New Zealand on a Very Tight Budget Day 27
This story happened on: 13/03/2017
Gallery
I think I may actually have died and gone to heaven! how else can I explain a day of such unparalleled perfection as today?
We awoke to.....a glorious sunrise and clear blue skies. It was an early start as we were booked on the 8.40 tour of The Hobbiton Film Set and we were both very excited. The early bird definitely catches the Wormtongue! With only one tour ahead of us and ours only half full there was not another one scheduled for about 30 minutes after - yet when we left they were arriving in double loads at 10 minute intervals.
We assembled at the Travellers' Rest and boarded the bus to Hobbiton a bit like they do in the Jurassic World film. We then drove across acres of rolling farm land to the set.
This set is not the one built at the same location for Lord of the Rings which was all plywood and polystyrene but the one built for The Hobbit Trilogy in proper wood and stone to last. I think the owners of the farm drove a pretty hard bargain second time around.
It is utter perfection to every tiny detail. Our guide James was informative and entertaining and I think was keen to point out that this was a film set and not a theme park. Its got more to do with Capability Brown than Disneyworld. It has however been extended and the planting alone is a joy. We learned a lot of behind the scenes stories and ended up with cider at The Green Dragon pub where the barmaid told me that between 300-400 people are employed at the location.
I had that same feeling as I did that wonderful September afternoon the first time I went to The Globe Theatre and saw a perfect production of As You Like It. I just didn't want it to end.
By 11.30 we were all done and dusted and leaving. Hard to follow that up really. Fortunately just down the road is North Island's highest waterfall. At 153 metres in two cascades it made an impressive sight at the end of the 45 minute climb to the lookout. We passed through some very nice small towns on our way to our campsite a beautiful park with great views and a swimming pool and dined on steak and ale pies purchased at The Green Dragon - not even the chainsaw, the yappy dog or the rather boisterous party of elderly walkers from Rotorua could dent such a perfect day!
Bakers2
Motorhomer