A visit to Hobbiton (warning picture heavy)

A Visit to Hobbiton

… My family and I have been to the Hobbiton location set, just outside the town of Matamata, several times over the years, but this latest trip was by far the best experience.

When we first tried, back in April 2002, there was just my wife and I who had come on holiday, for the first time, from the UK. Having looked at websites at the time it looked as if you could visit the Hobbiton set. We arrived, back then, called at the tourist info centre at Matamata, only to be told it was private farmland and there was no access ! What a disappointment, we had come all that way, to no avail...

We still enjoyed the rest of our tour  and stay in NZ, and it led eventually to us migrating to this wonderful country.

But that was then, in 2002, and this is now in 2014 !

Even the tourist information centre in Matamata, has had a complete makeover! ... see below...

Several miles out of town, lies the sheep farm, where PJs scouts just happened to find a tree, by a lake with surrounding hills in just the right location and arrangement to suit their needs, and so history was made, at least in the film making world...

And so our guided tour commenced...

Initially everything was made out of temporary materials, polystyrene etc... this time it has been made out of real materials; wood, brick and stone,  to be a permanent film set and tourist attraction.

The last time we visited was just before the release of the The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey, and whilst most of the set was completed at that time, there was still scaffolding around the Green Dragon and Mill so they were not accessible.

This time they were fully completed. Also, last time, my daughter, Rebecca, was only 6 or 7 years old, and had never really "got" the Lord of the Rings movies... this visit, now 8 years old, and having seen the Hobbit, and now "getting it" completely, she was fully engaged with the experience, and wanted to be everywhere and in every picture, which made it all the more fun for the rest of the family too. My son Chris, now 10, was of course fully up for it, and my wife too, has become a complete "MiddleEarth-o-phile" ... so we were raring to go... and thankfully so was the weather, with a glorious summers day, greeting us, to enjoy the experience with barely a cloud in the sky...

So without further ado... enjoy the pictures...

My daughter Rebecca, you will be seeing a lot of her...

The lane through which Gandalf rides his cart…

Tracey, my wife, gets in to the spirit...

The tour guide explained the movie magic; some of the hobbit holes were made 60% scale, so children could act as hobbits alongside adult size folk as humans...

Rebecca, is just the right height for a hobbit !

My family, Rebecca, Tracey and Chris.

Lots of little touches to bring life to the setting…

Real vegetables growing in the small plots

Chimney smoke, in the first movies was done by burning beeswax, but this only lasts about an hour… now for tourists, made using a smoke machine…

All the wood was aged using vinaigrette, and the mould is a mix of glue, paint, sawdust and yogurt, the yogurt is used because this will encourage real moss to grow over time…

I get to be in the odd picture, to prove I was there !

The above hobbit holes were added for the Hobbit trilogy of movies to enlarge the overall scene.

The tree above Bag End, with some maintenance work occurring...

The tree above Bag End was actually artificial. With thousands up thousands of material leaves having to be attached… and then painted !

The view across from Bag End, to the Green Dragon in the distance, across the lake... 

Bag End

The famous green door !

The fence above to right, is the one that Bilbo leaps over.

Passing the mill, to then cross the bridge, on towards the Green Dragon.

Into the Green Dragon we go !

As part of the tour we each get a free drink. Non alcoholic ginger beer for the kids, and beer, ale or cider for the adults.

Cheers !

It comes in pints !? I’m having one !

The menu

Impressive green dragon over the bar !

We each had a beef and ale pie. Absolutely delicious !

You were also allowed to dress up as hobbits if you wished.

At the back of the tavern there was also an outdoor area, that could be hired for functions; weddings and parties etc…

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and did not want it to end. I could have been quite happy staying on as a gardener forever…

...and of course, we hit the gift shop with enthusiasm afterwards buying posters, mugs, the Key of Erebor, ginger beer and Southfarthing ale, and a school satchel. We could have got more but the credit card was starting to whimper !

So if you ever get the chance to visit, I whole heartedly recommend a visit to Hobbiton, also known as Matamata.

And of course, I am thoroughly inspired for more Hobbit gaming, modelling and painting ! I hope you are too !