Hobbiton Movie Set

Most of us love movies, but have you ever imagined being in the very spot the movie was shot? That might not always sound exciting, but how about the one and only set of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies? This might get a few of you excited. 

If you’re in New Zealand or a bit further in Australia or South East Asia, I would definitely recommend visiting New Zealand at least once. I talked about all the unreal beauties around Queenstown, with its amazing people and great eats. If you’re interested in coming over to New Zealand, I know that Jetstar using has great deals for flights and even at times, accommodation and car rentals. 

Also known as The Middle Earth, the tour at Hobbiton will literally hold you by the hand, and take you into the worlds as seen in the two movies. To get to the actual place, you will need to drive or catch a tour bus from Auckland. We rented a car, which was a great deal since we were four people, and the drive was very easy. From Auckland, it took us about three hours to drive over to the site. We first arrived in a smaller town where we bought our tickets. You could also get a bite here from various eateries. Then from here, we had to drive another 15-20 minutes to the actual site of the tour. In saying this, you must be at the meeting point for the tour department at least 15 minutes before your designated time, just so that he tour guide could get everything organised. 

The tour will start at different times so make sure you book yours at your desired time. The tours are usually quite full. For example, our tour filled up the whole bus, which was probably almost 40 seats. While waiting for the bus to arrive and ready to take off, you could walk around the complex in and out of their souvenir shops and cafe. You could grab something to eat here, as well as light snacks, cakes and ice cream. Alternatively, I’m sure you will also enjoy the small sheep range just outside. It’s not really a range since there were only three or four sheep, but that was enough! You could get really close to them, or should I say, they could come really close to you. Obviously, there is a fence to keep the sheep away from the roads. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to touch the super duper soft fur of theirs, like I did here with a friend!

And now for the tour. First and foremost, we had a fantastic tour guide who was extremely passion and proud of the site. He was able to answer all the questions that were asked by curious tourists and fellow passionate fans. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of the two movies since they’re not really my genre, but I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the tour. 

The guide would explain about the site and talk about how it was first discovered, what makes it so unique, and the lengthy process of producing top quality movies. We were able to stop my numerous places that really stood out in the movie, so the opportunities for pictures here at Hobbiton are limitless. We were able to get in really close to the houses, and what’s better than looking like giants in front of the door? This place definitely makes you feel huge (not fat, but in a gigantic sense) and this took me back to childhood. 

Other than the fact that this is a well-know movie set, I really enjoyed the sheer beauty of nature here. There were green hills, valleys, beautiful sky and really adorable sheep. I think this is as close as it gets to being in the movie, or like being in the movie Shrek. Towards the end of the tour, we went to the bar at the site for a drink. Here, you have a choice of either beer or cider made locally, or a ginger beer which is the non-alcoholic option. I had the cider which was great. We sat outside on a bench, overlooking a stunning view of a creation of nature that was further enhanced my human. Oh, beware of the bees! 

Overall, I see this place as a great experience for both lovers of the movies or a normal person like myself. Like I said, this was a get away for excellent natural landscape, and you will legally get a chance to physically come in contact with a sheep in its natural habitat. As it is a long way from Auckland and would pretty much take up your whole day, you want to consider this in light of your holidays schedule. If you’re traveling alone, the best bet would be to be a part of the tour, so you won’t have to worry about your own transportation. For more detailed (and reliable) information of Hobbiton and its surroundings, be sure to visit their official website; the link is down below!

A Tour of Hobbiton Movie Set - 

http://www.hobbitontours.com/OurTours/tabid/99/Default.aspx

If you like the content of this post, or just want to check out some pictures that I take on my adventure, feel free to like and/or follow me on instagram at oat93, cheers!