EXPECTED BEAUTY. UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.

The new film, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” has been racking up critical acclaim and fan praise since its release. The fantastical film, based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic book of the same name, transports its audience to New Zealand, as its rolling meadows, shivering streams, and ceaseless horizons stand in for Middle Earth. New Zealand is a place of wonder where jagged mountain peaks reach up through clouds and have the magical ability to move you to tears. It’s a place that looks untouched by human hands. In fact, there aren’t many places left on earth that, when gazing upon them, you feel as though you’re the only person to see them in decades, maybe even centuries.

Many fans of “The Hobbit” and the rest of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy are so enthralled by the locations of the epics, they want to experience it themselves. The New Zealand board of tourism has embraced the Tolkien lovers, organizing full itineraries that outline the filming locations as well as where to get an excellent second breakfast.