© Provided by Travel + LeisureBenjawan Sittidech/Getty Images
Fans of Lord of the Rings can soon visit one of its most famed filming destinations once again. After an 11 year hiatus, the owners of Deer Park Heights are opening the space to visitors so you can live out your Middle-Earth dreams.
"It's such an amazing location and it seems a shame to not share it," Deer Park Heights owner Mike Mee shared with Lonely Planet. "We want to welcome visitors to a great fun, good value family day out for those who want to spend time in the outdoors and with our animals."
As Mee explained, for the last 11 years, the 800-hectare (about 1,976-acre) property has remained closed to the public and was instead used as a private deer farm. Though it will continue to be a working farm, the family is now hoping it can mix business with pleasure by allowing a limited number of guests in each day to explore the land.
© Benjawan Sittidech/Getty ImagesLive out your LOTR fantasy at Deer Park Heights.
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"To make it more family orientated we are limiting access to vehicles with up to seven seats, excluding buses, minivans, and commercial vehicles," Mee said. "Unfortunately there's no access for hikers or cyclists from the tollgate as they tend to scare the animals away, especially the deer."
Instead, Stuff explained, travelers can take a self-driving tour for five kilometers (about three miles) up the road and visit several lookout points, and can even stop to feed some animals along the way. Those animals, Lonely Planet noted, include red and fallow deer, goats, miniature horses, llamas, alpacas, donkeys, and Kunekune pigs.
To get in on the farm, visitors must pre-book on the website. The $55 entrance fee allows guests to stay in the park for the entire day. Once booked, the farm will send you a special code to enter the gate so you can come and go at your leisure. Don't worry, you'll have time to act out as many Lord of the Rings scenes as you'd like.