So as you may or may not know, New Zealand is where the huge film franchises 'Lord of the rings' and 'The Hobbit' were filmed. Our travels on the North Island have so far shown us array of beautiful landscapes and photo opportunities that reflect this.
The awesome news for all fans of the one ring series is that approximately 2 hours south from Auckland in Matamata, The Shire exists! The movie set from the iconic films has been built and offered now to the public as a popular walking tour option for your New Zealand holiday.
You have the choice to meet in a few pickup points and bus to the set and these can be found at Matamata, The Shires Rest and Rotorua. The price for the tour depends on how much fun you want to have. A base package starts at $75NZ depending on your start point and the more exspensive packages can set you back upto $300NZ which includes sit down food at the Green Dragon.
Did you know that the sight for Hobbiton is actually apart of a sheep farm? It was discovered in 1998 during an aerial search, the main selling point was the rolling hills, 100 year old trees and of course the lake which all of this surronded. Soon after a contract was signed with the owners of Alexander farms and construction begin on the original tempory site.
After the filming of the Lord of the Rings the set was contracted for demolition, but due to circumstances was put off for a few months during the process. Soon after many tourists wanted to see Hobbiton but were distressed when they found it half demolished. This is when the Alexander Farm began to realise it was a great chance for a business and began the Hobbiton tours. A few of the original hobbit holes survived and were touched up to a certain standard.
It wasn't until the filming of The Hobbit that the set was built permanently. They now employ gardening and maintainence staff to look after the set to make sure it's magical for every guest.
We arrived at 9am bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to step into one of my favourite stories and experience life in The Shire. Our first stop was ticketing which at this point was most important as I couldn't burgle my way onto a tour. The shire's rest is a modern day building which houses car parking, toilets, cafes and souvenirs.
After being greeted by our hobbit height tour guide we jumped on the bus and headed down the short road to The shire. The hills had little puffs of white along them, not snow but small groups of the 13,000 sheep that reside on the farm.
We arrived at our destination and were led into along a path and between two stone walls. The walls were iconic parts from both trilogies as these were where the adventurers passed. If you remember that you will also remember the scene where Bilbo runs down the hill and through the vegetable garden yelling 'I'm going on an adventure'.
At first I thought it was all prop vegetables but I was surprised to hear that it was all edible apart from one giant pumpkin. They also sold the produce at local markets and served some in their meals.
The Shire itself was quiet, as much as I wanted it their were no hobbits bustling around just handfuls of bright coloured hobbit holes and stands.
The walk itself went up and down the hills of The Shire starting at poorer Hobbit homes and upto the Baggins residence. Each hobbit hole told a story by what you saw out the front, as we know each hobbit had his or hers own job to help The Shire.
I was drawn to the hobbit holes for most of the tour but I found myself taking quick photos and then asking the tour guide for inside information on the set, hoping to get some cool facts. She offered her insight on a few cool facts but she focused on her job as she had to round up the group constantly as they wondered off the tracks.
The landscape had many hidden photo opportunities for myself when the main sites were a little crowded. I found myself looking at cool little props among the trees and flowers that were carefully tended too that just radiated magic.
The high point of the tour of course was Bilbo Baggins house on the highest pout of The Shire. It was as bright and colour as it is in the movie and was a fantastic sight for everyone. An interesting fact is that the hill it is situated on is actually man made and the oak tree that now sits above his home isn't real like it was originally. It's now the most exspensive prop on the set and cost around $500,000. If you careful at the photo below you can see a section of the tree branch cut back to show this.
The tour then led us to the field were Bilbo celebrated his eleventy first birthday before disappearing with the one ring. The field had plenty of stories and fun for all guests including, the fact that Bilbo's cake was made of foam and caught ablaze during the filming and if you watch carefully you can still see it a little in the movie. We had the chance to play loop toss, walk on stilts and take photos of Sam's house. Did you know that Sam's daughter in the film is actually Sean Astin's actually daughter in life. It was just easier that way.
We marched onwards to the Green Dragon to finish up the tour with a complementary drink. The alcoholic beverages are specifically brewed for the attraction locally. Sadly on approach to the pub we found out that the Millhouse was under construction and the lake had been drained as well to build a function centre. We enjoyed a sweet apple cider beside the fireplace as the tour came to an end.
I really enjoyed the chance we had to experienc the set and I highly recommend it if you ever have the chance. The price is fair for what you get in the tour but the prices on consumables and souvenirs are a bit high , so bring extra money. You don't have to be a Lord of the rings or Hobbit fan to enjoy yourself but it helps create that magic moment your seeking. Bring a camera and prepare to snap many photos and don't be afraid of your not the best photographer as your can Frodoshop them later.
On a final note let's have a few jokesinspired from our hobbit guide.
What's Gollum's favourite bird?
A smeegull
Why can't you use money in a hobbit pinball machine?
Because they only except Tolkiens
For more photos follow me on Instagram:
@shanwowmagic
#adventuresofshanwow
No comments:
Post a Comment