Visit to Hobbiton, Matamata
SV Jenny
Alan Franklin/Lynne Gane
Wed 6 Apr 2016 10:23
Dear Family
and Friends,
21st
March 2016
I am writing
somewhat later than dated, trying to catch up on a whirlwind of activity in a
brief summary. Any fan of the Hobbit films, could hardly resist a visit to
Hobbiton, near Matamata, SE of Auckland. Even the tourist office in town is
themed. And my goodness haven’t the Kiwis made a business out of the film fame.
Only available through booked tours, coaches run from Matamata to the site some
several kilometres SW of the town where you disembark, browse the really
expensive gift shop and await your tour. Back on a coach, we travelled through
rolling hills grazed by sheep to the sleepy hollow complete with ancient tree
and its own lake that is now transformed into Hobbiton. What saves the
experience from being well organised but horribly commercial; following your
guide, hurry along now, we are holding up the next group, have your photo taken
here, no not that way, stay together. ‘alrighty’, is that the place is
genuinely charming, the sets brilliant, Peter Jackson’s vision and obsession
with detail down to an artificial tree with individually painted leaves of just
the right colour, and yes he made them paint all of them again because the
shade wasn’t quite right, is awesome.
A
sample of photos, the first is of us posing by a full size Hobbit hole, some are scaled down to make us humans appear bigger.
All our best,
Lynne, Alan and Josh
