A DAY AT THE SHIRE:

 A DAY AT THE SHIRE: 

 

 



An early wake up so as to await our tour to the Hobbiton Movie Set. 

FYI, it is a bit of a drive out to the location, so plan accordingly if visiting on your own. We chose the Bush and Beach day trip which included lunch. We were picked up right on time in a nice Mercedes Sprinter 15 passenger van.

About 1/2 way to Hobbiton, we made a stop for coffee and rest break. 

On the way there, we learned bits about New Zealand and the movie set. Interestingly, the wool industry is in retreat and dairy and cattle is on the rise. One of New Zealand’s big export is milk powder. The biggest consumer is China. There are also venison and that meat is also exported to the point it is hard to find in local stores.

 

 

The tours of the movie set are organized into groups and lead by a well informed docent. 

The whole operation is very well organized and runs like clockwork.

 

 

 

 The set is about 12 acres with 39 hobbit holes, all located on a working sheep ranch. 

The sheep ranch is owned by the Alexander family and is still a working ranch. 

We were told the movie location scouts flew over the area and knew right away this was the perfect location for The Shire. 

The location team went to the Alexander house on a Saturday, and were rather lucky in their timing. Being a Saturday, the All Blacks were playing and fortunately their visit by chance was at 1/2 time or their knock at the door might not have been answered. Yes, All Blacks rugby is a sacred institution in New Zealand. 

The patron of the family had no knowledge of The Hobbit nor Tolkien, but his son did. The son had the foresight to say this is a good thing. The rest, as they say, is history. 



 

The guided tour rambles about The Shire past many of the Hobbit Hole facades. 

 

The guide imparts bits about movie magic used on this set. 

About a year ago the interior on one of the Hobbit Holes was completed to give guests a feel for the life in a Hobbit Hole. This for me was a highlight as the size of the interior and the attention to detail was excellent. 

 

 



Next we were off to the Green Dragon for a beverage. I had a nice cider and Lynn had a ginger beer. 

Then off for a Hobbit feast. Plenty of choices and the quality was excellent. There was lamb, fish, beef and chicken. A nice choice of salads and a very good dessert table. 

Next was the gift shop. With our tour, we each got a voucher for $10. 

Back to the van for the drive home. 

 



If one is a Tolkien fan, this tour is very interesting making one want to read the books and see the movies again.

 

Back at our hotel we dropped our day bags and went to Good George Brewery for a small bite. Their crab and lobster rolls were GREAT!!

 


We finishing the day catching up on the Blog and getting ready to join the Adventures by Disney group tomorrow. 



Thanks for following along and sharing.