The,Great,Bucket,List,Tour,New travel,insurance The Great Bucket List Tour of New Zealand Film Sets

Torres del Paine is among the biggest of Chile’s national parks, occupying almost 600,000 acres (242,000 ha) of land in the south on the border with Argentina. It is also among the most important, receiving a significant proportion of domes Like any American, traveling occasionally is just what I love doing and I bet you share the same stuff with me. But traveling does not mean that you would be safe. Escaping from our job and other stressful activities is just something that w

Whenmunching away on the old popcorn, it's really easy to forgetthe hard work behind the scenes of a film and to watch it believingthat the plot, characters, props, dialogue and setting have all justcome together in a 'natural fit'. Of course this 'natural fit' isanything but with the film's director and production team behindevery single element seen on screen. Locations are a key ingredientto establishing a film's mise-en-scène (its visual style), so Idecided to add to my Bucket List, visits to some of the local,powerful and very dramatic film-scapes used in my 5 favourite NewZealand movies:Itineraryfor Favourite New Zealand Film Set ToursFrom north to south, the tour wouldhave to go something like this:Movie is: The Piano(1993) Directed by Jane Campion The Piano tells the story of a mutewoman sent from Scotland along with her young daughter and piano to1850s New Zealand for an arranged marriage to a wealthy landowner.The dramatic and tear-jerking scenes of her landing and of some wild,wonderful and windswept piano playing are filmed on Kare Kare Beach(less than 30km west of Auckland city).The Destination is: AucklandThe Plan: Head out to exploreKare Kare's dramatic beach and rainforest environment, then back tothe bright lights of Auckland city centre to enjoy the night-life atthe door of ScenicHotel Auckland.Plan B: Could also check out thebeautiful and expansive beaches at Muriwai near Auckland (used in TheChronicles of Narnia and The World's Fastest Indian).Not in the Plan: Checking outurban, suburban Auckland, location for the rather grim if powerfulOnce Were Warriors directed by Lee Tamahori. I may take along theAlan Duff book for bedtime reading though.Movie is: Whale Rider(2002) Directed by Niki CaroWhale Rider tells the story of a youngMaori girl who has to fight to fulfil a destiny her grandfatherrefuses to recognise. Filmed in the tiny beach side township ofWhangara on the Gisborne and Eastland coast.The Destination is: Hawke's Bay/ GisborneThe Plan: Stayat ScenicHotel Te Paniain Hawke's Bay, soak up Whangara, local wineries and the light, airyatmosphere of the bay (dream up a new film that can use Napier'sfantastic art deco background).Movie is: HeavenlyCreatures (1994) Directed by Peter Jackson This amazing film is based on areal-life 1954 murder committed by two schoolgirls and features KateWinslet's screen debut. Filmed in Christchurch city and in thesurrounding Port Hills... “on locations where the actual eventstook place.” (Peter Jackson)The Destination is: ChristchurchThe Plan: Tofollow in the footsteps of the great Peter Jackson and Kate Winslet,take in the views, the peace, the quiet and relax back at localhotel, Heartland Hotel Cotswold for an added touch of quintessentialEnglishness.Movie is: PerfectStrangers (2003) Directed by Gaylene Preston MyKiwi favourite, Sam Neill stars as a brilliantly creepy 'blind date'who kidnaps a woman he meets on the wild West Coast taking her backto his wild and inaccessible island. The rugged, remote and beautifulWest Coast of the South Island reflects the relationship thatdevelops between the main characters perfectly, so one really needsto creep slowly along the coast to Greymouth, Westport and thePancake Rocks (Punakaiki).The Destination is: SouthIsland's West Coast / BlenheimThe Plan: Head up the West Coastand enjoy a really nice romantic break (not a Sam Neill-inspired one)at a remote, luxury rainforest hotel, TeWaonui Forest Retreat before checking outanother film location in Blenheim, staying at HeartlandHotel Marlborough and enjoying a few glasses ofthe world famous Sauvignon Blanc. This plan is one of the best!Movie is: In MyFather's Den (2004) Directed by Brad McGannThe fabulous Matthew Macfadyen stars adisillusioned war journalist returning home to small town New Zealandwho becomes implicated in the mysterious disappearance of a teenagegirl he has befriended. The Destination is: QueenstownThe Plan: Add a few adrenalinrushes to my film set tour by staying in Queenstown, the AdventureCapital of New Zealand (e.g. at ScenicSuites Queenstown) and checking out Otago sets,Alexandra and Roxburgh.Movie Magic By PeterJacksonNot on the list yet, but soon to beadded are the locations being used by Peter Jackson in The Hobbit. Imay even have to go with the film-buff flow and add a Lord of theRings tour to my Bucket List too.Easyto Find, Easy to Book and Easy-Going AccommodationMost of these fabulous films' locationsand backdrops are located in the most beautiful and not surprisinglysome of the most popular destinations in New Zealand - for visitors,tourists and film buffs alike. The hotels mentioned in my Bucket Listfilm-set tour plans are those owned by New Zealand hotel group,Scenic Hotel Group because they offer warm welcomes from genuineKiwis who don't really care about the state of your boots!