I'm Taller than Hobbits

I'm trying to blend doing some touristy stuff with more adventurous activities. On this day I went about as touristy as I could and visited Hobbitown, the set where the hobbit trilogy was filmed. It's also a replica of the set used in the Lord of the Rings.

For the two days prior it had rained heavily and even the morning of the his day it was raining quite a bit. From where I was staying in had to drive about an hour to get there. Thankfully by the time I arrived the rain had stopped. I don't think I would have done this in a downpour.

The set itself is on a working sheep farm in the middle of the North Island. Rolling hills and great expanses of bright green grass abound. Upon arrival I got my ticket and boarded a bus to the set which took about ten minutes. Our tour guide began explaining the challenges of trying to hide the filming location because it took them nearly two years to construct. They originally had the new zealand army claiming that they were doing exercises, but one night of drinking at a local bar loosened their lips and they spilled the beans about what was really going on. From that point on they had armed guards posted outside the set and even a no-fly zone above it to prevent people from seeing it. All of this gave me a chuckle.

When we got to the set our group was escorted by a tour guide who explained how the set was built. Since the filming it has been a tourist attraction, but they have a vast amount of vegetable plants still being kept. Some of them looked delicious.

The tour ended after we strolled by Sam's house which is the one with the yellow door and finished at the Green Dragon pub. The pub had some pretty amazing craftsmanship as well as some excellent beer that is brewed exclusively for them.

All said and done the set and scenery were beautiful and I'm glad I decided to go. If I ever went back I think I would probably have to dress up in a costume, though.Read more