It's otherworldly

Blockbusters like “The Lord of the Rings,’’ “The Last Samurai,’’ “The Chronicles of Narnia,’’ and, most recently, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,’’ have put New Zealand on the movie map. Shoots happen all over the country, but much of the activity is based in and around Wellington, the San Francisco-like capital city situated at the southwest tip of North Island. In the city limits and within an hour’s drive, film geeks will find plenty of stops to satisfy their cinematic cravings.

The site of the epic castle siege featured in “The Two Towers’’ (and my swordplay make-believe) is a quarry in the Hutt River valley, north of Wellington. Here, a full-scale plywood and foam fortress and walled city took three months to build.

“Locals watched the battles from the other side on the hilltops, like spectators watching a real battle,’’ said Rendall Jack, guide for Wellington Rover Tours, one of several companies offering “Lord of the Rings’’ movie location excursions. “The extras needed to be available for 18 months.’’ (“Towers’’ was the second of the three “Rings’’ movies.)

Today, nothing but piles of gravel and cement-making equipment remain. But onto this landscape one can project dreams of derring-do: Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli taking on the evil minions of Mordor - or the fantasy of your choice.

Bordered on the east by emerald waters, and steep, green hillsides on the other three compass points, Wellington, with a population of about 380,000, has long been a jewel in the rough. Much of the city has a small-town feel, but it’s also a mecca for the arts, with a lively cafe and night life scene. Some claim it has as many restaurants per capita as New York. Packed with satay stands, French bistros, and pubs hosting trivia nights, pedestrian areas like Cuba Street and Courtenay Place draw the hungry and thirsty. The waterfront has been revitalized by Te Papa, the hulking national museum, home to exhibits on science, art, Maori culture, and natural history.