Tongariro National Park: Mordor
-Tongariro National Park served as the filming location of Mordor, the stronghold of the evil lord Sauron
-The park is home to the Grand Chateau, one of New Zealand's most renowned hotels
-Tongariro is home to Mount Ruapehu, the highest peak of the North Island
-Mount Ruapehu is a volcano, with eruptions in the last century spreading ash as far as Wellington; the mountain is part of a volcanic chain
that stretches as far as Tonga, an archipelago in the South Pacific
-The filming locations are about a hour's drive from Lake Taupo, one of New Zealand's largest lakes
-Landscape from Tongariro is featured in the scenes depicting the heart of Mordor, a barren and desolate wasteland
-Not all of Tongariro's landscapes is rough and unwelcoming; the area also sports large amounts of forested area
A stream from the Tongariro region
Mount Ruapehu, the North Island's highest peak
Tongariro as Mordor, with a little help from digital animation