Day 17 - Two Hobbits on Adventure

11/30/16

'... There is no place I'd rather be!' That's how the alarm clock wakes us up this morning - so true (Song: 'Rather Be' by Pentatonix). We plan to move a little faster today so we don't waste too much time. Because today we want to follow in the footsteps of the Hobbits.

So off we go to Matamata to the Visitor Center. From there we go directly on the Hobbit-Car Tour to see the film set of Hobbiton. After a short drive with a talkative chauffeur, we arrive at the property of the Alexander family, who provided their land for the shooting of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Although we are the first tour in the morning, we are by far not the only ones. We count at least 10 other cars, numerous vehicles, and see a well-organized and thought-out tourist regime. On the tour, we admire 44 so-called Hobbit holes and specially designed garden areas for the movies. Interestingly, everything was replanted except for the grass and some trees. A tree was even artificially made and 200,000 painted leaves were attached to it.

With a lot of attention to detail, everything is decorated, so we almost feel like Hobbits ourselves. We arrive at the 'Green Dragon' pub, which is actively run. There we are invited to a specially brewed Hobbit beer. So before 12 noon, we are already having beer... After being guided through the merchandise shop, we are chauffeured back to Matamata.

For lunch, we have the long-awaited pizza at Pizza Hut. Well, it wasn't outstanding, but it was cheap :-)

The two Hobbits want to see a waterfall. Near Matamata are supposedly the largest waterfalls on the North Island - the Wairere Falls (150m). When we arrive at the parking lot, the question arises whether we just admire them from below (45 minutes one way) or if we make the hike all the way to the top (90 minutes one way)? After all, it's already 2:30 pm. We just start walking. When we reach the lower viewpoint, we've only been walking for 30 minutes, so we continue and hope for a great view over the plain from the top. The trail is a real hiking trail, with ups and downs and very muddy ground. After about 1 hour, we reach the top and we are not disappointed, but instead rewarded with a great view.

Back at the car, it's after 4:30 pm and the question arises about accommodation. Since we want to visit the Volcanic Valley in Waimangu tomorrow, we decide to drive towards Rotorua. After a short shopping and refueling stop, where we also wash our Jucy a bit, we arrive at the 'Waikite Valley Hot Pools' campsite around 7:00 pm. It's a slightly more expensive campsite with small spots, but it has 4 pools fed by hot springs. The Hobbits are glad to have accommodation with hot water again and treat themselves to a bath in the end.

Photo of the day: A Hobbit at work ;-)