Arthur's Pass National Park region

A kea, the world's only alpine parrot.  They're huge, and very smart, and are always trying to eat whatever the humans have--snacks, fruit, or the plastic parts of your car.

Cave Creek's outlet, cave on right.

I'm sternly avoiding the many Lord of the Rings landscape tour books that can be found in every souvenir stand and bookshop here, but I'm pretty sure that Castle Hill is where the Fellowship comes out of the Mines of Moriah and gets attacked by wargs in the first film.  

Temple Basin, which tops out at about 6000 feet.  It's not the altitude that impresses here but the abruptness.  All these mountains are super steep--all those dramatic NZ vistas are partially down to all the dizzying plunges from peak to sea-level.