Whether you’re a Lord of the Rings fan or not, this colorful setting has something for everyone’s imagination. A Hobbiton Movie Set Tour is one of the top tourist attractions in New Zealand. Overall, my experience was inspiring, and I love sharing my photos and perspectives. So read on and discover why this is one of New Zealand’s top sites.
Hobbiton Movie Set Background
Nestled in the lush, green heart of New Zealand’s Waikato region is this movie setting. The 12-acre set is actually on a family sheep farm. So, there are sheep grazing along with the Kaimai mountain ranges in the background. This farm brought to life the setting described in Tolkien novels. For example, like The Shire, it has pristine emerald pastures and a pine tree by a lake and rising hill.
Hobbiton was used for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogies. The temporary set in 1999 for The Lord of the Rings was torn down. However, in 2010 they built the movie set to last for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Overall, this village set has 44 Hobbit holes dug out of the green hillside, plus, the Green Dragon Inn and Watermill.
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My Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a Hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. – Opening Lines from The Hobbit
As someone who never sat through an entire Lord of the Rings or Hobbiton movie, I say this tour is for everyone. Even if you’re not a fan, the setting is gorgeous and colorful, inspiring any imagination. You can’t help but believe the hobbits will come wandering out of their holes to play a mischievous trick on you. However, don’t expect to see much inside the holes, because all the interior scenes were shot at Weta Workshop in Wellington.
The 2-hour Guided Tour begins at The Shire’s Rest, from which you take a bus to Hobbiton. Venturing off into the Middle Earth is fun even with a guide. I listened just enough to get background information and then took off on my own for fun photos.
Pictures say much more than words here for a vivid description.
I included my favorite Hobbit Hole photos in this blog to give you an idea of the setting. Overall, there are 44 Hobbit Holes, with varied colored round doors etched into the green hillside. We followed a large walking path, stopping at the Hobbit Holes.
I was most inspired by the color, detail and slight impishness of the setting. Also, there was a vibe reminding that Hobbits are a bit mischievous. Besides the spectrum of Hobbit Hole doors, there are beautiful flowers throughout the setting, such as, fox gloves, daisies and lupines. Also, small herb and vegetable gardens are throughout the village, including rosemary, thyme and pumpkins. Looking around, eclectic props bring to life a village that looks very lived in. For example, there’s clothes blowing on lines, wheelbarrows of bright produce, benches, buckets, a chessboard, mailboxes, fences, flowerpots and even chimneys sticking out of the hillside.
Large prop highlights of the tour include The Party Tree, Bagshot Row and Bilbo’s Bag End Home. And surprisingly the large old, Oak Tree above Bilbo’s home is artificial. All of this is bespangled in a brilliant rainbow for the childlike imagination in all of us. I love exploring movie sets, because I have been an Extra Actress for movies. So, part of me appreciates the artistic detail of props and scenes. Plus, overall, it’s so picturesque and a photographer’s dream. Finally, we ended the tour by walking past the watermill over the lake on the double arched, stone bridge at the Green Dragon Inn.
Overall…
This tour was informative with the guide, however, it allowed freedom and independence to take photos and explore on my own. I think most anyone would enjoy this tour, because it’s picturesque and fertile for the hobbit in all of us.
Next: Rotorua’s Unique Hell’s Gate Geothermal Park & Mud Spa
