Hobbiton!

I realise I am so embarrassingly behind that it would almost be acceptable to ignore November and December and just start straight from January. But, I am nothing if not a perfectionist, and I can't let part of our trip go undocumented. I've decided to post 'highlights' of everything up to the New Year. They'll be little snapshots into our time in each place, then normal (up to date!) posting can resume from then!

Oh, Hobbiton. The real reason we chose New Zealand over Australian (well, other than the heat and the fact everything there seems to be able to kill you). I may not have seen any of the LOTR movies, but the first Hobbit is my all time favourite film. Visiting the film set that day was an amazing experience. We were driven there by coach from Rotorua, given a 2 hour tour around the set, and finished up with complimentary drinks in The Green Dragon pub. I loved every second of it. 

Just sat on a bench in Hobbiton, no big deal, no big deal. 

The film set is on a farm near Matamata. As soon as you drive down the gravelly road through the farm, you can see exactly why it was chosen for the films. The hills rise out of nowhere and stretch as far as your eye can see. There's no one else around for what feels like miles. It's just you and a whole load of roaming sheep. 

You walk through the path Bilbo runs down ("I'm going on an adventureeeee!") and boom, there it is, all laid out before you, exactly as you remember it. 

We may not have had the sunniest weather but the rain held off for the duration of our tour, something I was very glad about. 

You follow the tracks that weave in and out of the Hobbit holes, with plenty of time to stop and take as many photos as you want. The tour groups are timed so well that you never meet another group on your wanders, even if you can see them behind or in front. 

What I loved most was the little details. All the little homes had something small but precious in front of them. These tiny jam jars were my favourite, but I did love all the other tiny touches. Like mailboxes, or tiny coats hung up outside the doors, or even a little food stall. 

They still had washing lines with clothes hung on them dotted around the hill. We found out that during filming someone was hired to walk out to the washing lines twice a day to hang out or collect all the clothes, to make sure there was a realistic looking walking track leading to the line. I love little touches like that! 

OH LOOK IT'S JUST ME IN HEAVEN DON'T MIND ME THIS IS ONLY MY DREAM HOME AND FAVOURITE PHOTO OF MYSELF OF ALL TIME IT'S COOL, IT'S COOL. 

We live here now. 

Team Molehead in front of Bilbo's Hobbit Hole. We were gutted we couldn't go inside (which is just MEAN) but absolute props to the guy who took this photo, I think it's perfect.

It didn't feel real, stood in front of this. 

Look the sign was up, the sign was up! Honestly, the detail that went into this whole set is incredible. 

I absolutely love that he got into the tour, and enjoyed it, and was even silly enough to have some proper touristy photos taken. Gah, I love him. 

Fun fact: the hobbit holes were all different sizes in order to make all of the different actors look the right height. 

This was by far my favourite hobbit hole, aesthetically speaking. It was just so pretty! I want my future home to look like this. We lived in a house once that had a yellow door and I never thought that was something I would want in the future but after seeing this, I think I might be sold. All those flowers as well! I might have to have fake flowers just so they're always in bloom. 

The pub and the lake were having scheduled maintenance done on them while we were there. I didn't really mind (at least it wasn't Bilbo's home!) but it would have been nice to have seen the pub in it's true glory! As it was, it was still really pretty. It reminded us all of home (the tour guide told us that "quaint English village" was something they had tried to channel when they built the set) with it's thatched roof, roaring fire, stone floors and wooden beams. 

We each had one complimentary drink as part of the tour: Tom and I chose the apple cider, while Meryn chose the ale. I'm not lying when I say that that was the best tasting cider I have ever drunk. I probably would have bought more if it hadn't been the middle of the day!

You can also see my necklace in this photo: The One Ring, given to me by Leigh for my birthday/graduation. Obviously I wore it for the whole tour. 

Tom bought himself a steak and ale pie which was an adorably small size (Hobbit food!). It was my first taste of steak and ale pie too, and it was delicious. Kind of wish there was a way of visiting that pub outside of Hobbiton tours because it is seriously good in there! 

Oh, it was just such a fun and enjoyable morning. Well worth the money, the wait, and the plane tickets out here. 

I'm just waiting for a Hobbit hole to go on sale, and then life will truly be perfect.