Caves & Hobbiton Movie set 'The Shire'

Friday, October 16, 2015
Waitomo Caves, North Island, New Zealand
We had an early start on Friday with a little drive to the Aranui Cave, only a small one but comfortable and not too much crouching, lovely guide who has been working as a guide at this cave for 18 years on and off.  

The glow worm cave was next but sadly no photos allowed, don't want to freak out the little fellas . In the highest ceiling part of the cave called the Cathedral the lights were turned right down and we were treated to one of the guides singing a traditional Maori song for a couple of minutes, got all teared up I did! So some history, it takes 100 years for a stalactite to grow just 1cm.  

There are Weta crickets in the dark caves, we saw them in both today, they don't like light so only go outside at night, but of course not on a full moon, they take 9 months to go through the larvae, pupil to adult stage and only last 3 days as an adult where they have to root, lay eggs and may get cannibalized! 

After 10 years of excitement I was finally going to get to Hobbiton and we traveled from Waitomo to Mattamatta, the last 8 kms was on a small road which slowly got narrower as we went, kinda tricky for a Motorhome and thankfully we were the only ones on the road. The rolling hills were amazing, just like the movies, plenty of cows, dear and baby lamb (Terry was drooling for some reason) .  

Arrived at The Shires Rest for lunch, well priced and food was awesome (pumpkin tomato and basil soup and bacon and egg burgers with hash brown and sauce), great gift shop and definitely spent lots of money, had to get a Green Dragon Inn beer mug!  

Then it was time....boarded the Hobbiton coach (back seat for the Aussies). We learnt the land is owned by the Alexander family, who were visited by one of Peter Jackson's scouts, who then brought PJ back for a second visit who knew it was perfect for the Lord of the Rings movies. The tour guides were again amazing, full of facts and funny tales, our guide was Beth from Arizona and a Marine Biologist, she is hoping to find more work in the South Island which is common for the tour guides, the world is their oyster. 

Now strolling down the path well protected by hedges to keep us in suspense and over a little hill to look at the village for the first time, same track that Gandolf and Frodo were on in the opening scenes of Fellowship of the Ring. An awesome setting, better than i had expected, vegetable garden, flowers blooming, the huge Party Tree, tiny clothes lines with tiny clothes pegged on them, lots of Hobbit holes and lots of activity, they would have had dozens of staff busy working in the fields on replanting, tending to gardens and also doing renovations to the Green Dragon Inn and the Mill.  

All we can say is, if you are a fan of Peter Jackson, do come and see what he has kept alive, after the Hobbit trilogy filming he made arrangements with the Alexander family to make the set permanent and now building a function centre for Weddings.   

 
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