Heading for the Hobbits in Hobbiton

Once our tour coach picked everyone up, we started our trip to Hobbiton. Auckland city is just like another big city in North America or Europe. But once I crossed the Auckland city border, I was shocked at how beautiful New Zealand was.

We were going through the Waikato region of the North Island, a regions well known for its thoroughbred industry and dairy farming. The gorgeous scenery of dairy farms and the Hauraki Plains were more picturesque than post cards. The lush green mountains and plains were full of sheep and so green that it’s hard to even imagine.

Sometimes we were passing through small Kiwi towns and those felt unreal too because everything was just too beautiful.

Once in Hobbiton, we got off our tour coach and there were cafes and gift shops. Here, I had a chance to have some coffee and a snack. The place was full of tourists and there were big tour buses taking people for the Hobbiton guided tour.

This picturesque 1,250-acre sheep farm area is where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films were shot. The Hobbit holes, Green Dragon Inn, the Mill and other structures are still remaining and have turned into popular tourist spots.

It’s mind blowing to see how a Waikato farmland was transformed into The Shire from Middle-Earth for movie making. Here I experienced the Hobbit holes, the Green Dragon Inn, the Mill and other structures from the movie set.

When the Hobbiton site, the Alexander Farm, was discovered in 1998, the New Zealand Army had to use heavy earthmoving machinery to build a 1.5 km road to the site and to establish the initial set development.

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