Pelorus River
A Hobbit's Paradise
The Pelorus River has long been a favourite of my family for camping holidays, so it was no surprise when I heard that Peter Jackson had selected it as a filming location for ‘The Hobbit’. The scenery is breath taking with sheer cliffs dropping into the clear water of the winding river and the surrounded by native bush. This is definitely a place that a hobbit could call home.
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My first memories of the area are of a 3 year old on family holiday with Mum, Dad and five year old sister staying in our little caravan. We would alternate our camping trips between Pelorus and Ward Beach on the Awatere Coast, swapping the caravan for a tent and then ditching it for one of the cabins in the Holiday Park when we had gotten to old for ‘real camping’. No matter what form of accommodation, we always loved our trips to Pelorus as we spent our days playing by refreshing water of the Pelorus River, relaxing by a waterfall or enjoying one of the many bush walks in the area.
On hot days we would cool down with a swim and an ice cream bought from the café or on rainy days we would take the short trip to Havelock for a feast of Greenshell mussels and a beer for Mum and Dad in the local pub. It was always a typical kiwi holiday experience that offers nothing but happy memories.
Although my sister and I are fully grown and haven’t been back to Pelorus for a few years it remains one of my parents’ favourite camping spots, although they prefer a few more mod-cons than when we were kids, they have upgraded to a nicer version of our old camper. The scenery hasn’t changed and is as untouched and stunning as ever. Perhaps on their next visit they will bump into one of the hobbits.