"Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream. Do you remember the taste of strawberries?" Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003.
To Middle Earth!
All roads lead to Rome, was an old saying in Romania. In the past, the meaning of the expression was related to the excellent road network built in Rome since ancient times. As time passed, the expression began to acquire new meanings. Shortening the explanation, the saying conveys to the reader that "whatever he does, he will get there". Extrapolating a bit, the traveler arrived in New Zealand will make plans, visit, get to know the places and people, but above all, he will have to stop in the "Middle Earth", the enigmatic and so famous place - known as Hobbiton - where the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was filmed. This is a cinematic masterpiece that follows Tolkien's ideas, through the understanding and perspective of the great Kiwi director, Sir Peter Jackson.
How do you get to the Middle Earth?
Here are my travel tips, how to get there, what you'll see, and most importantly, what you will get after such an amazing visit. The journey can be made by car or bus, as per follows: if you use a car and leave from Auckland, the journey can take you about two to three hours, to be precise one hour and 54 minutes non-stop (166.8 km), using the main highway SH 1. The cost of this adventure is at least $100 for the gas, without counting the price for your car rental. Do not forget that in New Zealand the steering wheel is always on the right, and driving is done on the left side of the road, completely opposite to Romania and France. The international driver's license is valid for one year, but beware, driving on the other side can be difficult without prior training. I urge you to drive carefully, as some parts of the roads can be narrow. There are also many animals (sheep, cows, or goats), especially in the rural part of the country. More details about driving in New Zealand at the end of this article. If you're not comfortable driving on the left-hand side, there's also the option of using one of the many buses that run every day towards Matamata, where you set off for Hobbiton. An average price (April 2024) for a trip to Hobbiton is around NZ$75 (one way), with a journey time of over 3 hours (with the Intercity Bus service). Added to this amount is the admission price (April 2024) of $120 for adults, $60 for youth between 11 and 17 (children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult) and free for children under 11. There is also a ticket option for the whole family (adult and two children) for 300 dollars.
Matamata, the farm town
The location of Hobbiton is in this city, a few good hours from Auckland and an hour from Rotorua, the cradle of Māori civilisation and the unofficial capital of the Central Plateau of the North Island of New Zealand. The way towards the mighty Hobbiton is beautiful, laid out in a flat area with some wonderful hills full of hay, especially in the summer. Summer in New Zealand officially lasts from December to February, but the weather is ideal for traveling from November to March-April. Summer temperatures vary between 20 and 25 degrees, sometimes more, with plenty of sunshine and pleasant nights, long days, and many opportunities for excursions. Matamata is a small town in the Waikato region. The population of the city is around 9000 inhabitants, with the main source of income being tourism, generated by the existence of the filming sets for "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit". Farms are also important sources of income for the region and the town.
The Hobbiton Tour
A tour of the Hobbiton is an incredible experience. All Jackson's films fans are overwhelmed with emotion, when confronted with the beauty of the places. I saw tourists - of all nationalities - extremely excited about the unique opportunity to walk around, where Frodo, Bilbo and Gandalf made history. The multitude of colourful houses, miniature gates or narrow and winding roads ensure the overwhelming feeling of being part of something bigger than a simple trip to a tourist attraction. The lake, the bridge, Rosie Cotton's inn and all the other familiar places in the Shire transport the visitor to the place imagined by Tolkien and recreated by Peter Jackson's team.
In the Shire
The narrow lane takes your steps past more than 40 hobbit houses, which are nothing more than simple holes in the hill but dressed in wonderful and oh-so-familiar round gates. The different colours will make you recognise some visual memories from the movies in which they were used. Small courtyards have a special charm, with a great shout-out for the amazing details. A few pots here, wood for a fire there, some baby-like laundry hanging on a rope, tillage tools and flowers, lots of wildflowers, especially on those gorgeous New Zealand summer days.
The Hobbit holes parade
Small signs planted in the middle of the road indicate your direction to Hobbiton or the Green Dragon, and the hobbit houses continue to parade before the delighted eye. Here is a little house with a rusted door and a crumbling wall, a fecund yellow. A few bricks are also visible, surrounded by the kauri wood structure. The poppies in the front of the gate invite you to admire them. It creates a wonderful atmosphere, just like when you first saw the Shire in the first episode of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Forgotten crafts
Beyond, a blue gate appears from under the hill's crest. There are also two small windows, carved to the right and left, and the woodwork is rustic, reminiscent of forgotten crafts. A few steps made of white stones bring the visitor near the multitude of pots, populated by colourful flowers.
The pipe and the pumpkins
On a small hill, next to the road, you can see several dozen pumpkins, scattered among the vegetation. Here and there you can also see the tools of the field, made of a wood that only exists in a few places on this planet. On a bench, following the path, an unimaginable surprise for the fans of the Hobbit series. A bench of well-finished wood, on which lie a long, brown cushion, a book, and a pipe. Fabulous!
The Mill
Somewhere, across the lake, the hobbit mill is impassively waiting for its grain. It is a picturesque house with a porch overlooking the lake with brown water. On the outside, the wonderful roof made of plant material attracts attention. In fact, the very rustic air of the mill is given by the fabulous combination of wood, stone and reeds, a testament to the old days, when houses were made to last hundreds of years.
Green Dragon Inn.
Continuing on the arched bridge where Gandalf once drove his chariot filled with fireworks, your mind wanders to the final destination of this tour, the famous inn of the Green Dragon. But before you reach the inn, your eye is drawn to the left, across the lake, to the fixed 14-step pontoon, beside which floats the famous boat in which Smeagol and Deagol were fishing when the hobbits met the ring. It is a blue boat with only one oar, also blue. The effect is sublime, the image instantly projecting you into the fantasy world.
Finding the Hobbiton
It is worth noting that in 1998, Peter Jackson sent his team into a documenting journey, to find the right place which resembled Tolkien's descriptions of Hobbiton "round hills, clothed in green pastures". Thousands of kilometers were spent in helicopters, to finally find "Alexander Farm", in the heart of the Waikato region of Te-Ika-a-Maui (North Island of New Zealand).
The "Alexander Farm"
A lovely farm with 1250 acres of land, matching Tolkien's Shire almost to the letter. At that moment, the Hobbits found their home! It should be noted that in a special place on the farm, there is a glorious fir tree, leaning towards the lake, near the crest of a hill. The famous Bag End is located on the crest of this hill, looking towards the equally famous tree (called the Party Tree in the film), the focus of Bilbo Baggins' 111th birthday. In the entire farm area, nature was untouched, there are no power lines, no buildings around, no road, so Sir Peter Jackson was able to recreate here the fantastic world of "Middle Earth".
The film between the millennia
In March 1999, the production team began the creative effort, and after nine months of hard work, together with the New Zealand Army Forces, the first 39 cottages were created, on an area of 12 acres. Strict security measures ensured secrecy on the set. Filming began in December 1999, so it can be said that "The Lord of the Rings" is a film imagined in the last millennium and created in the new one.
The Return of the Hobbit
In 2009, Jackson returned to film the "Hobbit" trilogy, leaving behind (after finishing his work) an intact Hobbiton that you can visit today. 44 Hobbit Holes have been rebuilt and modified, maintaining the increased attention to detail. In 2012, the Green Dragon Inn was opened. That is the place where I spent at least an hour, sipping from the famous "Southfarthing" beer, a registered trademark of the film and Hobbiton sets.
And what's even more exciting is that the farm is fully operational, with sheep, goats and cows grazing freely through the hills of Tolkien's paradise. If this brief overview has convinced you to visit Hobbiton on your next foray into New Zealand, the purpose of this article has been achieved. If you liked the text and photos, don't forget Frodo's words at the end of this article:
“I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them” Frodo Baggins, from Goodbye Sam, Book 6, Chapter 9, The Lord of the Rings.
DRIVING RULES IN NEW ZEALAND
A few simple rules when driving in the Land of the Great White Cloud (Aotearoa): always keep to the left of the road; always wear a seat belt (mandatory throughout the country, all conditions); small children must be installed in specially approved seats; speed limits must be known and maintained (50 km/h in towns, 40 km/h around schools, 100 km/h outside cities); adapt speed and give required priority around single-line bridge signs; always stop the car when you see a STOP sign; never cross two continuous yellow lines; never use your mobile phone while driving; do not drink alcohol while driving (the maximum limit is two beers); do not use drugs. If you follow these rules, your trip to New Zealand will be full of beautiful memories. For any emergency, the single number 111 will connect you with the Police, Fire and Ambulance services.
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