In the footsteps of Peter Jackson

Any true fan of Peter Jackson's masterpiece 'The Lord of the Rings' knows that in New Zealand, you can find one of the many filming locations from over 15 years ago almost anywhere. Many of these locations are publicly accessible and can be easily reached by a short to medium hike. However, many things can only be recognized if you know what you're looking at. But there is one place that immediately makes you feel like you're right in the middle of this fantastic epic. I'm talking about Hobbiton, or Hobbiton in English. In the middle of the North Island of New Zealand, anyone who wants to (and doesn't mind paying a small fortune) can admire 44 fully preserved, original hobbit holes. Well, not completely preserved, as this film set is only the exterior set for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. But still, we couldn't wait to see it with our own eyes.

There were two types of tours to choose from: a guided short tour during the day and a dinner banquet tour in the evening. The latter starts at 4 pm at this time of year and includes a tour of the film set with explanations and a dinner afterwards. We pondered for a long time which of the two tours we should take, as the prices were quite high, but since a visit to Hobbiton is high on Chantall's bucket list, we quickly adopted a 'go big or go home' mentality. When would we have the opportunity to come back so soon? So we said, booked it, and off we went to the small town of Matamata, near where the film set is located.

We arrived at the starting point of the tour more than an hour early and had plenty of time to visit the gift shop and enjoy the good weather and the breathtaking view. The café there tempted us, as we had eaten very little during the day, but the warning from the ticket distributor "Whatever you do, don't eat anything!" kept us from indulging in a delicious hobbit muffin.

Then, at exactly 4 pm, it started. The entire group consisted of about 40 people, who were now guided into a Hobbit-green-decorated bus. There we were greeted by one of the guides for the evening. In a thick New Zealand accent and with at least British humor, he already told us the first facts about the film set. Originally, the hobbit holes were not supposed to remain standing after filming 'The Lord of the Rings' movies, and nobody in the area actually knew that the Hobbiton scenes were filmed there. However, the filmmakers could only keep this secret until the movies were shown in the small town of Matamata and locals recognized the land of a well-known farmer. As a result, many people wanted to see the hobbit holes, but only remnants remained that could not be dismantled anymore due to the weather and were meant to remain standing for the bad weather period. These holes were made of typical film materials. After brief discussions with the producers, these remaining holes were later allowed to be shown, and so the tours began. These tours were so successful that during the production of 'The Hobbit' films many years later, all 44 holes were built from permanent materials and can now be admired.

The bus took about 10 minutes and we were already almost in the middle of Hobbiton. But first, our group was divided and off we went. What is particularly great about the evening tour is that all the other day groups have long since left, so our two small groups had the whole area to ourselves. Our guide led us past various small and large holes and there were more than enough photo stops. Right from the beginning, we were made aware of the main attraction, Bag End, where Bilbo and Frodo lived. This hole is unmistakably located at the top, with the huge tree that is very prominent in the movie above it. According to our guide, this tree is made entirely of steel and indeed, upon closer inspection, the "leaves" hardly moved. Slowly and passing many great hobbit holes (take a look at the great photos), we climbed higher and higher until we finally stood in front of Bag End and had a magnificent view of the whole of Hobbiton in the twilight. Simply unique!

Past the famous festival area and many small intricately decorated holes, we slowly made our way towards the Green Dragon. Fans of the movies know: at the Green Dragon, there's not only plenty to eat but also plenty to drink! Hungry and full of anticipation, we finally stood in front of the tavern and were asked what we would like to drink. Beer, mead, or wine? Oh, why not have them all. Huddled around the open fireplace (yes, it was a little bit cold), we enjoyed our drinks while in the next room, the preparations for our banquet were in full swing. And then it was "curtain up" and we could enter the banquet hall. We were greeted by a feast fit for proper hobbits. Long tables awaited us with potatoes, ham hocks, dumplings, game stew, sausages, mashed sweet potatoes, cheese, a roasted chicken, and much more. Everything was beautifully decorated and equipped with authentic wooden spoons and long knives. The feast could begin! For a good hour, we stuffed ourselves like we hadn't done in days. We were served New Zealand wine and even more beer. And just when we thought we couldn't eat anymore, dessert arrived. Now the dessert stomach had to come into play. There were raspberry tarts, cheesecake, cheese and crackers, and much more. It was simply delicious! We were entertained during the meal by the guides and the waiters, who told funny and interesting stories about the Green Dragon. In the end, our hosts even performed a little dance for us.

When everyone was completely full and happy, it was time to go back. Since it was already pitch-dark, we were given Hobbit-style lamps for the journey. So our little lantern procession made its way back to the buses, but of course not without making a few more photo stops and listening to a few more anecdotes from our guide.

We spent the successful evening reviewing it together in our car, where we were able to spend the night in the parking lot of Hobbiton. Anyone who had booked this evening tour can do the same.

All in all, it was a truly amazing experience and we would make the same choice again. The only drawback in winter is indeed the cold here. The fireplace in the banquet hall of the Green Dragon didn't seem to work, and so we eventually got cold in the reception area away from the fire. The food also had to be eaten quickly, but it wouldn't have lasted long with us anyway ;) But we would truly recommend it to anyone who has always wanted to dine like a hobbit!

Best regards, Tally and Tobi