Visit Waikato Region with Mighway

The Waterworks

A Uniquely kiwi experience. The quirkiest theme park you will ever visit only 3 hours from Auckland on the 309, this side of the black stump. Laugh out loud fun for everyone.

Don’t just take our word for it, not that we are known for blowing our own horn but. Voted by AA Tourism as a must-do Kiwi Experience. Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence.

The Waterworks is a theme park with a difference. Set in 5 acres of native Coromandel Bush and just 10 minutes from Coromandel Town is an array of water powered inventions, quirky contraptions and fun to discover at every turn.

Hairy Feet Waitomo - Hobbit Scenic Film Location

Visit New Zealand's stunning Denize Bluffs farm and tour where Sir Peter Jackson, director of Lord of the Rings Trilogy, filmed the most location screen time for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The towering limestone cliffs, a primeval native forest and massive rock formations on this Piopio farm, near Waitomo became the location for Trollshaws Forest... and the home of "Sting"!

Join our personally guided tour and see where these scenes were filmed:

- The Company arriving at a destroyed farmhouse.

- The exit from the cave containing the troll hoard.

- Gandalf bestowing the sword, "Sting" upon Bilbo.

- Radagast arriving.

- The Orcs and Wargs attacking.

Have your photo taken standing in the exact spot where Bilbo received his magical sword, "Sting", from Gandalf.

Hobbiton Movie Set

On the most picturesque private farmland you can visit the Hobbiton Movie Set from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies in a fascinating two-hour guided tour. The set has been completely rebuilt for The Hobbit and will remain as it was seen in these films and The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies. our tour starts with a drive through the picturesque 1,250 acre sheep farm with spectacular views across to the Kaimai Ranges. Your guide will escort you through the twelve acre site recounting fascinating details of how the Hobbiton Movie set was created.

The Hobbit holes, Green Dragon™ Inn, Mill and other structures created for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films can be viewed and you will see how this beautiful piece of Waikato farmland was transformed into The Shire from Middle-Earth. Tours Depart daily from The Shire's Rest Cafe.

Craters Of The Moon

Only a few minutes north of Taupo and easily accessible off State Highway One, Craters of the Moon ('karapiti') is an active geothermal field and a formidable volcanic example of the inner earth’s fiery inferno bursting forth, not to mention a popular Taupo visitor attraction.

The terrain is filled with exposed steam vents and is constantly shifting, collapsing and reforming, giving Craters of the Moon its iconic uninhabited, otherworldly appearance. This popular Taupo attraction contains bubbling craters, colourful soils and plants that have adapted to and thriving in this hot environment. Boardwalks and pathways lead spectators safely through the area, avoiding the fumes and hot temperatures around the steam vents in this well-visited spot.

Craters of the Moon began to form in 1950 as a result of utilising the underground thermal energy in the Wairakei Valley. This area used to contain light geothermal activity until the construction of Wairakei Geothermal Power Station, approximately 2000 metres north of the field. The power station lowered underground water levels and as a result the fumaroles and mud pools became more active.

There was less water to cool the magma and the ground cavity which was previously full of water is now full of high-pressure sulphurous steam, creating the force responsible for the shifting and changing landscape. Formed over the past sixty years Craters of the Moon is now a must-see Taupo attraction, with its desolate moonscape and clouds of swirling steam.

Open every day except Christmas, the easy stroll is suited to all ages and fitness levels. Allow around 45 minutes to complete the loop and an additional 15 minutes for the upper lookout. This section is steep in places but the view is well worth the effort and highly recommended.