We said good-bye to Rotorua on Sunday morning--Mother's Day, in fact! And I will never ask for a more lovely Mother's Day as long as I live. We made the two hour-ish drive to Matamata, through picturesque rolling hills and verdant fields. Every inch could easily pass for Bilbo Baggins's beloved Shire, but only in Matamata can you find Hobbiton.
We arrived for our guided tour of New Zealand's busiest and most famous tourist attraction with a few minutes to spare. It was bright and sunny when we hopped on our bus that drove us through a working sheep farm to the real happiest place on earth.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that every detail has been thought of, every inch is picturesque, the only thing that doesn't fit properly into Middle Earth are the visitors. Disneyland wishes they could make something this good.
Our group of ~35 people was guided through the meandering paths, passed some 70-odd hobbit holes of varying sizes. Why varying? For forced perspective shots! You need some that are smaller so Gandalf can look much too big for them, and some that are bigger so they can comfortably fit a Martin Freeman.
They bring in real pumpkins, plant proper vegetable gardens, and make as much of the environment real as possible.
We learned a few fun facts about the filming that took place. For example, the army actually built the roads to get to the set location. The extras in the party scene were given beer with a very low alcohol content so they'd be able to provide a boisterous atmosphere without actually getting drunk, just placebo drunk. The child extras, on the other hand, were given real sugary treats to keep them energetic and hyper all night.
This hobbit hole, while just my size, doesn't actually have anything in it. Just a good photo op, not a real interior. Put a pin in that. The very next hole along the top of the hill is Bag End.
Bag End: home to the only fake pumpkin in Hobbiton and the only artificial tree in Hobbiton.
You'd never know the tree wasn't real--unless there's a stiff breeze. Then all the other trees move in the wind and this one doesn't. But it really is such a beautiful spot, and the views over the rest of Hobbiton make one envy Bilbo and Frodo for their fantastic arrangement. No wonder the Sackville-Bagginses are always after the house.
walking back down the hill there were more fantastic hobbit holes, including Bagshot Row, where Sam's old Gaffer lives.
Two of the holes in Bagshot Row were recently renovated so that--grab that pin from earlier--they have fully built and decorated interiors. We got to walk through this little hobbit hole right here:
Lee took extensive video footage inside, so if you are curious how hobbits live, this will give you a pretty good idea.
The details were amazing! Working fireplace, running water, little trinkets and books, all of them completely hands on and functioning. Even the little accordion is playable. We could wander freely, touch anything we wanted, open drawers and cupboards in some places, and sit on the furniture.
I believe our guide said the hole was built to a 83% scale, so if you're on the shorter side, you'll feel right at home.
I'm not going to tear my house down and build a hobbit hole in it's place or anything, but not because I don't want to. Just because I think I can't afford to. It was brilliantly designed to be as cozy, warm, and pleasant as possible.
The tours final stop was over the pond, passed the mill, at the Green Dragon pub.
You got really lovely views of the whole of Hobbiton from that side of the water, and an included beverage at the Green Dragon.
They had exactly one non-alcoholic option, which was a delicious ginger beer. For most people, this is where your tour ends. You get on your bus and head back to the gift shop and parking lot. But not us.
We had booked an extra fancy tour that included a meal! So our group congregated at the party tent behind the pub for a lunch buffet fit for a hobbit.
It was very tasty, and there was plenty of food for all. Fish with sweet chili sauce and dessert slices were my personal favorite. Then it was a last couple photos, a visit the the themed loo, and we were off to our bus. Ready for the next day's adventures.
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