Lord of the Rings scenery on the Hakatere Potts Road
The scenic drive on the Hakatere Potts Road offers 24 km of Lord of the Rings scenery consisting of lakes, mountains, and rivers. Learn how to get there and see a video of what the scenery looks like.
The journey to Edoras begins at Mt. Somers down the Ashburton Gorge Road and takes about 40 minutes one-way driving at about 50 km/h (31 mph) from Hakatere: 20 minutes to Lake Camp, then another 20 minutes to see the mountains.
The road is mostly gravel with some parts paved. The road at Lake Clearwater is paved and also when driving down towards the Potts River.
Locals use 2WD cars on the Hakatere Potts Road and farmers use 4WD vehicles.
It is recommended to use a 4WD vehicle, especially if you want to go to the end of the road, where the road becomes slightly rougher.
Pick a nice day when the weather is fine (not raining or cloudy) to go down Hakatere Potts Road, because if you don’t, you won’t be able to enjoy the majestic mountain scenery of this area.
How to get to Hakatere in Canterbury New Zealand
From Christchurch, drive West on State Highway 73, and then in Darfield, take State Highway 77 to Methven.
When State Highway 77 joins up with Inland Scenic Route 72 before you reach Methven, follow Inland Scenic Route 72 until you reach Mt. Somers.
From Mt. Somers, drive Northwest on the Ashburton Gorge Road until you reach Hakatere and the junction of the Hakatere Heron Road and the Hakatere Potts Road.
Then from Hakatere, travel West on the Hakatere Potts Road towards Lake Clearwater and then onwards towards Mt. Potts Station and Mt. Sunday. Mt. Potts Station is the location for Edoras, the fortress city of the Rohan people in the The Lord of The Rings.
On the Hakatere Potts Road, you’ll pass along a series of lakes. Lake Emma and Lake Roundabout are popular fishing locations, while Lake Camp is popular with boaties, water skiers, and fisherman. The largest of the lakes is Lake Clearwater, the location of a small village of holiday homes.
Basic info for the LOTR scenic drive on the Hakatere Potts Rd
| Driving distance: | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Driving time: | 40 minutes to 1 hour |
| Road type: | Unsealed (gravel) backcountry road with two short, paved sections |
| Road condition: | Average gravel road that becomes rough and narrow towards the end of the scenic drive |
| Best time to drive: | Morning |
| What you’ll see: | Lakes, rivers, mountains |
The following map shows the starting point (arrow with star) and end point (flag) for this scenic drive when driving from Hakatere to Mt Potts Station. Use the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out of the map to see more or less detail on the map.
Figure 1. Map of Hakatere Potts Road, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Approximate driving distances from Mt. Somers:
| From Mt. Somers to … | Distance (km) |
| Hakatere | 22 |
| Lake Emma turnoff | 27.2 |
| Lake Camp (waterski club end) | 31.9 |
| Top of cutting (viewpoint) | 39.4 |
| Mt. Potts Station | 43 |
| Mt. Sunday | 46.3 |
You can download the Journey to the film location of Edoras pamphlet from the Edoras Lord of the Rings film location page on the Ashburton District – New Zealand web site.
Video of the Lord of the Rings scenic drive in Canterbury
The following 5-minute video gives you a taste of what to expect on this scenic drive offering Lord of the Rings scenery in New Zealand.
Filed under Scenic Drives
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