Prior to LOTR, my knowledge of NZ was:

Nienna

Nienna

Rohan
Prime Minister John Key thinks that LOTR has helped to raise New Zealand's profile on the world stage and he'd like to further this with NZ's continued involvement in The Hobbit.
I thought it would be interesting to see what your knowlege of New Zealand was like, prior to LOTR and also if LOTR has encouraged you to visit us
Thank you
 
I knew it quite well, but hadn't had the opportunity to visit until after LOTR (been back twice more since and will go again). The reason for my trips were not LOTR related, but each time I have taken the opportunity to visit sites etc. NZ is an amazing country - highly recommended[:)]
 
I saw it in May this year when work on the update was well underway[:)]

But, my fvt location has to be Mt Sunday - went there a few years ago right up onto where the Edoras building site had been, with the wind howling - stunning, stunning location!!

I also absolutely adored Twizel (Pelennor Fields) - basically anywhere in the South Island[sly] - although this year we went up the Coramandel and across to Napier - seriously no country deserves such beautiful landscapes[;)]
 
Before LOTR: (pretty young ages)

Average knowledge perhaps - knew that NZ was an old english colony, I knew how their flag looked (was a flag-maniac at young ages, I knew all the flags of Europe and most of the other continents too) but I always mixed the flag up with Australia. I knew where it was situated on the world map and that they spoke english.
 
and went on a LOTR-tour of the country.

New Zealand was already on the list of countries I wanted to visit (had heard of friends and colleagues who went how beautiful it was).
So when I could also mix it with my LOTR-addiction traveling to NZ became even higher on my wish-list.
I went in 2005 (3 weeks) and totally loved it. I started in Auckland, went to the Waitomo Caves (wonderful), Tongariro, Napier (I love architecture), Wellington, Kaikoura and Christchurch. In Christchurch the LOTR-tour started. Mt. Sunday/Edoras really was one of the highlights. We had stunning weather that day and not even that much wind. But I absolutely loved everything on the tour, landscape was stunning and people very friendly.
 
I knew where it was (approximately) and I think I'd been told by some friends in high school that it was supposed to be the last place nuclear fallout would reach (something about wind patterns carrying the fallout away from the islands) and that's why they had such a strict immigration policy.

But these were the same guys who had a plan to take over the world from Antarctica because the nations of the world couldn't nuke them there or it would melt the ice and destroy the world!!, so I dunno how accurate it was [cool]
 
I knew where it is on the map, a little of its history, and a little about its native fauna. But mostly NZ was just those two islands near Australia, that weren't Tasmania. [:P]
 
Not surprised you got the flags of NZ and Australia mixed up - even kids from both our countries do the same!
 
Pleased the weather treated you so kindly, it makes such a difference.
Must admit I've never visited - I've driven through that part of the country quite a bit years ago so I never felt the same need to visit as I did with Hobbiton. I know I will one day though.
 
I hope the first part is true (NZ will be the last place nuclear fallout will reach) - but I don't know about the Antarctic plans.[unsure] Perhaps it's true and we just haven't been told![evil]
 
They're playing the Wallabies (Australia) tonight in Hong Kong.
Had you heard of the All Blacks prior to LOTR?
 
It is such a wonderful place. Not only the LOTR-reference, and really, you can see where they shot what. You can recognise the environment, even spot Helms Deep in the distance. But also just for the place, that small hill (until you have to walk up it, pffff) surrounded by those mountains, on that plain that is crossed by streams. I totally loved just being there.
And since that visit the Edoras theme is my absolute favorite in the movies. Our tourguide started it when we left, so when I now hear that song it brings me back to that hill.
 
I knew it was really far away, that they had Kiwi birds, and that 'Zena Warrior Princess' was filmed there. [cool]
 
I am a huge sports fan, and played a bit of rugby. So the All Blacks are an international juggernaut, and anyone who is the slightest fan of rugby is aware of that squad.
I love watching the Haka before matches.....I'm a member of the All Blacks website, so I get updates from the website!
 
We have some tourists who tell us they love to eat kiwis.
Once we got over the initial shock (kiwis are protected birds), we realised they were referring to our kiwifruit which they call kiwis.[crazy]
 
To me, its part of the club....The Oakland Raiders football club is the only NFL club that blares heavy metal music (and only heavy metal music) before and during games. Not all folks like that, and yet it is allowed.
Its a tradition. It should be allowed to stay, its not harming anyone.
 
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