Today, we're in Tongariro National Park, in the centre of the North Island. The park is home to three of New Zealand's Volcanoes: Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe. Mount Ngauruhoe was used as Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies.

We spent the morning wandering around the slopes near the Whakapapa Village. It was here that more scenes from LOTR were shot. The volcanic landscape was ideal for Mordor. Some of the more famous scenes, were the one where Sauron's finger was sliced off, with the ring on it. Also where Sam and Frodo joined the marching Orcs.

It's a funny landscape, and so hard to picture covered in the snow that makes it New Zealand's favourite ski area.