Following Frodo

Fiordland’s Routeburn track may attract significantly fewer visitors to it than the Milford Sounds, but the “majestic, snowcapped peaks in every direction, along with waterfalls and hidden tarns” are well worth the hike says The New York Times writer Alex Hutchinson. He describes the beauty and staggering size of fjords of the World Heritage site located in the South Island. “A tract of near-virgin wilderness the size of Connecticut with a permanent population — according to the most recent census — of 18.” “Amply stocked with snowy peaks, alpine lakes and primeval forests, this massive World Heritage Area is most celebrated for the 14 fjords that slash into its coastline, carved by glaciers from erosion-proof granite more than 1, years ago.” The area has seen a significant up rise in tourism since the striking scenery appeared in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings.