WBWW - Hobbiton

WBWW. What does it mean? Well now that I've started this blog I've been looking back at photos of things I've already done. Although I want this blog to be very much about the future I also want a chance show off some old photos and old stories, and that is what WBWW is. 'Way Back When Wednesday'. Every Wednesday I will (try) and post some old photos and the story behind them. It could be something from 5 years ago, or 5 months, and I will post weekly until I run out of photos. 

31 October 2007

As the title of this blog indicates I am a bit of a fan of Lord of the Rings, so I think the best way to start WBWW is a look back at the time I visited Hobbiton! When Stuart and I had both finally finished our Masters in was time for a celebration, and what better way than packing up and travelling around Australia and New Zealand for a couple of months. Ideally I would have loved to do the whole year out there but I can't complain as I had a fantastic time.  We'd been away for about 4 weeks when we found ourselves in Rotorua, New Zealand. I say found, what I actually mean is, I had completely planned that we must stay in Rotorua, not just because it was beautiful (and a bit smelly) with geothermal lakes popping up all over but because I knew it was close to Matamata, and the farm where the LOTRs folk based the Hobbiton set.  As soon as we jumped off the coach in Rotorua I marched Stuart along to the local information building and booked us on a Hobbiton Movie Set Tour for the very next day.

It turned out to be a beautiful day, the weather was perfect (the right mix of blue skies and fluffy white clouds), everyone was excited and our tour guide was excellent; just the right mix of funny, informative and laid back. For the rest of the story I hope these photos speak for themselves.

Our first view of the hobbit holes

Pretty damn happy to be here.

Giving the party tree a hug!

Jumping like fools of a Took,

Bag End. The actual Bag End!

Can't describe how much fun I had messing around here.

Beautiful view over the farm from Bag End.

Back in 2007 the farm only had a few parts of the set left up, but it was still amazing and I wouldn't have changed anything about the day we had there. However the very exciting news is that now they have finished filming The Hobbit, they left more of the set behind, including gardens, the mill and the bridge over the The Green Dragon Inn. And the Inn, I believe is fully functioning in case you need a refreshment during your day. It will take me a long time to save up to return to New Zealand but when I do returning to Matamata and the Hobbiton set is top of my list. If you've stumbled on this page and have been lucky enough to go to the new improved tour please make me insanely jealous and tell me all about it.