Hobbiton: More Than Middle Earth

I am a self-proclaimed dork. Amongst my love for all things Harry Potter, cat memes, and contemporary romances, I also adore Tolkein’s deeply descriptive world. I have been wanting to travel to New Zealand for over a decade, and finally found the perfect time to go. Flights were ridiculously affordable from Houston to Aukland, and I grabbed three friends and we headed down to the southern hemisphere

All four of us women are fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I don’t mean just the movies, but the books as well, too. New Zealand boasts of its strong connection to Peter Jackson’s portrayal of Middle Earth since the majority of the movies were filmed there. Needless to say, we had to go to the Hobbiton set for the movies.

Everyone should stop in Hobbiton if in New Zealand. I mean it. Even if you roll your eyes at all things fantasy or adventure, I would still insist on going to Matamata, and hopping on the bus that takes you there. The drive from Matamata to Hobbiton did not take long. I did not clock it because our tour guide was telling us about how Hobbiton came to be. I also was fascinated by the way that Peter Jackson insisted that the movie not ruin a single leaf or blade of grass of the lush New Zealand landscape.

New Zealand is very protective of its environment. It has a unique blend of multiple climates and terrains, which made it ideal to be on location for most of the movies. Hobbiton is placed near the middle of the north island where rolling green hills traverse for miles. We had a picture-perfect day with a lovely blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. When the producers first found this land, it belonged to a farmer who was initially hesitant to let an epic movie set come onto his farmland with the potential of destroying it. Once Jackson’s crew was given permission, they changed the hills into the facades of the familiar hobbit houses, adding windows and doors into the land itself. When the first round of movies were completed, every single part was put back into place. Everything added was removed. Sod that was moved from one piece of land was preserved and placed in its same location. The farmer’s family said that when Jackson was finished with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it looked as if he was never there at all.

I was in awe of this detail, especially since I saw how they changed for the Hobbit trilogy a few years later. When that happened, Peter Jackson outright purchased the property, but still worked to maintain as much of the natural land as possible. Sets were built around trees and ponds, and you can see sheep grazing from neighboring farms in the background.

When you arrive at Hobbiton, you enter where Bilbo Baggins famously left Hobbiton in the first Hobbit movie. If you’ve never seen it, Bilbo is sprinting with his pack on his back and another hobbit calls out, “Where are you going?” Bilbo gives his famous reply: I’m going on an adventure!

The tour guide asked if there was anyone willing to play Bilbo and my hand shot up. I love adventure! I love being a dork! Of course I was going to be Bilbo. With my own backpack on my back, I shot across the path screaming Bilbo’s famous phrase.

From there, our group wound our way looking at the cute hobbit house facades. I was amazed with their attention to detail, which changes with the seasons. You can see Bilbo’s undergarments, and an actual garden growing vegetables. There is a scarecrow since it was near harvest time. There were little cheese on a table. We had our picture taken in front of the famous red door. At the very end of our tour, we stopped for a pint of ale (or cider!) at Hobbiton’s little pub, The Green Dragon, and toasted our very own adventure.

Gather Your Friends and Visit the Hospitality of Hobbits!

Have a Pint at the Green Dragon (The Cider is Good, Too!)

Hobbiton’s Real Garden and Pumpkins

Every Detail is Placed with Care--Creating an Immersive Experience

Bilbo’s Famous House



You Can Tell It’s Harvest Time for Hobbits!

It Was a Lovely Day to Put Clothing on the Line