The highlight of the area has to be Mount Ngauruhoe which was used as the stand in for Mount Doom ââ¬â the place where the one ring was forged and then (spoiler alert!) ultimately destroyed by the hobbits. Itââ¬â¢s hard not to be impressed by this incredibly conical 2000 year old mountain peak, which is essentially a gigantic mound of ash. You can climb Mount Doom / Ngauruhoe, from the car park it is a five to six hour return walk. Be aware though that this is not a simple task ââ¬â the entire cone is largely constructed of soft ash, so is somewhat akin to climbing a sand dune. Down is far easier than up. The views from the top though rival any view you can get in New Zealand. As well as Mount Doom there are a whole range of other locations in the area. Most notable of these is the Emyn Muil area, which was filmed on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, the north islandââ¬â¢s highest peak. Finding this location is easy ââ¬â park in the car park at the ââ¬Åtop of the Bruceââ¬Â, a short drive from Whakapapa village, and head to the bottom of the chair lift.
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