Hobbiton

 

Hobbiton. The Shire. The village of the Hobbits. This site was at the top on my list of must-see places.

The first stop, though, was at the café.

Second breakfast is definitely on the menu at the Hobbiton entrance cafe, called the Shire’s Rest Cafe. I don’t recall any mention in the movies of Thai beef salad though.

There were wonderful, wall-sized sketches in the dining area of Hobbit life.

 

Next, came the gift store.

This is The Ring. The one ring to rule them all. (Actually, it’s a facsimile!) Yours for only 149 New Zealand dollars! Buying it in the gift store certainly beats wrestling the Gollum for it near the fires of Mordor (especially if you like having 10 fingers!).

The tour guide for our busload of tourists was perfectly typecast to lead us into Hobbiton: an engaging, jovial chap. He had mussed up hair like a Hobbit. And a cheery disposition, child-like innocence and positivity, like what you might expect of a Hobbit. At the end of the tour, I told him “When they hired you for this job, they picked the right person.”

Here is the narrow trail leading into Hobbiton.

 

 

And this is what greeted the eye, around the bend.

This is the 12-acre set used for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie trilogies. It is now a permanent tourist destination of 39 Hobbit holes.

 

There were gardens everywhere, dotting a lush, idyllic landscape.

And for you Fellowship fans, here’s Samwise Gamgee’s (Sean Astin’s character) home.

Even the mailboxes were charming.

And here’s the Green Dragon Inn at the end of the tour. Notice the sheep scattered over the rolling hills.

It was simply delightful, utterly charming; an experience thoroughly enjoyed. It really was like wandering in an actual village in which the inhabitants hadn’t awakened yet. It’s nothing like most movie sets, where appearances are clearly distinct from reality; where the front side is a facade and the back side is framework. There was nothing to distract from the image, nothing to make you think you’re still in the 21st century.

This was a well thought-out destination with a lot to offer, much like the tourism machinery that drives Hawaii and Alaska tourist spots.

Just look at all that’s offered at their website:

https://www.hobbitontours.com/en/

If I had a say in this, I’d suggest they have an Orc pop out of the bushes, growling and brandishing an Orc machete, running after the tourists! That should send everyone’s heart rate up a tick! Of course, that might be a bit too unsettling to the pastoral nature of Hobbiton.