Salisbury Falls

For geologists this spot on the Aorere River is place of incredible wonder. And it happens to be pretty darn pretty for people who like to swim too. Either way, Peter Jackson and crew learned about it and then the Hobbits had to visit and shoot a few scenes here during the making of 'The Hobbit - the desolation of Smaug'.

For those in the know, this is where Tauriel and Legolas met before going to Laketown.

For swimmers, what we have here is a clean and immaculate waterfall of four metres, which falls into a deep pool in a bend in the river. There is plenty of room except on the very busiest days. The carpark is nearby to the bridge and the track obvious. A rope footbridge existed over the pool in from 1887 until 2010, The Prow explains.

The bridge was the only access, on and off, for Aorere Valley residents, until a successful road bridge was put in in 1985. As well as farming the business of the Aorere Valley had been Gold Mining in Quartz Reefs. You may still fossick in there at locations called Aorere A and Aorere B. The last extensive works were during the depression, when work relief gangs had crack at the seams.

NZPlaces needs an image of this great place.