Mount Sunday We found the real Edoras.
Deep in the Canterbury High Country, one small hill became the capital of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings. We went to find it for ourselves.
Some places feel familiar before you have ever been there.
Mount Sunday was one of those places.
The farther we drove into Hakatere, the bigger the country became. Gravel roads crossed open valleys, snow still sat on the peaks, and then one small hill appeared in the middle of it all.
That hill was Mount Sunday, the real location used for Edoras, capital of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
The movie view is still there.
Buildings were added for filming, but the mountains, valley and Mount Sunday itself are very real.
Our view
The same hill and surrounding mountains, without the Edoras set.
The movie
The hill became the capital of Rohan and home of Meduseld, the Golden Hall.
Mount Sunday.
Canterbury High Country, inland from Mount Somers.
Mount Sunday became the capital of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings.
DOC says the Mount Sunday Track begins from this high-country road.
The route crosses open country before climbing Mount Sunday.
A one-person bridge is part of the route we walked.
The Rangitata valley and surrounding mountains open up around you.
The Edoras structures were removed after filming.
Even without the movie connection, the setting is worth the trip.
We found the real Edoras.
Come into the Canterbury High Country with us, cross the bridge, climb Mount Sunday and stand where the Golden Hall once stood.
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Edoras is not beside the car park.
You have to walk into the valley and climb it.
DOC says the track begins on Hakatere Potts Road, about 48 km west of Mount Somers.
From the trailhead, the route heads out across open high-country terrain toward Mount Sunday. The hill never looks enormous beside the surrounding mountains, but the climb becomes much more obvious once you reach it.
First, we had to cross the swing bridge.
The route crosses clear water flowing through the valley before the real climb begins.
The closer we got, the smaller everything else made us feel.
Snowy peaks, braided river country and a hill that suddenly becomes very recognizable.
It looks small until you start climbing it.
Then the track steepens and the valley keeps opening behind you.
Mount Sunday became Edoras.
In The Lord of the Rings, this isolated hill became the capital of Rohan and home of Meduseld, the Golden Hall of King Théoden.
DOC officially lists Mount Sunday as the Edoras filming location. Tourism New Zealand says the set took about nine months to build and was later removed, leaving the landscape restored.
Mount Sunday became Edoras, one of the most recognizable settlements in The Lord of the Rings.
The summit was transformed for filming into the home of King Théoden.
Visitors come for the landscape itself and to stand where the film set once stood.
Once you know the angle, it is hard not to see Rohan.
This was the reason we came.
There is no movie set left on the summit. Instead, you get the real landscape that made Edoras work in the first place.
The movie connection got us here. The view made us want to stay.
No Golden Hall. No Rohan buildings. Just Mount Sunday.
And that is actually part of what makes the location special.
The Edoras set was temporary and was removed after filming. What remains is the hill, river valley and huge mountain backdrop seen throughout the movie.
DOC also says Mount Sunday had its name long before Middle-earth arrived. Boundary riders from nearby high-country stations used to meet on the hill on Sundays.
Mount Sunday is remote high country.
That is part of what makes it special, but it also means planning properly.
Getting there
DOC says the Mount Sunday Track begins on Hakatere Potts Road, about 48 km west of Mount Somers.
Road access
Ashburton Gorge Road becomes Hakatere Potts Road as you travel into the high country. Conditions can change, especially after poor weather.
Weather
The Canterbury High Country is exposed. Wind, temperature and weather can change quickly, so check the forecast before leaving.
Cell coverage
Coverage through Hakatere can be limited. Do not rely on having continuous mobile service.
The climb
The route across the valley feels gentle at first, but Mount Sunday itself has a noticeably steeper final climb.
Swing bridge
Our route included a one-person swing bridge. Follow any posted load limits and track instructions.
Nothing from Edoras remains
Do not arrive expecting buildings or props. The filming structures were removed after production.
Why go anyway?
The real attraction is standing in the landscape itself. The Rangitata valley and mountain backdrop are what made this location work.
What we would want to know before going.
Is Mount Sunday really Edoras?
Where is Mount Sunday?
Is the Edoras set still there?
Can you walk to the top of Mount Sunday?
Was the Golden Hall really on Mount Sunday?
Why is it called Mount Sunday?
Is Mount Sunday worth visiting if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan?
Do you need to prepare for the weather?
Official facts and our experience are kept separate.
Mount Sunday access, location and its identification as the Edoras filming site are based primarily on current Department of Conservation information.
Information about the temporary Edoras set and its removal is supported by official New Zealand tourism information.
The bridge crossing, our reactions to the climb, the views from the summit and our family experience come from our own visit.
We came looking for Edoras. We found the landscape that made it believable.
Mount Sunday was our first Lord of the Rings filming location in New Zealand. The set may be gone, but standing on that hill with the Canterbury High Country stretching out in every direction was better than we expected.