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Lord of the Rings - Edoras

Nestled in the Hakatere Conservation Park on Mt Potts station sits Mt Sunday - a sheer-sided hill in the middle of an expansive plain in the Rangitata River valley - a hill made famous by Peter Jackson's oscar winning trilogy, The Lord of the Rings.

Mt Sunday was the set for Edoras, the capital of Rohan and home to Meduseld, the hall of King Theoden. The fortress city was seen  in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The production crew took nine months to build the set at the top of sheer cliffs, building Golden Hall and surrounding buildings at the top, with the gatehouse and more buildings at its foot.

"Mount Potts, near Methven, provided some of the most glorious locations, with an isolated hill in wide valley, buttressed by sheer cliffs, which couldn't have been closer to Tolkien's Edoras.
We built the exterior of the Golden Hall and surrounding building on top with the gatehouse and more buildings at it foot, with everything in between added post-production."
Alan Lee - Conceptual Artist/Set Decorator, The Lord of The Rings

At the end of filming the set was dismantled and the area returned to its natural state. Although none of the actual set remains, the spectacular views of Mt Sunday sitting all alone in an expansive river plain surrounded by the Southern Alps is well worth the trip, not to mention the scenery you pass through to get there.

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From: To: Mt Sunday

Access to Mt Sunday is via Hakatere Potts Road. While it is possible to park your car on the side of the road and walk up to Mount Sunday by yourself we really do recommend that you take a guided tour.