Taupō shines on international movie screens

The Rule of Jenny Pen — Wairakei Resort Taupō

Taupō’s latest major movie production is The Rule of Jenny Pen. While this intense, intriguing psychological horror film was largely filmed indoors, it brought some big name stars to Taupō — actors John Lithgow, Geoffrey Rush and New Zealand acting icon, George Henare.

The film is set in a nursing home with cast and crew spending several weeks filming at the Wairakei Resort Taupō, usually best known as one of Taupō’s most iconic hospitality establishments. Sitting within the rolling, forested hills of the volcanic Wairakei Thermal Valley, the resort has panoramic views across Wairakei Tourist Park, two thermally heated pools, a 9-hole golf course, spa and easy access to Taupō adventures. John Lithgow was seen fishing for trout on Lake Taupō.

Directed by New Zealander James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark), The Rule of Jenny Pen is based on a short story by New Zealand author Owen Marshall (CNZM).

Aratiatia Rapids — The Hobbit, Yogi Bear

Set-jetters, Hobbits and other Lord of the Rings fans know all about the spectacular Aratiatia Rapids. Some memorable scenes from Peter Jackson's movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug see the Dwarves escaping — from captivity under the Elves — down the fast-flowing gorge in barrels. 

The Aratiatia Rapids, which sit below the massive Aratiatia Dam on the Waikato River, turn into a fast-flowing torrent when water is released down the spillway.  The film crew dropped 20 to 25 barrels down the rapids every time there was a dam release. Aratiatia Rapids also provided some thrills in Yogi Bear (2010). Even without Hobbits and bears, the rapids are a spectacular sight on any day of the week.

The Lord of the Rings — Mount Doom / Mt. Ngāuruhoe

The Taupō region has been on the Middle-earth Hobbit fan-trail ever since Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy borrowed Mt Ngāuruhoe to depict the fictional Mount Doom. 

On a clear day, the majestic form of Mt. Ngāuruhoe appears — with the other two great volcanoes of UNESCO World Heritage Tongariro National Park, Mt. Ruapehu and Mt. Tongariro — above the southern shores of Lake  Taupō. Tawhai Falls, near Whakapapa Village in Tongariro National Park, was the location for the forbidden pool in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Yogi Bear (2010) — Lake Whakamaru, Aratiatia Rapids

Lake Whakamaru had a starring role — standing in for Jellystone Park — in Yogi Bear (Warner Bros. 2010), a 3D live-action/computer-animated comedy reviving the beloved children’s TV classic. Yogi and his mate Boo-Boo ski on the lake, ‘pic-a-nic’ on the lakeshore, have adventures among the trees in the Lake Whakamaru Reserve and ride the Aratiatia Rapids.

Human visitors can camp in the Lake Whakamaru Reserve, bike alongside the lake on the Whakamaru Trail — a section of the Supervolcanic Trail Network — and ride the rapids with Rapids Jet.

Without a Paddle (2004) — Huka Falls, Waikato River

Ever dramatic, Huka Falls and the deep-flowing Waikato River set the scene for Paramount Pictures’ Without a Paddle (2004), an adventurous river-rafting trip depicting the Columbia River and other wilderness locations in the U.S. state of Oregon. The cast included the late great Burt Reynolds. It was also the first film to qualify for the NZSPG (New Zealand Screen Production Grant).

There are many ways to experience New Zealand’s most-visited natural attraction — Huka Falls, and the Waikato River. New Zealand’s longest river drains Lake Taupō through Taupō town and flows northwards to empty into the Tasman Sea at Port Waikato.