These street names have a certain 'ring' to them
FILM director Peter Jackson used New Zealand as the location for his Lord of the Rings trilogy but he could have found Middle Earth on this side of the Tasman.
A patch of Coolum with street names inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's books has become known as Middle Earth or the shire, the homeland of the hobbits.
The streets include Tolkien Place, Frodo Ct, Lorien Ave, Rivendell Dr, Bag End Close, Elrond Ct and Entwood Place.
Coolum resident Rohan Lillie said his parents, Bob and Peta, who developed the area with the Sawrey family, were fans of Tolkien's books.
"Mum and Dad were very keen on Lord of the Rings and they chose that as a theme and have run with it for 40 years," he said.
Rohan, whose name was taken from the land of Rohan in Lord of the Rings, and who shares his name with the street, Rohan Rise, said the area seemed just like the lands in the books when he was growing up.
"To me, it did at the time. It was very much an adventure to go from one side of the property to the other."
In an email, Peta Lillie said that she and her husband had been fans of Tolkien since their youth, discovering their common interest on their first date.
" The length and complexity of the novel, Lord of the Rings, including construction of a complete language (Elvish ), a history for the races (elves, dwarves, men, hobbits etc), in conjunction with the main story, left a lasting impression, not to mention the epic triumph of good over evil. The Lillie children enjoyed these books as they grew up and the whole family has enjoyed the movie versions."
North Shore Realty's Kerry Glover, a long-time real estate agent in the area and Lord of the Rings fan, said the marketing potential of Lord of the Rings-themed real estate had not yet been capitalised upon.
She said the street names rang bells with buyers who had read the books or watched the movies but not everyone recognised them.
"Half the time, people have lived there don't even know where the names came from," she said. "Certainly, I know about it and it probably helps me remember the street names sometimes."
