A Hobbit’s Journey | Hobbiton New Zealand
Why to go: Because you love The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit of course!
What to do: Take the tour and enjoy a pint at the Green Dragon! Take lots of photos, role play, you know – the usual.
I have been a Tolkien fan since my step father first read The Hobbit to my Mom and me one summer when I was 10. Since that time, I have reread The Hobbit numerous times as well as The Lord of the Rings.
When the movies came out, I was so excited and when I saw them, I was not disappointed. Peter Jackson truly captured the essence of the books in his movies. It has been a dream of mine to see the Lord of the Rings film locations since the movies came out…and today one of those dreams was fulfilled nearly 20 years after the Fellowship of the Rings debuted. Hobbiton was everything I hoped it would be and more. The care and imagination that went into that location was amazing. I am including some highlights for your inspiration.
If you only come to New Zealand because you are a die hard Tolkien fan, you will not be disappointed, but the country is gloriously beautiful and will love all of the adventures to be had. The drive alone to Hobbiton was amazing and actually not too treacherous (aka driving the Coromandel Peninsula). While in that area it is also a great idea to go see the Glowworm caves and Rotorua which is like the Yellowstone of New Zealand.
Next up: Mount Doom then Weta Workshop in Wellington!
“‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. ‘You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to.’” Frodo Baggins quoting Bilbo in The Fellowship of the Ring.