Following our trip through the Glowworm caves, we stopped for a picnic lunch and headed on to one of my most anticipated attractions, the filming location of The Shire for the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) and The Hobbit movies. 'Hobbiton' is located on a sheep farm in the Matamata region and was a relatively short drive from the Glowworm Caves. Most of the original set was taken down upon completion of the LOTR trilogy of movies. When the director, Peter Jackson, began planning the filming of The Hobbit movies, he returned to the original location. The owner of the sheep farm allowed the set to be rebuilt, but this time in a more permanent fashion so that it could become a tourist attraction. It has now become one of the most go-too tourist attractions in all of New Zealand and is somewhat of a Mecca for Tolkien fans. This is one huge set. Everything is real (except for some of the food placed on tables). The only thing missing were actual Hobbits. The flora and fauna are all cared for daily. All of the Hobbit homes are permanent, exterior locations. They have no interiors as interior scenes were shot elsewhere on soundstages. Following are only a fraction of the pictures we took. They speak for themselves. Just a Tolkien Geek's paradise. Even people who are not fans thoroughly enjoy the beauty and creativity of this set. The blue sky, blue water, and green fields were captivating. It was obvious that the set is kept well-irrigated as NZ has been experiencing somewhat of a drought lately. That is why is the hills that are outside of the set are brown while the set itself is gloriously green.
Bilbo Baggins' home built right into the hill exactly as it was rebuilt for the latest films.
The actual bench that the actor playing Bilbo sits in outside his home when visited by Gandalf the Wizard in The Hobbit.
On our way to The Green Dragon for a complimentary 'pint.'
We saw an entire group of sheep dutifully walking along in single file. Hilarious!
Over the bridge that features so prominently in the film on the way to The Green Dragon on the other side.
The Mill.
The Green Dragon tavern itself.
One of the bars inside The Green Dragon.
Drinking with my Mother-In-Law - always a good thing.
A real roaring fire.
A dozing cat by the fire.
Jody spontaneously put on one of the outfits hanging on a coat rack.
I so love this tree which figures so prominently in all of the films.
In closing, I highly recommend visiting Hobbiton for anyone fortunate enough to visit NZ. A very feel-good experience and a film lovers paradise.