There are no hobbits in Hobbiton.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
Before we left for our New Zealand honeymoon, I joked that the whole trip would be a failure if we didn’t find hobbits at the Hobbiton Movie Set. We spent several hours there and saw nary a hobbit, but our evening banquet tour was nevertheless one of the most delightful things I’ve ever experienced.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
We booked the evening banquet tour, which was a solid choice because:
- Our tour group was the last on the property, so there were no groups crowding behind us and the hardcore fans among us could lag behind the more casual tourists;
- We ate to our hearts’ delight during the hearty, rich and plentiful banquet at the Green Dragon Inn, which was especially welcome after a couple days of light eating;
- We had a second, twilight tour of the movie set after the banquet, so we got to see the hobbit holes lit up and had the entire set to ourselves.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
The actual movie set is not super large — when we watched The Fellowship of the Ring recently, I could see how economical the cinematographers were in utilizing every angle of the set to make it seem like Hobbiton was a bucolic sprawl when in fact the entire walking paths could easily be trod inside of an hour. But this just added to the magic of getting to see the set in person. Even Jeff, a cynic, was enchanted by the evening’s end.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Ektar +2, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Portra 400+3, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Portra 400+3, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Portra 400+3, Pentax 6×7.
© 2016. Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata, New Zealand. Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. Portra 400+3, Pentax 6×7.
Due to trademark law, prints of the Hobbiton Movie Set are not available for purchase.
Words and Light 
So cool!!!! Visiting Hobbiton is at the top of my list. Such a cool trip