Sometimes you come across a place so beautiful that it seems impossible to believe that such place even exists on the face of the earth. And what is more intriguing is that a part of it is man-made. Well that’s what I felt when we stepped in at the Hobbiton Movie Set at Matamata.
Expect green rolling pastures flocked with sheep, flowers peeping out every here and there, pristine lake and the bluest of the skies. No wonders director Peter Jackson chose this area to create the iconic ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘the Hobbit’ sets.
We drove till the ticket counter at the base of the farms and then were ferried in a bus to the sets. Since it is a private property, cars ain’t allowed in. The tour to the sets is a guided tour of about 2 hours. Our guide James, was well informed and had an enviable energy. With a spark in his eyes and lots of wit to go with, he welcomed us into the sets.
It was like magic unfolding right in front of your eyes. The rolling hills, flowers peeping out in every corner, a lake with a stone bridge over and hobbit holes, it’s a fairy land right out of your fantasies. It was a place like no other. I took a moment to gather myself back and listen to what James was saying. And guess what!! His first question was “How many of you haven’t read the book or watched the movie?”. To my embarrassment it was just I whose hand went up. Yes, I had no clue about either the book or the movie. Yet I was there having the time of my life oblivious of what actually was shot there.
James went on explaining to those who understood, the significance of every corner around. And I was engrossed in the surroundings half listening to him. The entire place is photo ready. You need not be a photographer to shoot this place. Just turn in any direction and click.
Some Facts:
1. The set is built across 12 acres of 1250 acres of Alexander Farms on the outskirts of Matamata, which took around 9 months to complete. It featured in the LOTR Trilogy for a total of 10 mins. Around 44 hobbit holes were constructed across the property.
2. The set is built on a sheep farm and the irony is that the sheep featuring in the movie were specially brought in from England.
3. The tree overlooking the farm was revamped completely. All the original leaves were removed and new artificial leaves were tied to the branches manually. This was because the director wanted a particular green on the tree and believe me when I say, you won’t be able to make out the difference.
4. There is a scene in the movie where children are playing around a plum tree. They didn’t have plum tree. The director got apple and pear trees, plucked out all the apples and pears and the leaves and added artificial plums and plum leaves to it. So much of work, just for a 3 second appearance in the entire trilogy.
5. The set was never meant to be a tourist attraction earlier. It was only after the Hobbit Trilogy was shot, they decided to open it for tourists.
The intricacies looked into by the director was commendable and at places unbelievable. It was like walking right into the Middle Earth.
As we proceeded, we crossed the stone bridge and there we were, at the Green Dragon Inn. It’s the pub shown in the movie and it still caters to all its guests. It was destroyed while filming for LOTR and was recreated during the shoot of the Hobbit. We went ahead to taste our complementary beer towards the end of the tour. The pub had a very vintage and rustic feel to it and we loved their ciders and the iconic ginger beer.
Pro tip: Remember to carry a jacket if you visit in the evening as it might get pretty cold.
Wear comfortable footwear as you would walk a lot.
Book the tickets online, as the slots usually gets sold quickly.
What we missed: They have a lot of adventure activities in Matamata, specially zorbing, where you roll down a hill in a giant ball.
For more information, you could visit their website. I would highly recommend this place when in New Zealand. It just can’t be missed.