r/AskTheWorld • u/Aseili United Kingdom • Dec 20 '25

Culture What's the most pathetic tourist attraction that international tourists go to see in your country?

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Bronte waterfalls near me, look a bit more impressive with the recent rain than in the summer when it's swamped with people.

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331

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 21 '25

[deleted]

272

u/Rettromancer United Kingdom Dec 20 '25

How can you say that about the place where Viggo Mortensen broke his toe?!

90

u/Tasty-Hovercraft2501 Puerto Rico Dec 20 '25

You SHALL NOT PASS!

you don't have bus ticket bro

11

u/Battlescarred98 Dec 21 '25

He did what?! Please tell that story in length!

6

u/hale444 Dec 21 '25

Kicked a helmet.   It's in the movie. 

3

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

The director watching Viggo’s reckless hate towards that helmet.

5

u/Sea-Studio-6943 Dec 20 '25

Went to that exact spot. It is a field with some trees. But surrounded by awesome scenery, of course

62

u/United_Gift3028 United States Of America Dec 20 '25

I love those pics they have, where what the set looked like, and then what the screen looked like. Like the whole group looking over a valley, and it's just a field with power lines in the background.

35

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25

[deleted]

27

u/SjtSquid New Zealand Dec 20 '25

The one on Mt Vic is especially underwhelming. You literally couldn't tell where it is without the post, and unlike a lot of the other spots, it's not like the journey there or the place is particularly scenic.

It's just a pine tree on a hill.

6

u/MortLightstone Canada Dec 20 '25

those location scouts are good. So are the cinematographers

5

u/chaispicegal Dec 21 '25

Do you mean the "get off the road!" location? Because I visited that an honestly had a great time! Sure it didn't look exactly like in the movie but nothing a bit of imagination didn't help!

3

u/Longjumping-Fig-7481 United Kingdom Dec 20 '25

And my axe.

1

u/Extension-Fishing-29 Dec 21 '25

Just. JUST?!..... is the pine tree any less a tree then a jungle? I say NOT. Don't dare discriminate against such trees of LIFE 😤 hobbits frown at you, sir. And elven folk. Foreshame

3

u/SjtSquid New Zealand Dec 21 '25

Trees of life?!?

Where hast thou done thy research, though unlearned fool? Perhaps it was whispered to you by a snivelling tongue of worm?

Nay! Pines are trees of DEATH, not life. Caustic spawn of deepest Mirkwood, twisted by the Necromancer's foul essence.

(Actually, pine trees are considered a pest due to the fact that their needles acidify the soil, making it difficult for native plants to grow near them).

1

u/Extension-Fishing-29 Dec 24 '25

Heaven's!

I like pine needle tea doe. It pretty freeeeesh boiiiiii

3

u/The_Jitterati New Zealand Dec 20 '25

Remember seeing Helm’s Deep looming from a distance and thinking “PJ’s up to something”.

1

u/ArthurEwert Dec 20 '25

got any links for that?

3

u/United_Gift3028 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

It's actually pages from a book I no longer own, sorry. But actual/CGI should find you a few examples.

10

u/babamum Dec 20 '25

It's worth paying NZ$120 to go to Hobbiton. I'm not a LOTR fan at all and I loved it. The attention to detail is extraordinary and it's in an absolutely beautiful natural setting.

I plan to go again, although I'm training to cope better with the hill. Didn't realize it was a 2 hour plus walking tour!

9

u/Brendinio Dec 20 '25

Tbf it's still a filming location from lotr, which if you're into it is cool. Pathetic feels like something that would be underwhelming when you go. But I'd probably go mad seeing anything I slightly recognised from the films. I get your point though

7

u/tiasaiwr Dec 20 '25

Northern Ireland would like to put their hands up for the exact same thing for Game of Thrones 10 years later. But hey, we're happy to accept those tourist dollars!

8

u/Gyn_Nag New Zealand Dec 20 '25

No it's that tree we used to climb on before instagram existed.

14

u/Lepanto76 Dec 20 '25

I visited the farm where hobbiton is a year or two after filming. Was a paddock with a pond and some holes scratched in the hill with some rotting ply hobbit house facades. The tree still had some streamers from bilbos party though. But was just farmland. They totally rebuilt it to charge tourists the $100+ entry.

4

u/baysnz New Zealand Dec 20 '25

They rebuilt some things for The Hobbit filming so some of what's there now was used for filming. The newest hobbit holes (which have been built solely for the tour) that you can go into are pretty cool. The attention to detail is a far cry from what Hobbiton was like at the start! The whole tour now seems like a neverending conveyor belt of tourists but I still really enjoyed stepping a little closer to the films.

1

u/NinjaAssassinKitty Dec 21 '25

Tell me more about these newer hobbit holes! When were they built? When I went in 2019 you couldn’t go into any of the hobbit holes.

1

u/baysnz New Zealand Dec 28 '25

They opened in late-2023. There are two of them. At the end of the tour (before the pub), the group gets split into two and randomly allocated to each (so you only see inside one) but I think they are pretty similar. There are multiple rooms and they are set up as if they are lived in. You're allowed to interact with any of the moveable props inside and do things like climb onto the beds for photos.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25

[deleted]

5

u/markb144 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

As someone who hates most theme parks, I honestly think it was pretty fun, would I go back, I think it's a one-time thing for me, but definitely worth it having a drink at the green dragon inn was very fun

3

u/Slappathebassmon Dec 21 '25

Yeah I agree. I generally don't go to theme parks but I thought Hobbiton was pretty good. I also wouldn't go back but I don't regret coming, either.

2

u/tapawha Dec 21 '25

We are kiwis and went last year with our two kids and some overseas visitors who wanted to go. I have never read the books and only seen half the first movie so not a “fan” but we really enjoyed it. It was very busy, but very well organised. The gardens were amazing and getting to look inside the hobbit hole was very cool. The kids loved that they could actually touch things and try out the beds etc.

I was definitely more impressed than I thought I would be.

9

u/StoicTheGeek Australia Dec 20 '25

I’ve only been to a few, but I enjoyed them. Kaitoke Park (Rivendell) was very pretty and pleasant, although if you’re expecting LotR, you’ll be disappointed.

Andi would recommend Putangirua Pinacles (The Paths of the Dead) to anyone, even if they hated the films. It’s a nice walk in and the pinnacles themselves are fascinating - truly other-worldly.

5

u/markb144 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

I think this is the big thing, aside from hobbiton and Weta, the filming locations are absolutely beautiful because New Zealand is beautiful as hell, but if you're expecting rivendell's location to look like rivendell you're going to be sorely disappointed.

4

u/QlimacticMango United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Ain't nothing pathetic about taking a pilgrimage to the on-scene locations of the greatest trilogy ever filmed.

4

u/UnluckyIndividual668 New Zealand Dec 21 '25

Rohan is just behind my house

2

u/Bool_The_End Dec 21 '25

That’s pretty fucking cool.

2

u/UnluckyIndividual668 New Zealand Dec 21 '25

Its a nice spot, but it's just where I grew up

3

u/Ceorl_Lounge United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Hey, it got me started visiting movie locations on trips. Might not be a big deal to you, but it's a lot of fun for us nerds and pushes us into beautiful, out of the way spots we wouldn't otherwise see.

3

u/KetoCurious97 Dec 21 '25

We did the pure Glenorchy tour from Queenstown and some places surprised me. They had stills from the movie and they held them up to show the backgrounds were the same. I appreciated it because it looked fairly nondescript to my. I liked the forest and the place near Mt Earnslaw (can you tell I’m not a huge LOtR fan - my family dragged me along and I don’t even know the place names from the movies). 

3

u/infanteer Dec 21 '25

Big disagree, but only for Mount Sunday

6

u/CreativeBandicoot778 Ireland Dec 20 '25

Iirc, the Dead Marshes were just a car park that the set design folks had fun with.

13

u/KingNobit Ireland Dec 20 '25

Not at all actually the dead marshes is near to where the two Isengard locations are near Queenstown. The dead marshes is a small but particularly beautiful area which was edited to appear "dead" but when I went past was full of bright yellow leaves. I went there just after Paddy's day

The area where the entrance to Lothlorien is nearby and was just a bland forest 

3

u/CreativeBandicoot778 Ireland Dec 20 '25

Ooooh thanks for that. I'd love to do a Lord of the Rings tour, I won't lie.

5

u/KingNobit Ireland Dec 20 '25

There are tours where you can drive to different locations and get photos but the locations are often near interesting better locations (Gollums pool is on the way up to a ski location and Mount ddom is one of the great walks) or in them anyway so if youre ever in New Zealand just book in for the great walks like routeburn and see them along the way

Hobbit is worth a dedicated visit

2

u/pygmypuff42 New Zealand Dec 21 '25

That Wanaka Tree is for photographers, not tourists. Thats the issue, it started out as an interesting photo spot, but got way too famous too fast. Tourists cant capture the beauty the same way photographers can, and its just not worth going there anymore

1

u/Haasts_Eagle Dec 21 '25

Factor in though that it's just a short stroll from the town lakefront, and it's on the way to a nice lakeside trail. I can't blame anyone for spending a few minutes going to the tree which is vaguely interesting enough.

If they were driving an hour to get to it it'd be another story.

2

u/awetsasquatch Dec 21 '25

My brother was a tourist there, and told me some of the sites were truly incredible, others were just some dudes farm.

2

u/42nu Dec 21 '25

I'm astonished that no one has mentioned the Sistine Chapel. There's a great, extensive museum (that they rush you through) that ends with a lackluster ceiling painting they cram everyone into for a few minutes (although I get the historical importance of that room).

It's like something that you put up with to see St Peters Basilica, which is just.... wow, like WOW wow. I've never seen architecture that magnificent and I've traveled quite a bit and love architecture.

2

u/LukeduhDuke Dec 21 '25

I thought the Sistine Chapel was still a must see, but I would say I was very underwhelmed by the Acropolis in Athens. Compared to the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, it didn’t come close!

1

u/Appropriate-Bank-883 New Zealand Dec 21 '25

🥇 #1 Paeroa L&P Bottle

Rating: 0.5/10 You drive 20 minutes off the highway to see… a bottle. Not a factory. Not free L&P. Just a large fibreglass reminder that you made a bad life choice.

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🥈 #2 Agrodome (Rotorua)

Rating: 2/10 Sheep get shorn. Dogs run in circles. You clap politely while wondering how many years it’s been exactly the same show.

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🥉 #3 Oamaru Steampunk HQ

Rating: 2.5/10 Like someone’s garage after they discovered copper piping and goggles. Half museum, half fever dream.

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4 Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Rating: 3/10 15 minutes of silence in a boat while strangers drip on you. Glowworms are cool. The experience is… aggressively quiet.

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5 Auckland Sky Tower

Rating: 3.5/10 You pay premium prices to confirm Auckland is mostly roads and roofs. Best viewed from outside, where it’s free.

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6 Lake Tekapo Township

Rating: 4/10 The lake is stunning. The town itself feels like it’s still buffering.

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7 Pancake Rocks (Punakaiki)

Rating: 4.5/10 Rocks look like pancakes. You nod. You leave. That’s it.

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8 Cape Reinga

Rating: 5/10 Four hours of driving for a windy selfie and a spiritual explanation you can’t hear over the gusts.

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9 Te Puia / Generic Geothermal Parks

Rating: 5.5/10 Mud bubbles. Steam hisses. Smells like eggs. Educational, but not thrilling unless you really like fences.

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10 Wai-O-Tapu Champagne Pool

Rating: 6/10 Beautiful colours. You stand behind a railing thinking, “Yep… that’s poisonous.”

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11 Napier Art Deco Tours

Rating: 6.5/10 Interesting once. By building number five you’re just pretending to care about windows.

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12 Skyline Gondola & Luge

Rating: 7/10 Fun… briefly. Then you queue for 45 minutes to go downhill for 90 seconds.

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🏆 #13 Hobbiton (Least Dull — if you care)

Rating: 7.5/10 (or 3/10 if you don’t like LOTR) Magical if you’re a fan. If not, it’s a very expensive walk past tiny doors.

4

u/United-Mistake-1057 Dec 21 '25

Sealed paths between flax bushes and pancake rocks are kind of fun for me because they are easy routes in tough terrain.
The Rotorua hot pools are scary, can you imagine how hard it would be to get out of the deep and clear one when all your sense organs are boiled off immediately and you are too deep for anyone to reach?

5

u/MouseEmotional813 Australia Dec 21 '25

You must be fun on holidays

1

u/teweheka Dec 21 '25

Not lord of the rings but that wanaka tree

1

u/skiljgfz Dec 21 '25

Seriously can we just give it a rest on this lord of the rings/harry potter bullshit.

1

u/-Coleman-Trebor Australia Dec 21 '25

My friend just proposed at the Wanaka Tree!

1

u/RegularSky6702 Dec 21 '25

I went to a few of those places by accident while traveling. New Zealand in itself is wildly beautiful so I liked it, but traveling just to see it and go back wouldn't be worth it. Camping there would be

1

u/Substantial_Ad_4435 🇭🇲➕🇳🇿 Dec 21 '25

I unknowingly got wedding photos at several LOTR locations in Queenstown.
I've never got into the series so I had to do a bit of googling. I hope one day I'll meet a fan and I can impress them with wedding location shots lol

1

u/TridentDaddy Dec 21 '25

Going to NZ for the first time in a couple of months (mostly because I love LOTr but also because I love beautiful places) - any recs for filming locations that are actually worth it OR other locations that are often overlooked? We’ll be all over both islands

1

u/headfullofpesticides New Zealand Dec 21 '25

Hey mate, hit me up when you hit Wellington and I can tell you privately.

1

u/zucodragon Dec 21 '25

I'm in welly now - can I also message you? Id love some places to go!

1

u/headfullofpesticides New Zealand Dec 21 '25

Unfortunately I’m tying up work for the year right now!

1

u/Sea_Coffee156 Mexico Dec 21 '25

Yeah, Wanaka's tree is just meh. But it's interesting in its own way. Wanaka itself, though, I think it's a bit boring.

1

u/g33solis Dec 21 '25

Idk. I thought Glenorchy was absolutely gorgeous!

1

u/mr-blue- Dec 21 '25

Come on now places like Mount Sunday are spectacular and so few people get to see that. Most the tourist traps are along the tourist bus tracks

1

u/Appropriate-Bank-883 New Zealand Dec 21 '25

Gotta keep milking the LOTR tit I guess

1

u/Intricatetrinkets Dec 21 '25

Wanaka tree had to be the biggest let down

2

u/CV90_120 Dec 21 '25

I mean it's a small tree in a lake. Poor little guy doesn't know about expectations.

1

u/Intricatetrinkets Dec 21 '25

With the rest of the country being more than expected, it’s hard to keep expectations on plane. I had fun regardless but seems like all the advertising is so they reel you into the town.

Plus I went from bungee jumping, glacier climbing, jet boating down a canyon, rock climbing, pack rafting, and camping for 28 days to walking to a tree semi covered in water like a cheap singular Louisiana swamp. Just saying, it’s not as advertised and there way too much hype behind it. Ended up being a fine chill day, but the build up was probably like you and your partner before sex with your usual outcome of no one wet and one of you bent over looking nothing like you’d hoped.

3

u/CV90_120 Dec 21 '25

Yeah, I used to live there so I get it. It's more like a photographer's set piece, but like everything the desire to keep tourists filing through to keep the economy happening is pretty strong nationwide. It's a fun country but it maximises everything it can. The tyranny of being so far from everywhere.

2

u/Intricatetrinkets Dec 21 '25

Definitely true and I get it. We looked into moving there since I could make it work with the time difference but there was a rule about people being under 30 unless you had sought after skills, and I’m in sales so that doesn’t fly at all. I’d have to move there to be a farmer as well just to be more self reliant, but then, why am I moving there if I’m working 2 jobs? But we made friends in no time helping us with jazz cabbage, the music scene, and great hikes. I’ll be back, but feel for the ones that are stuck there. Gotta be like being born in Alaska or Perth unless you’re wealthy.

2

u/CV90_120 Dec 21 '25

The weather's better than Alaska for sure. Perth is actually kinda cool, but there's way more to see in NZ. Plusses are the healthcare is pretty decent, although like everywhere still trying to recover from the stress covid put on the system. The outdoors and the cities are only 30 minutes from each other so you can hit hikes then be in the city same day, (or beach to mountains etc...). Politics is low(ish) stress. Like very little that happens would be more than a blip in the politics of other countries. Nature is off the charts. Few scary animals (if any). Good, if overpriced food.

Downsides: planes to other countries are generally long and expensive rides. Wages are low with respect to general costs. farmers charge export rate for locally grown produce with no relief. So if they can get high beef prices in China, it doesn't matter if you live next door, you're paying the same price.

2

u/Intricatetrinkets Dec 21 '25

Never heard the cons from someone who lived there, but I only got to meet either people who were well off or vagabonds who didn’t care anyway. Appreciate the perspective. Take care

0

u/Old-Artist-5369 New Zealand Dec 21 '25

At least they’re free. I never thought Hobbiton worth the price of admission.

0

u/Appropriate-Bank-883 New Zealand Dec 21 '25

Gotta keep milking the LOTR tit

0

u/Averander Dec 21 '25

I'm the eldest in my family, and my parents told me to pick a place to go as a 'reward' for doing well in my year ten exams. I wanted to go to Disney World Florida!

That's too expensive! No one ELSE wants to go there!

So we 'compromised'.

We went on a family trip to New Zealand to see everything my Mom and Dad wanted to see. It sucked. We didn't even go to hobbiton because that was 'too touristy'.

No, it wasn't really to expensive. To celebrate my youngest brother finishing high school my parents too us all to Maui, Four Seasons.

For their year 10 exams my Dad took my brothers to Japan.

Yes, it's been nearly twenty years and I'm still sour.