New home for Gollum and Gandalf

A Lord of the Rings display featuring Gollum and Gandalf has found a new home at the Otira Stagecoach Hotel after it was no longer required for the Motueka picture theatre.

A figure of Gollum has been perched on the hotel roof for about a month, and has been joined by Gandalf in a small shelter which is to be turned into an information centre.

Hotel owner Lester Rowntree, a former Motueka resident, said the display was no longer allowed at the theatre as far as he knew because of health and safety issues, so he bought it.

"I've got a Lord of the Rings collection here and there's a big following for it. It's quite a quirky thing to have the display out here and it pulls in the punters.

"We're in Lord of the Rings country around here, anyway."

Mr Rowntree said the summer season at Otira had been slightly busier than usual for this time of the year although demand for accommodation was down.

- By Laura Mills