Mount Doom

Apparently it's impossible to go anywhere in NZ without hitting a person, place, or thing that was used in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They're actually quite proud of the scenic vistas, and rightfully so.

The first picture is starting out on the Tongariro Crossing tramp, looking up at Mt. Doom. I've shamefully forgotten it's real name (or at least the colonial name as opposed to its real real name given by the Maori people - but that's another story). The second is me standing on top of Mt. Tongariro looking toward the side of Mt. Doom.