Hobbiton // New Zealand Pt. 2
Hobbiton was one of those places I had always hoped to visit, but never thought I would actually get to. So when my sister and I added it to our New Zealand itinerary, I was extremely excited! Now, I've never been the most devoted Lord of the Rings fan, but I really enjoy that story, as well as The Hobbit, which I've read a couple times. Before our visit, my sister and I watched the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings, as well as multiple YouTube videos, to help us refresh and prepare! Once we arrived, we were both blown away by how perfect this little hillside is, even in real life. I would happily move in to one of these little Hobbit homes, and our tour guide mentioned a few stories of some devoted fans who have actually tried...
Learning about all the behind the scenes work that went into building this little village was fascinating, from the varying sizes of doors (depending on who would be standing in front of them during filming) to the fake tree, whose leaves were hand painted. And since my sister, myself, and one other visitor were the only three paying much attention to our tour guide (mostly because most of our group didn't speak English), she let us keep a few of the leaves from now fake tree which sits above Mr. Baggins' cute, little house.
Once our tour was over, we were able to warm up inside The Green Dragon Inn with some Ginger Beer and a sit by the fire. I found, while sitting there, in a comfortable, oversized armchair, sipping away at my ginger beer, with a roaring fire at my feet, that I could live the Hobbit life quite contentedly.
Our only regret with our visit to Hobbiton was that it wasn't on one of the banquet days. Twice a week they hold large, Hobbit banquets in The Green Dragon Inn, and it looks incredible! So if you ever visit Hobbiton, look into reserving a spot at the banquet. While it's a high cost for a meal, I feel like it would be worth it in the end!
*$20 Airbnb Credit towards your next trip - www.airbnb.com.au/c/gentrit
