• Home
  • About
  • Italy on a Budget
    • Language Schools

Travelling with Lyn

~ My experiences in Italy and the world

Travelling with Lyn

Category Archives: Hobbiton

A Stroll through the Beautiful Shire

23 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by Lyn Douglas in Hobbiton, New Zealand

≈ 55 Comments

Tags

Hobbiton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, New Zealand, NZ, Peter Jackson, Photography, The Hobbit, travel

Lyn, the Happy Hobbit

I went to Hobbiton. Although I have not read any of the books nor seen the movies, when I had the opportunity to visit, I was excited. And, I was not the slightest bit disappointed. It was 3 hours of awesomeness.

We drove from Rotorua through lush countryside to Hobbiton in Matamata which took about an hour.

We arrived with enough time before our booked tour to enjoy a simple but delightful lunch at the Shire’s Rest cafe. After lunch we lined up to wait for our bus which swept us off to the Shire. On the way to the site, we watched a feature presentation on the television in the bus.

20180423_135003

We drove through beautiful sheep grazing countryside of the Alexander farms to the location of the set. It is virtually impossible to see the set from the road as it takes several minutes drive in to Hobbiton after passing through security gates.

We were overwhelmed by the beauty of the place.

 

 

20180423_130543
20180423_155326
20180423_141152
20180423_141239

 

 

20180423_141517
20180423_131008
20180423_141249

The sets are beautiful, and the amount of detail that was put in to them is mind boggling. If you’re a photographer, there are an infinite number of great shots waiting for you here. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. She had a great sense of awareness of when to share her information and when to set the group free to explore an area on their own. She was happy to take photos for us. She told us the details of building the set, how Peter Jackson came to find it and stories about the filming.

20180423_145148

20180423_143157
20180423_144614
20180423_144813
20180423_143946
20180423_143310
20180423_142818
20180423_142723
20180423_143326
20180423_142121
20180423_142028
20180423_141946
20180423_142539

Hobbiton itself is magical and it makes you appreciate what a genius Peter Jackson is. The attention to detail is incredible and it doesn’t feel like a film set in any way. It really felt like we had fallen into middle earth. It was a fantastic trip through the world of J.R.R. Tolkien and you don’t need to be an extreme fan to enjoy this.

During this guided captivating 2 hours tour, we felt transported to the Middle Ages amongst Frodo, Sam, Gandolff and Bilbo Baggins in Bags End Shire and the Green Dragon.

The mill and the Lake look so picturesque and the views are stunning

20180423_154328

20180423_151658

Hobbiton is simply stunning – beautiful gardens, gorgeous flowers, huge trees (one of them is fake) and the fascinating hobbit holes which feel so real and authentic that you could easily believe people are still living there and that it is a real community.

 

20180423_150029
20180423_150105
20180423_150119
20180423_150125

An absolute must do, the set is amazing. The whole place makes you feel like you are part of the movie. Meandering up & down seeing all the hobbit holes all the way to the Green Dragon Inn where we were treated to a choice of either a cup of ale, cider or non alcoholic ginger beer or in my case a dark alcoholic ale.

 

 

20180423_151903
20180423_151628
20180423_151717
20180423_153350

We loved every second of the tour. It truly was magical; like stepping into a different world. We strolled around the shire like happy little Hobbits for an afternoon. And, if you are not already a fan, you just might become one.

20180423_151052

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,950 other followers

Categories

  • 10 Things we love about Italy
  • Abetone
  • Adelaide
  • Adriatic Coast
  • Agriturismo
  • Ala Moana – Honolulu Hawaii
  • Alberobello
  • Amalfi Coast
  • Ancona
  • Angera
  • Angkor Wat, Cambodia
  • Angourie, NSW, Australia
  • Arezzo
  • Asakusa, Tokyo
  • Ascoli Piceno
  • Assisi
  • Auckland Waterfront, New Zealand
  • Australia
  • Australia Day
  • Australia Day 2020
  • Australia Day in Iluka
  • Australian Tea Plantation
  • Back in Italy
  • Bagni di Lucca
  • Bangkok
  • Barga – Hilltop Town
  • Barossa Valley
  • Baveno – Lago Maggiore
  • Bear Lake, Seward, Alaska
  • Beautiful Banff and its Stunning Views
  • Beautiful House in The Italian Mountains
  • Big Island
  • Big Island Candies
  • Big Island Hawaii
  • Bike Riding in Lucca
  • Birthday in Italy
  • Boat Trip to Verbania – Open Air markets at Intra
  • Boranup Karri Forest
  • Botanic Gardens Lucca
  • Bribie Island, Queensland
  • Bridge over River Kwai
  • Brisbane
  • Brisbane Arcade, Brisbane Queensland
  • Brisbane City Botanical Gardens
  • Brisbane City Hall
  • Brisbane on Foot
  • Brisbane River
  • Buon Giorno from Rome
  • Buon Natale
  • Burano
  • Buses in Rome
  • Busselton Jetty, Western Australia
  • Cable Car Stresa – Alpina – Mottarone
  • Cable Cars
  • Cambodia
  • Camerino
  • Campo de Fiori – Rome
  • Canal Rocks, Western Australia
  • Carmel by the Sea
  • Carnival of Flowers
  • Carnival of Flowers 2018
  • Casa Debbio – Vergemoli
  • Castel Gandoldo
  • Castel Sant' Angelo
  • Castello Estense – Majestic Castle in Ferrara
  • Castelraimondo
  • Catacombe
  • Catacombs
  • Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island
  • Celedon Tea House Chiang Mai
  • Central Markets Phnom Pehn
  • Central Markets Phnom Penh
  • Chain of Craters Road, Volcano National Park
  • Changing the Flowers on the bridge
  • Charlesworth Bay
  • Charlesworth Bay, Australia
  • Chiang Mai
  • Christmas 2017 in Brisbane
  • Christmas 2020
  • Christmas in Australia
  • Christmas in Australia 2019
  • Christmas in Brisbane
  • Christmas in Brisbane 2018
  • Cinque Terre
  • Coffs Harbour
  • Colleges Crossing
  • Columbia Glacier, Rocky Mountains, Canada
  • Cooking In Italy
  • Corniglia
  • Cortona
  • Cotton Tree
  • Country Markets, Coombs, Vancouver Island
  • Cruise to No Where
  • Cu Chi Tunnels Vietnam
  • Customs and Etiquette in Italy
  • D'Aguilar Range
  • Da Nang and Lady Buddha
  • Day trip
  • Delightful Denham, on the Coral Coast of Western Australia
  • Devonport, Auckland
  • Devonshire Tea in the Mountains at the Winery
  • Diggers Beach, Coffs Harbour
  • Dog Watching in Italy
  • Dotonbori, Osaka. Japan
  • Drinking water
  • Dukes for Coffee in Waikiki
  • Duomo Milan
  • Eagle Bluff, Coral Coast, WA
  • Eagle Street Pier/Riverside, Brisbane.
  • Early Morning on the Brisbane River
  • Easter in Coffs Harbour
  • Easter in Coffs Harbour Australia
  • Eat Street Markets
  • Eat Street Markets Brisbane
  • Elegant Renaissance Piazza – Piazza dei Signori, Padova
  • Elephant Rock at Currumbin Beach, Gold Coast
  • Enchanting Medieval Town
  • Eremo di Calomini
  • Eumundi Markets, Sunshine Coast Qld
  • Fiesole
  • Fish and Chips in the Park
  • Floating Village on Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia.
  • Florence
  • Fornoli – Workers Lunch
  • Forte dei Marmi
  • Fraser to Skagway, Alaska
  • Gardens in Italy
  • Garfagnana
  • Gatstronomia Prodotti Tipici
  • Gelato – a sweet dream from Italy
  • Gion District, Kyoto
  • Giro d' Italia – Arezzo
  • Glenreagh
  • Gold Coast
  • Golden Gate Bridge
  • Granville Island, Vancoucer, Canada
  • Greve in Chianti
  • Grotto del Vento
  • Guinigi Tower – Lucca
  • Ha Long Bay Cruise
  • Hairy Maclary
  • Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve, Western Australia
  • Hamilton Gardens, New Zealand
  • Hanoi, Vietnam
  • Happs Winery, Western Australia
  • Happy 2020
  • Happy Christmas
  • Havannah Harbour
  • Hawaii
  • Hawaii – Waikiki
  • hello from Japan
  • Hill Towns
  • Hilo
  • Hilo Farmers Markets
  • Hiroshima
  • Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
  • Hiroshima’s Shukkei-en Gardens
  • Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi
  • Hobbiton
  • Hoi An
  • Honolulu
  • Hop on hop off bus
  • Horseshoe Bay to Vancouver Island
  • Il Prato – Park in Arezzo
  • Iluka, NSW Australia
  • Imagine The World Will Live as One
  • Inner City Beauty
  • International Market Place Waikiki
  • Isola Bella
  • Italian Food
  • Italian Language
  • Italian Mountains, Maserati and Me
  • Italy on Budget
  • James Street Markets
  • Japan
  • Japan – The Timeless Country
  • Japanese Department Store – Hanshin
  • Juneau, Alaska
  • Jungle River Raft Resort
  • Kailua Beach Hawaii
  • Kangaroo Island
  • Karawatha Forest, Brisbane
  • Ketchikan – the Salmon capital of the world
  • Kings Beach, Caloundra
  • Kings Park and Botanical Gardens, Perth. WA
  • Kiyomizu-dera temple, Kyoto
  • La Brindisi, Ferrrara
  • La Fontana
  • La Spezia
  • Lake Ashi, Hakone
  • Lake Maggiore
  • Lakes in the Rockies, Canada
  • Land of Smiles
  • Language Schools
  • Laurel Bank Park
  • Lava Glow by Night
  • Lecce
  • Leeuwin Lighthouse and Flinders Bay
  • Lerici
  • Lido
  • Liliʻuokalani Park and Gardens
  • Limano – A village in Bagni di Lucca
  • Little Italy
  • Lockyer Valley, Qld, Australia
  • Lost post
  • Lucca
  • Lugliano Bagni di Lucca
  • Lunch on Waikiki Beach
  • Macerata
  • Magnificent Medieval Duomo – Orvieto
  • Manarola
  • Marble mountain
  • Margaret River
  • Market Day in Castelnuovo Garfagnano
  • Market Day in Pistoia
  • Markets
  • Martkets in Lucca
  • Marvelous Melbourne
  • Matsumoto Castle, Matsumoto, Japan
  • Matsumoto Town, Japan
  • Mỹ Sơn
  • McLaren Falls Park
  • Meiji Jingu Shrine
  • Mekong Delta
  • Memories. Bagni di Lucca
  • Merry Christmas
  • Mid North Coast NSW
  • Miyagawa Morning markets
  • Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Japan
  • Monasteries
  • Monkey Mia, Western Australia
  • Montecarlo
  • Montefegatesi – Bagni di Lucca
  • Monterey
  • Monterosso
  • Monti Sibillini – Sibillini Mountains
  • Mooloolaba, Qld
  • Mount Mauganui. The Mount
  • Mount Taranaki, New Plymouth
  • Muccia
  • Muir Woods
  • Murano
  • My birthday in Rome
  • My Perfect Australia Day
  • My reasons for travelling to Italy
  • Napa Valley
  • Nara Deer Park, Japan
  • Nature's Window – Kalbarri National Park, Western Australia
  • Nelson Mandela
  • New Farm, Brisbane, Qld.
  • New Zealand
  • Noosa Farmers Markets
  • Norcia
  • O'Reilly's Vineyard and Winery
  • Ocean View
  • One Day visit to Cinque Terre
  • One Perfect Day
  • Orvieto
  • Otranto
  • Padova
  • Palazzo della Ragione, Padova
  • Pantheon Rome
  • Paradise Point Qld
  • Park beach, Coffs Harbour
  • Passeggiata – An evening stroll in Italy
  • Pattaya
  • Perth to Fremantle Cruise, WA
  • Perugia
  • Piazza
  • Piazza dell' Anfiteatro
  • Piazza della Frutta
  • Piazza Grande – Arezzo
  • Piazza Navona
  • Piazza with Pizzaz – Piazza della Repubblica
  • Pievebovigliana
  • Pompeii
  • Ponte a Serraglio
  • Ponte a Serraglio – Bagni di Lucca
  • Porto Venere
  • Positano
  • Praiano
  • Prevelly Beach, Margaret River, WA
  • Progressive Dinner in Whistler, Canada
  • Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau
  • Puglia
  • Punalu'u Beach Sand Beach, Hawaii
  • Pupukea North Shore Oahu
  • Purple Season in Brisbane
  • Queensland
  • Raffles Hotel
  • Ravello
  • Redcliffe
  • Rent a house in Italy
  • Restaurant
  • Return to Bagni di Lucca
  • Riomaggiore
  • Rocca Borromeo of Angera
  • Roma Street Parklands, Brisbane
  • Roma Street Parklands,Brisbane.
  • Rome
  • San Cassiano – Bagni di Lucca
  • San Francisco
  • San Gimignano
  • San Lorenzo Markets
  • San Marino
  • San Severino
  • San Terenzo
  • Sanctuary Cove
  • Sant'Agnello
  • Santa Caterina del Sasso
  • Sausalito
  • Sawtell
  • School Excursions
  • Sea to Sky, Vancoucer, Canada
  • Shell Beach, Western Australia
  • Shirakawa-Go
  • Shopping in San Gimignano
  • Siem Reap Tuk Tuk
  • Siena
  • Singapore
  • Snapshot of Japan
  • Snow Monkey Park, Japan
  • Solar Plane – Hawaii
  • Solitary Islands Coastal Walk
  • South Australia
  • Southbank Parklands, Brisbane, Qld
  • Spectacular Spahats Creek Falls
  • Spello
  • Spring Bluff
  • St Francis Blessing of the Animals
  • Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada
  • Steveston, Vancouver, Canada
  • Story Bridge, Brisbane, Australia
  • Stresa
  • Student Travelling
  • Summerland Camel Farm, Qld Australia
  • Sung Sot Cave, "Surprise" Cave
  • Sunshine Coast
  • Supermarket in Italy
  • Swim between the flags
  • Tamborine Botanical Gardens, Mt Tamborine, Queensland.
  • Taraunga
  • Te Puna Quarry
  • Terme – Thermal Baths in Bagni di Lucca
  • Termoli
  • Thailand
  • Thank You
  • The Apartment in Lucca
  • The City of Lanterns
  • The Hilltop Town, Orvieto
  • The Road Trip
  • Tofino – Life on the Edge
  • Toowoomba
  • Torre Pellice
  • Train travel in Italy
  • Travel tips
  • Travelling through the Rockies
  • Truffle Hunting
  • Tuscany
  • Tūpare Gardens, New Plymouth
  • Ucluelet, Vancouver Island
  • umbria
  • Uncategorized
  • Underground City Tour
  • Urbino
  • Vanuatu
  • Venice
  • Vernazza
  • Verona
  • Viareggiio
  • Vico Pancellorum
  • Vieste
  • Vietnam
  • Villa Grabau
  • Vinci, Tuscany
  • Viste
  • Volcano National Park
  • Vĩnh Tràng Pagoda and Buddhist temple
  • Wagging School
  • Water Fountains
  • Waterfront Tauranga
  • Wellington
  • Western Australia
  • White Kiwi Bird
  • Wilderness River Cruise, Kalbarri, Western Australia
  • Wildflowers trail of Western Australia
  • Wine Tasting in Tuscany
  • Woolgoolga NSW
  • Yamba, NSW, Australia

Recent Posts

  • Christmas 2020
  • Charlesworth Bay, Australia
  • Swim between the flags. Australia
  • Coffs Harbour – Australia
  • Woolgoolga, NSW

Archives

  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012

Blogs I Follow

  • View from the Back
  • Top Education Hub
  • The Roving Gypsy
  • CLARK MOMENTS
  • In Chloe's Kitchen
  • Travelling with Lyn
  • Michaels Reiseblog
  • Healing Your Heart From Within
  • TRAVEL FOODIES
  • https://www.adifferentworldaltogether.com
  • Sue's Fabulous Travels
  • JKRoaming - Travel Blog
  • PhotoBlography3
  • Total Sardinia
  • BACK ROADS AND OTHER STORIES
  • Gulf Coast Poet
  • journey-junkies.com
  • DogsRealty.com
  • The Tiny Potager
  • Travel Dreckly

Blog at WordPress.com.

View from the Back

Ramblings of a retiree in France

Top Education Hub

School For Life

The Roving Gypsy

(Where in the World is The Roving Gypsy?)

CLARK MOMENTS

Appreciating them all ...

In Chloe's Kitchen

Travelling with Lyn

My experiences in Italy and the world

Michaels Reiseblog

Immer mal wieder unterwegs!

Healing Your Heart From Within

Decided to dance a little deeper in life, and wow can spirit dance!

TRAVEL FOODIES

Your Worldwide Food Guide

https://www.adifferentworldaltogether.com

natural farming

Sue's Fabulous Travels

around China and other countries

JKRoaming - Travel Blog

John and Karen in: Sydney Australia 🇦🇺

PhotoBlography3

Photography, Travel and Retirement

Total Sardinia

BACK ROADS AND OTHER STORIES

Follow us as we follow the road

Gulf Coast Poet

gulfcoastpoet.com

journey-junkies.com

Travel Site

DogsRealty.com

For Dog Lovers Only

The Tiny Potager

Artist inspired by my garden, the seasons and a smidgen of make-believe

Travel Dreckly

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy