Fans of LOTR would really love this little hidden gem in Matamata. The hobbiton is not exposed and we were unable to see anything as we were driving towards it. Yes there were dome like structures resembling those they build in the shire but none looking really like it…

So we booked our ticket online for the time slot we wanted and collected the ticket at the movie set. We then waited for our guide and tour bus to take us into the shire.

The shire was actually built on someone’s farm rearing cows and sheeps. The slow drive into the shire took about 15min. The shire was built on the lower grounds of the farm which explained why it was hidden. On the ride in, our guide provided information which we did not know about the set. So whether or not one is a LOTR fan, it really doesn’t matter. Once at the shire, we were led to the the green dragon inn for some ales and ciders.

Now let’s take a look around the shire

There were also real vegetable patches and staff maintaining the shire’s wellbeing…

The visit to the shire was a short one. We felt like we were pretty much rushed through the compound and there were not much time for photos especially those who like selfies, or individual shots with the hobbit houses even though the guide promised there will be time to take photos. The reason was because they had to stick to the schedule for the next roung of visitors… sort of like school excursion where we were ushered through different sections of a museum and looking back, we see another group of people being introduced to the same sections…

The entrance fee was NZ$79 per adult for an 80min tour.

We will be sharing our stay at Hamilton and their food in our next post…