weather-beaten terrain, the crew spent 11 months constructing the elaborate set for the capital city of Rohan, the land of fabled horses and valiant warriors. The magnificent edifice attracted curious, camera-bearing visitors for many weekends, only too happy to make the journey from Christchurch over the flat Canterbury Plains to this elusive realm of snow-capped peaks.
Mordor/Tongariro - $2.00
The Great Battle of the Last Alliance, marking the end of the Second Age of Middle-earth, was filmed in the starkly dramatic Tongariro National Park - home to Mount Ruapehu, the highest mountain in the North Island. The landscape of blasted volcanic rock, steep bluffs and ash at Iwikau Village was the perfect location for Mount Doom, the epicentre of evil, home to the dark Lord Sauron and the place where the One Ring was first forged.
Souvenir Sheet VFNH
$19.95 CDN
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