New Zealand Day 5: Hobbiton Movie Set

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It's the day we have been anticipated for and we're overly excited for it. If you are a movie fan of The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, I bet this place will definitely included in your travel itinerary and you shouldn't miss it at all cost. No introduction needed for this place cause once one mentioned about New Zealand, instantly Hobbiton will be on their mind. 

#1: Hobbitton Movie Set

What and Where is Hobbiton?

Set in the heart of Waikato region, Hobbiton is a movie set used for shooting the world-renowned The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit movies which adapted from an epic high fantasy novel. Found by Sir Peter Jackson who is the movie director, this privately owned 1,250 acre family sheep farm caught his attention for its breathtaking rolling hills and lush green pastures where he concluded it's an ideal scene for "The Shire", as described by the novel author, JRR Tolkien.

Practically, there are two ways to reach Hobbiton:

1) By self-driving. If you are from Auckland, it takes approximately 2 hours drive to Matamata town. U can opt to stay in the nearest town such as Hamilton (like we did) or Rotorua which both take about 45 minutes drive. Don't worry about the parking when reach the site cause it's free. 

2) Coach transfer. If you don't feel comfortable with driving around New Zealand, you can book for coach transfer from Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton. 

#2: The departure time, departing on the place of departure

Guided Tour

Hobbiton doesn't open for walk-in visitors, hence you need to pre-book your ticket in advance via online. The time slots and places are pretty limited, so it's wise to book earlier to avoid disappointment. There are few tours available for the visitors but I found the regular tour which costs $89 for adult and $44 for youth (age between 9 to 16) is fairly sufficient for us to cover almost all the movie set we're looking forward for within 2 hours of tour. 

#3: Pre-book your ticket in advance via online. They don't accept walk-in customers. 

Because we booked the 10am guided tour, we left our sweet and cosy AirBnB in Hamilton as early as 8am cause the drive took roughly around 45 minutes to reach Hobbiton Movie Set. It's a wise choice to self-drive in New Zealand because the scenery along the drive is amazingly stunning and awe-inspiring. When we arrived at the destination, we parked our car nearby the general office. And in order to reach the movie set, we have to hop on to their tour bus which has been included in the fee. While inside the bus, some introductions through films were being played. If case you're wondering did I watch all the movies? The answer is, "No" for The Lord of The Rings but "Yes" to all the Hobbit trilogies. Maybe I should find some time to sit down and watch The Lord of The Rings. How about you guys?

Being me again, I think it's best to share more photos for you to justify how beautiful this place was...

#4: Rolling grassland of The Shire

#5

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#9

#10: The only manmade tree in this movie set which made of steel and silicon

#11: Am I qualify to be part of The Hobbit? 

#12: The only Hobbit holes where visitors are allowed to go in

#13

#14: The Home of Bilbo Baggins, the main character

#15: The Green Dragon Pub where visitors get claim a complimentary drink from 

This place is so real, and surreal too. I just can't believe that what I had watched and seen on a big movie-screen and now, they are standing right in front of me. Everything looks exactly like the one in the movies - except for the size of the Hobbit homes which tend to be slightly bigger than the movies. This movie set totally exceeded our expectations, especially the hobbit holes where they are so detailed and fascinating. Not forgetting too the colourful bright round doors with the picturesque and charming garden that never fail to amaze the visitors. 

The one and only downside is - because it's a guided tour and you unable to visit on your own, do expect a big group of people during the tour. So taking photos might be challenging here, and sometimes you need to take it quick and fast as possible as you can. I'm not sure how much does the private tour cost but we felt that the regular tour is sufficiently worth more than that. It aint' cheap though!

Overall, my friends and I do enjoy walking through the enchanting village of Hobbiton. Even if you have never watch any of these movies, you will still find this so-called Middle Earth tour to be interesting and amusing. Definitely one of the top tourist spots you shouldn't miss in New Zealand. 

You can book your ticket from here.