The former Mount Victoria Quarry site sits at the base of Wellington’s Town Belt and has views of the city. The Anne Frank memorial of three chairs is placed on the grass.

An abandoned quarry site perched on Wellington’s Mount Victoria has many advantages as a film location.

The former quarry sits on the edge of Wellington’s Town Belt. The public reserve features 520 hectares of ridgelines and native bush-clad hills. It separates the city centre and surrounding suburbs.

The old quarry site boasts a scenic backdrop with views across the city.

Accessible from the end of Ellice Street, it became a filming site for ‘The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King’. The area was the high camp at Dunharrow where the Rohirrim gathered before riding to Gondor.

The disused rock quarry is now a dog exercise area, though the flat land bound by cliff faces also lends itself to outdoor gigs and events.

The site is home to a thought-provoking commemoration of Anne Frank and the 1.5 million children killed during the holocaust.

The memorial has three chairs, installed in 2021 and the first of its kind in New Zealand. Two face each other while the third faces away, as a representation of discrimination and prejudice. Behind the memorial are 15 kōwhai trees, planted two years earlier.

Location details

Jurisdiction Wellington City Council
Permits required Yes, apply for a permit
Location descriptors Parks, forest parks, monuments, communal spaces, picnic areas,  exercise areas, city views, trees, walking tracks.

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