Not far from the town of Matamata is one of the most famous villages in the world - Hobbiton. This place is sacred to fans of John Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings trilogy - they come here from all over the world. But even those who have never read these books, as a rule, do not deny themselves the pleasure of visiting the fairy-tale world of the hobbits. After all, no matter how they try to clone it in other countries, the original, where the films were filmed, is still the same.
How it all began
New Zealand is a country of beautiful landscapes that civilization has not reached. Here, sheep graze imposingly on endless fields, and private farms are located at a distance of several tens of kilometers from each other. One of them, in principle, unremarkable, was noticed by the famous director Peter Jackson, who decided to shoot a film based on the trilogy of John Tolkien in these parts, far from the urban bustle.
He looked for a place very carefully, examining the surroundings from a helicopter. His attention was attracted by the lands of the Alexander family, spread out in picturesque green hills. Such a landscape, according to the director, corresponded perfectly to what was described in the books. No sooner said than done. Soon, a large share of private property was sold to Hollywood, and a long painstaking work began ...
Hobbiton construction
The main thing that Peter Jackson did not want to retreat from and did not step back a step - all the scenery for the film had to be natural, and not made of cardboard or plywood. That is why the fabulous village of Hobbiton was literally rebuilt from scratch, from scratch.
The country's government immediately realized that such a project could bring New Zealand not only popularity, but also economic benefits - after all, the shooting would end, and the village would remain. That is why, without any questions and complaints, the army reserve was connected to the work: people and equipment. 1.5 kilometers of road, blanks for round holes, some of which are six meters deep, a bridge and hilly terrain - it took almost a year to create all this. After the rough work was completed, the designers got down to business.
Particular attention was paid to the drawing of details. Every little thing from the scenery had to look natural. And if pots with flowers or old barrels are not so difficult to find, then with some moments a lot of problems arose. One of the main ones is how to age at home. In order to do this, the lichen, which grows in nature for a very long time, was soaked in a special solution. Stimulated by it, it took root and spread very well.
However, there are also "fictions" in the Hobbiton village. First of all, it is an oak tree, under which Bilbo Baggins' burrow was located. There are practically no large trees in New Zealand, so it was “collected” piece by piece: the trunk is made of natural wood, and the leaves are made of fiber optic.
Another dummy in the village of Hobbiton is the garden of their dwarf apple trees. They could not find them before filming and were replaced with plums, and artificial fruits had to be used for decoration.
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What is Hobbiton today
Nothing has changed since filming in Hobbiton Village. The houses of fairytale characters still look very realistic, clothes are hung on the ropes, and vegetable gardens are laid out in the yards. Sometimes it seems that the inhabitants of the graying have not gone anywhere - it's just that it's quiet time for them.
Tourists can visit the courtyards of any of the houses, but they cannot go inside. Despite the fact that some of the "holes" have preserved the Hollywood scenery and even the doors are ajar (by the way, all the "interior" filming was carried out at the studio, not in Hobbiton). This is a quirk of the creators of the village-museum. Perhaps, by doing so, they wanted to preserve the illusion of the secret of the world of the hobbits, without revealing all its secrets to the end. True, some gates lead nowhere - after all, most of the holes were dug less than a meter and were never used for filming inside.
But to look into the Green Dragon tavern and drink a glass of cider is quite real. Some of the dishes on the menu are based on hobbit farm produce. While walking through the village streets, you can often observe the following picture: a restaurant employee comes out, picks up a fresh salad, zucchini or something else, and again hides behind the kitchen door.
And, of course, walking through the village of Hobbiton, you cannot pass by the legendary oak tree, which took more than one million dollars to create. It looks really very realistic and it is almost impossible to understand from a distance that a tree is just a fiction.
How to get to Hobbiton village
Fans of self-guided tours will be disappointed - you can only get to Hobbiton as part of a group or by purchasing an individual tour. The journey to the magical village begins from the information center located in the center of the town of Matamata. He does not have an exact address, but it is impossible to get lost or pass by. Not only all roads lead here, but also numerous signs. After purchasing a ticket, tourists are put on "branded" transport and taken directly to the village.
If you are planning your trip from Auckland, then you can immediately purchase a tour (they are offered by almost all local travel companies) or you can drive to Matamata on your own. However, for this you will have to rent a car or use a taxi - with public transport in New Zealand, things are bad.
Visit cost
A ticket to the magical world of the hobbits is not cheap, it will cost 75 New Zealand dollars. There is a discount for children - little guests aged 11 to 14 can enter the village for 37.5 New Zealand dollars, from 5 to 10 years - for $ 10, up to 5 years old and completely free.
Working hours
The tourist center in Matamata is open from 9-00 to 16-30. At the height of the season, the schedule may change, the working day is extended by several hours (it is better to check this point in advance. A tour of the Hobbiton village lasts about 3 hours, the last guests leave the territory after 19-00.
