December 29, 2023: Concerning Hobbits
After a day and a half in adventurous Rotorua, it was time to keep moving. Today was my final full day in New Zealand and I saved one of the best attractions for last: Hobbiton. Hobbiton is a one-hour drive north of Rotorua.
Hobbiton was the filming location of The Shire in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It is located on a sheep farm owned by the Alexander family. Peter Jackson discovered the location in 1998 by flying a helicopter over the region. Jackson was inspired by the lack of roads and powerlines and the large oak tree at the center of the property. When Jackson knocked on the door, the family shooed him away because there was a rugby match on. After knocking a second time, they finally had a conversation. Russel Alexander knew nothing about the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but luckily his son did and convinced him that this would be a good idea. And a good idea it would most certainly be.
Construction of Hobbiton took nine months and involved the New Zealand army. In total 37 hobbit holes were built. Filming took place over three months, ending in February, 2000. After that point, the site was dismantled.
Unlicensed Lord of the Rings tours started coming to the farm in 2002 but could not actually go on the land.
In 2009, Peter Jackson approached the Alexander family to use the location again for The Hobbit trilogy. This time, they decided to rebuild Hobbiton with better materials so that after filming, it would be turned into a permanent tourist attraction. The rebuild included 44 hobbit holes.
Hobbiton is one of the most popular attractions in all New Zealand. The normal tour lasts 2.5 hours and they run one every 10 minutes. Most days in the summer season are sold out in advance – including when I visited. Luckily, I booked my ticket weeks ahead of time. Interestingly, 40% of visitors have never read the books nor watched the movies.
My tour left from the visitor center. To reach the Alexander farm, the group of 40 people took a 10-minute bus ride where they played clips from the movie and showed a message from Peter Jackson. We then disembarked and walked along the path past the many hobbit holes. I was amazed by the detail that went into each hole. Some hobbit holes were built with specific characters in mind such as Samwise Gamgee, but others were built for professions such as a fishmonger or a baker.
Bilbo Baggins´ house is at the top of the hill underneath a huge fake tree.
Down the hill, we walked past Samwise Gamgee´s house and the party lawn before entering the newest attraction at Hobbiton: furnished hobbit holes. The interiors were designed by Weta Workshops (from Wellington). Everything can be touched. Again, the details were incredible.
The final stop of the tour was the Green Dragon Inn, built in 2012 three years after filming of The Hobbit. Everybody on the tour gets a free drink: the choices are beer, cider, and a non-alcoholic ginger beer. I opted for the stout.
We then got back on a bus to the visitor center before I drove off to Hamilton and Raglan.
Final Thoughts:
Hobbiton is an expensive tourist trap that is 100% worth visiting. The sets are so well done and so detailed it truly feels like you are in another world. I think it is strange to visit Hobbiton without watching the Lord of the Rings movies or reading the books. But honestly, watching the movies should be required prep work for visiting New Zealand.
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