Living the Fantasy — A Trip to Hobbiton

How wonderful to have a chance to visit Hobbiton, newly opened to the public!  When Peter Jackson made his movie, “The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey,” he created a delightful 9 acre village scattered across the hills and pastures of a 1200 acre farm in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s north island or Middle-earth.

The hobbit houses are tucked into the hills, and flowers bloom in profusion.  There are flourishing vegetable gardens with large cabbages growing and scarecrows to watch over them.  The hobbits’ clothes hang on outdoor clotheslines fluttering in the breeze. You would swear that the  inhabitants will appear at any moment.

We learned that a number of amazing things were done to create a vision of authenticity.  Leaves were removed from trees, painted a different color, and then glued back on.  When a plum tree was required, but not available to scale, an apple tree was substituted with the apples removed and plums attached in their place. Authenticity must not be confused with reality.

Wandering around the beautiful, natural area is a joy.  Every pretty little house must be photographed, as you roam slowly behind the guide.  Although there are other small groups exploring in the distance, the area is so large that you are not close to them.

Even if you have never seen a Hobbit movie, Hobbiton is a treat for visitors of all ages. It is accessible from Auckland on a small group day tour leaving early in the morning and arriving back about mid-afternoon, depending on the traffic. The 2 hour plus drive each way is through beautiful scenery, including narrow country roads with wayward cows wandering along them.You can also rent a car and drive yourself to the small ticket office/gift shop/restaurant, where the Hobbiton buses depart for the village about 10 minutes away. However, it would be essential to know how to find this obscure location in the country, as there did not appear to be any direction signs.

After the success of his Lord of the Rings trilogy in the same area several years ago, “The Hobbit:  An Unexpected Journey,” is Peter Jackson’s first movie in a new trilogy.  It looks as though Hobbiton will continue to be inhabited for several more years, allowing you to stop by and have a drink in the Green Dragon pub.