No, I’m not in New Zealand right now. I wish. Today I’m going to take a trip down memory lane with you all. A few years back I had the opportunity to go to New Zealand for a year. It was a crazy year with lots of ups and downs. One of the highlights of this adventure was going to Hobbiton. Let me share some of the photos I took and memories I have.
Finding Hobbiton
Hobbiton is located in Matatamata, New Zealand. Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce it. Even I had to try and think of how it was pronounced. You get there and pay for the tour and then wait for your time. The set was built on farm land. Everything is so beautiful. The grass is green, the trees are huge. The party tree, from Bilbo’s birthday, is real. I saw it with my own eyes. It’s huge. You take a tour bus from the giftshop/office to the set and then the fun begins as you enter Hobbiton on foot.
The Tour
There is a tour guide who takes you around the set and each guide will share different highlights. You only get one guide, but I went twice. This is how I know they each share different things. The guide takes you through Hobbiton, talking about the different things you see, pointing out specific hobbit holes, and which ones we could actually go in. To be clear, it was just a door to a hole, no furniture or anything like that. We even got to see Bilbo’s house, the no admittance sign still attached to the gate. Plenty of things to take pictures of.
Hobbiton Fun Facts
Did you know they have an engagement hobbit house? Apparently lots of people like to propose in Hobbiton and there is a special hobbit hole where they do that. Another interesting thing that I learned is how they made everything look authentic. The clothing line weighed down from use was actually used. They had someone who would walk a path everyday, making that look well used as well, and hang laundry on the line. Can you imagine having that job? They also have multiple people, if I remember correctly, who come and maintain the lawn on a regular basis. With all the props and hills, I would not want that job.
Green Dragon
Another fun fact: The Green Dragon is real. It’s a real pub where you can go and grab a drink during your tour. Included in the tour cost is one complimentary drink of your choice. The drinks are special to just Hobbiton. No buying those ales at your local liquor store. You could buy bottles in the gift shop, but those were a tad out of my price range. So, during the tour, you enter the Green Dragon, pick one of three drinks, and grab a seat where you can chat and enjoy a drink. I don’t remember what mine was called, but I believe it was a dark ale. It was delicious.
Gift Shop
After the tour everyone is dropped back off at the gift shop. Now you can shop and get proof that you were there, if you don’t think the pictures will be enough. My friend and I were smart. We did our shopping before the tour. After the tour, as predicted, the shop was packed. My recommendation, shop before the tour. The lines are much shorter and the store is less packed.
Missing Travel
With money being so tight right now, travel is not really an option. However, I love sharing my travel stories. So, I reached into the old memory bank and pulled out this story. Sorry that the pictures are not the greatest quality. They were taken in 2016 on a cell phone. However, they were taken by me, or someone I handed my phone to. So, that is it for now. Let me know if you would like to hear more stories from my time in New Zealand, or even my weekend in Fiji. Man, I really want to go back to Fiji. Like I always say, anything can happen if we try.
