Paradise, New Zealand

Paradise is a rural locality in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It lies on the eastern side of the Dart River at the head of Lake Wakatipu, close to the settlement of Glenorchy.

Sheep and cattle farming is carried out in the surrounding area.

The locality was used as a location during filming of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, where it represented Parth Galen and parts of Lothlórien, specifically the area which the Fellowship first enters. It is also being used for filming of The Hobbit trilogy, for scenes of the exterior of Beorn's house. The locality also serves as the setting for much of the BBC miniseries Top of the Lake, although filming took place in the nearby town of Glenorchy.

Origin of the name

A.W. Reed^[1] records that the locality was first known as Paradise Flat, and that a popular (but not universally accepted) view attributes the name to an abundance of Paradise shelducks. Another contention, supported by an article by Alfred Duncan entitled "Paradise and the Maori" in the Lake Wakatip Mail in 1860, suggests that the area was named because of its beauty.^[1]

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 Reed, A. W. (1975). Place names of New Zealand. Wellington: A. H. & A. W. Reed. ISBN 0-589-00933-8. , pp. 319-320.

Towns and communities in the Queenstown-Lakes District territorial authority

Arrowtown Ward	Arrowtown

Wakatipu Ward	Arcadia Arthurs Point Bullendale Cecil Peak Coronet Peak Closeburn Dalefield Fernhill Frankton Gibbston Glenorchy Jack's Point Kawarau Falls Kelvin Heights Kingston Kinloch Lake Hayes Long Gully Lower Shotover Macetown Mount Crichton Mount Earnslaw Paradise Quail Rise Queenstown Skippers Speargrass Flat Sunshine Bay Walter Peak Wharehuanui Wye Creek

Wanaka Ward	Albert Town Cardrona Dingle Burn Glendhu Bay Hawea Flat Hawea Luggate Makarora Mount Aspiring/Tititea The Neck Treble Cone Wanaka

Coordinates: 44°44′S 168°22′E / 44.733°S 168.367°E / -44.733; 168.367