Shire Living at Hobbiton

If you are a fan of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, you know that the movies were filmed in New Zealand where director Peter Jackson is from. The shire is described as Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasies. “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”  My kind of hole!

After announcing last year that I would be traveling to New Zealand, I was bombarded with,  “Are you going to Hobbiton?” The answer–Duh!

We bought tickets online in the States but during the off-season, you can purchase tickets on-site. We drove two hours south of the Coromandel Penisula. and north of Rotorua. Even off-season, there is a bustling crowd at the entrance, but we were soon directed to lines that indicate which tour bus based on our time printed on our tickets.

Our bus pulled out and we were greeted with endless rolling hills and flocks of sheep. This is Alexander’s farm and it is a working sheep farm. We disembark and a wooden sign indicates we are here. At first sight of the grass-covered house built into the hillside with the round yellow door, a giddy, charmed feeling sets in. The emerald greenery, lavender flowers, and a profusion of white butterflies make it seem like we have been transported into a new world.

Hobbits are industrious folk and their vegetable gardens and tables with honey and pottery reflect this.

Incredible gardens with fruit trees and vegetables. Clotheslines with tiny Hobbit clothes. Tables piled with homemade Hobbit cheese. More Hobbit houses. Oh my!

Secrets of the Shire

Many behind the scenes stories are included in the tour. My favorite was that the oak tree atop Blog End is made of fiberglass and each silk leaf was individually painted. Then Jackson thought the shade wasn’t quite right, so he had each leaf repainted. All for a prop that aired for 10 seconds: a testament to a focused mind, attention to detail, and inordinate wads of money. Another story detailed how long Bilbao’s 111th birthday party filming lasted, over three nights. The cast was given beer to help them maintain their festive mood. The drunken cast later learned the beer only had 1% alcohol, so I guess you could say it was a placebo beer. The later nicknamed it SoberRing Beer.

Green Dragon Inn

A fitting finale to our shire stroll led us to the Green Dragon Inn and our complimentary beer. I chose the Irish ale and Raphael got the darker stout-like beer. Non-alcoholic ciders and beers are also available. The perfect topping to a sweet, magical day. The two-hour tour was perfect for us, but if you are craving more you can attend evening banquets or even get married here–the ultimate destination wedding for the (Fan)atic.

Next stop is Rotorua. Click here.