This 'Lord Of The Rings' Superfan Travelled NZ Dressed As Gandalf
There goes our hero.
Updated: 15 April 2019 By Kate McCabe 22 February 2017
A 21-year old Kiwi university student travelled his picturesque homeland dressed head-to-toe as Lord of the Rings wizard Gandalf, and it's – excuse the pun – pretty precious.
The delightfully over-the-top superfan Akhil Suhas spent six-months travelling the length of New Zealand, documenting his journey of Middle-earth on his Instagram account.
A post shared by photographer ╳ new zealand (@akhilsuhas) on Feb 17, 2017 at 6:39pm PST
As he explained to Traveller.com.au, "I was watching Lord of the Rings for the fifth time and figured that New Zealand is famous for two things – its landscapes and Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, so why not combine the two by having Gandalf in the landscapes?"
The result is an incredible photographic travel diary of New Zealand like you've never seen before.
A post shared by photographer ╳ new zealand (@akhilsuhas) on Jul 27, 2016 at 1:15pm PDT
Akhil's trip took him 15,000 kilometres across both the South and North Islands, armed with little more than his camera and the Gandalf costume he ordered online. He visited both famous landmarks and off-the-beaten track locations.
A post shared by photographer ╳ new zealand (@akhilsuhas) on Jan 16, 2017 at 10:40pm PST
He admits it hasn't been easy as a solo traveller. With the budding photographer wanting to push the camera button himself, who would wear the costume? Putting the camera on a tripod wouldn't work because "…the wizard hat needed careful adjustment because it's flimsy." Fair enough.
A post shared by photographer ╳ new zealand (@akhilsuhas) on Dec 14, 2016 at 8:05pm PST
But Akhil said there was never a shortage of willing helpers, often calling upon fellow travellers to play the part while he worked the camera.
He says the trip is "one of the best decisions" he's made in his life, and you can watch it all in video form too.
A post shared by photographer ╳ new zealand (@akhilsuhas) on Jul 21, 2016 at 12:04am PDT
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