Hobbiton

The day after Waitangi Day we flew to Auckland and drove to Matamata. When we entered Matamata, there was a big sign, welcome to Hobbiton.
So on Wednesday morning we get up early, we have booked for the 9 o’clock tour. It is not far from Matamata and we arrive just after half past 8. We go to the service desk and we can even go on the 8.40 am tour which saves us waiting time. We go straight away to the bus. And send a message to the children that we are in the bus to Hobbiton, just to make them a wee bit jealous. Our tour guide is Jake and when we leave there is an introduction on the screen in front by Peter Jackson and the owner of the property. The driver tells us about the time before and during the time the movie was made. We can see it on the screen and see how it looks like nowadays. Our party is only 9 people, which is very nice.
The bus stops and we get off. We are here! Jake explains the rules, stay with him, don’t step over the garden gates, ask whatever you want to know etc. The first doors, made in different proportions, so that it looks Hobbit size or wizard size. Well-made gardens, everything is green because it is irrigated as much as possible. All the little details, behind the windows are curtains or whatever is needed. The laundry on the clothesline, there are toys in the gardens. The letter boxes, you can see the profession of the Hobbit on the letter box. Our guide tells us lots of stories what happened during filming. The doors in Hobbiton are just doors, there is nothing behind the doors, except for one. One of the trees isn’t real and the leaves had to be repainted because they were the wrong colour, 200.000 leaves! You’re not allowed to take anything with you except the fake leaves when you’re so lucky to find one. The birthday cake that caught fire and was cut out of the movie. Little mistakes that stayed in the movie because it added something to it. Walking there, seeing the village for real, it is so great. And then Bag’s End, Bilbo’s house. It looks stunning. We walk on the path where Bilbo ran away on an adventure. Where Gandalf set fireworks for the children. We are on the field where the big birthday party was held and play with the toys that are there for the little Hobbit children.
We go to the Green Dragon for a drink, specially brewed for Hobbiton. Afterwards we go to the veggie garden and we hop on to the bus again. Another video in the bus and we are back where we started. First a cup of coffee and then into the souvenir shop. I get very greedy seeing all the things they have, but I can’t buy it all. Not enough money I’m afraid, so we make a choice what we really want to buy.
We go back on the road, up to Rotorua. In Rotorua we’re not sure what to do, we decide we want to stay for a night and find out more about the city. We book a motel, have a walk on the bank of the lake to find some volcanic activity, no idea what to look for! But we find a few mud pods and bubbling coloured water. On the way back we see a lot of smoke, there is a big fire in town. We hear a lot of sirens from the fire brigade. When we get back to our motel we find out that it is two blocks away from it and the smoke goes right through our street. It is time for diner, so we walk to a restaurant. It has free Wi-Fi and I discover that there is a church on fire. By the time we get back again, the fire is under control. No injuries.