Well Hivers that 2 weeks want quick but I’m ending on a high with a visit to the Hobbiton film set near Matamata.
You can drive directly to the film set but it was easer to park up in Matamata at the information centre, and get the free bus out to the set.
Which is about 15km away and set in rolling hills and working farmland. The original Lord of the Rings film set for Hobbiton was just a facade of props and polystyrene but the farm still had people that wanted to visit to see where the movie was shot. So when they shot the Hobbit they decided to make it more permanent and build Hobbiton as a real hobbit village.
The tour lasts about 2 1/2 hours and explains many of the films tricks to make the hobbits looks smaller than the actors who played them. One of theses cinematic tricks is to have different size hobbit holes the hobbit actors were shot next to larger round entrance doors so they looked smaller.
While the other characters like the elves, men and wizards were filmed next to smaller scale doors which made them look bigger.
There are around 40 hobbit holes on the set and while most are just the doors and gardens they are themed for the occupations of the hobbits who live there. For example this is the home of the cheese maker.
And this is the house of the basket maker.
Probably the most famous hole on the set the home of Bilbo Baggins.
While most of the Hobbit holes are just front door movie props there was one we were allowed to enter that was set up as a real hobbit home.
With bedrooms
Living rooms.
And kitchen.
Like all good tours this one ended in the pub, the famous Hobbiton Green Dragon.
And to end on an even happier note with a free mug of ale, what more could you ask for.
