Hobbiton, the land of Hobbits!

Incredible! This is beautiful countryside and is the geographical location where the Hobbit Trilogy was filmed.

Our Viator guide picked us up in front of a hotel across from the pier. We had a 2-hour bus ride to get to the movie set. Our guide and driver, Don Roa, a Māori, was terrific. Along the way, he told us much about the Māori history and culture. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between the Māori Chiefs and the European Settlers. In the 1960’s, the government started to return stolen land to the Māori's and provide monetary help to Māori's for having had their land taken unfairly.

We traveled through beautiful farmland – saw cows, lambs/sheep, horses galore. Dairy farming and lamb are both very big in New Zealand. We drove through Cambridge, where thoroughbred horses are bred. Our guide told us great stories about local horses that turned out to be champions.

Hobbiton itself was magical. The Alexander family owns the breathtakingly beautiful 1,250-acre farm. The movie set only takes up 1% of the farm – 12.5 acres.

The setting itself was so lush and mythical... and the little hobbit dwellings with the little hobbit clotheslines, wheelbarrows, gardens, tools, and furnishings added an interesting overlay to the storybook, magical setting.Read more