The Hobbit: Going on an Adventure!

In case you missed it, Peter Jackson is returning to Middle Earth with the story of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Movie Geek Christine (that's me!) had the amazingly awesome experience of visiting the set for Hobbiton in Matamata, New Zealand.

My husband and I rented a car and drove to Matamata from Hamilton. I'd already input the address into the GPS and things were going great. Until the GPS said "you've arrived at your destination". This is what we saw:

Sheep. And fields. And sheep. Not even a driveway or a sign or anything. Just farmland.

We assumed we'd driven past the cafe where the tour departs from so we turned around and drove back the way we came. Nope, we definitely didn't pass it.

We turned around again and decided to just go into the city of Matamata and wait for the shuttle bus that will take us to the farm. As we're driving, we see....

We made it!

For a while (early 2000s) this is what Hobbiton looked like:

An empty shell. In fact, the Lord of the Rings production company was going to remove any trace of the set from the farm but due to weather they couldn't complete the work. Promising to return in 6 months, Hobbiton sat like this. Meanwhile, the Alexander family who owned the farm started getting requests to view the set and the rest is history. And it's a good thing, too, because when it came time to start filming The Hobbit, the set was still preserved and somewhat decorated too. This time, reconstruction was done with more durable materials so the set could remain an attraction for decades. Decorations and props were left to create a truly remarkable experience for visitors and fans alike.

Without further ado,  here are some photos from my visit to Middle Earth.

This is the view when you enter Hobbiton.

That's Bag End on the top of the hill, under the small tree. 

Even the signs are detailed and artificially aged. 

Up close.

View from the door of the only hobbit hole you're allowed to enter. That's the party tree  from The Fellowship of the Ring.

Bag End! Did you know that tree is a fake? It was assembled on site from over 1000 pictures taken of real trees. Even the leaves are fake oak leaves. Peter Jackson even had the leaves repainted because he didn't like the shade of green!

Bag End is the only hobbit hole that has a finished interior section. This is to keep the continuity between the exterior/outdoor filming and the interior/studio filming.

Ah, the Green Dragon. It's now a fully functioning pub. I missed having a pint by 3 days. 

There you have it: 2 hours in Hobbiton and I found myself wishing I could visit again with Movie Geek Arlaine. The set has been re-done with sturdier materials and should withstand the weather for 50 years so there is still time for you to visit. I'd highly recommend it.

Movie Geek Christine with her preferred hobbit hole. Note, it's right beside the clearing with the party tree.