Hobbiton Tour - Review and Recommendation

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Sometimes you just have to let the nerd in you out to play.  When making plans for a recent cruise around New Zealand, I was torn between seeing geological stuff, glow worm caves or Hobbiton at one of our ports of call.  When talking with another travel agent, she just smiled and advised me to go see Hobbiton.  She was so right!  Let me tell you why you need to go and spend some time at Hobbiton.

 

Even if you are not a fan of the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit movies, you need to see Hobbiton.  This place was a mind-boggling experience.  The level of detail put into this place is just a little bit overwhelming.  I was expecting a few hobbit holes and not much else.  I had heard about the pub the “Green Dragon” and new that the tours ended there but had little to no expectation.  What I actually got was so much more!  They built an entire shire, I kid you not.  There were many many hobbit holes and they were different sizes and each had its own personality.  One hobbit was a fisherman so there was fishing tackle and drying fish.  Laundry was hung out to dry.  There were hobbit sized beehives and hobbit-sized jars of honey.  Who thought of all of this stuff?  It was all hobbit sized and all of it reflected the care and detail that was put into this place.

 

The Green Dragon was a completely free standing pub.  I imagine you could find one just like it in some small town in Europe somewhere.  The Green Dragon served food as well as drinks.  Our tour came with a free drink and since I don’t drink alcohol I was a bit concerned.  I shouldn’t have been.  They had an alcohol free option – Ginger Beer.  Despite the name, it was not beer and tasted a lot like ginger ale but I didn’t care.  It was so much fun to sit in this beautifully crafted pub with its round windows and just enjoy the view.  And yes, there is a green dragon in the pub.  It is carved out of wood and is perched above the bar.

 

If you find yourself planning a trip to New Zealand, you need to let the inner nerd out to play in Hobbiton. Better yet, contact us, your New Zealand specialists to help you plan your perfect trip to New Zealand and Hobbiton.