Once again into Middle Earth

The afternoon was spent trying to find some lunch, striking out in both Otorohanga and Cambridge, so we moved on to Hamilton. Mary-Ellen and Dad jumped and the lord of the rings junkies pilled into one car and headed back down the road to the shire. At this point we were famished, so we enjoyed a meal at the shires rest, Derek scarfing down a "second breakfast". With a renewed sense of strength to carry on the tour, Derek found himself in a power struggle with Gandalf before we boarded the bus. 

Over farmland we traveled to the set that was used in both the lord of the rings and the hobbit, although not the original lord of the rings set as this was dismantled and rebuilt for the hobbit.
The sun was shining brightly across the vivid green hills, gardens in full bloom, and miniature doors and yards set up around every corner. For Geoff, Derek, and Mom, this was their first time, and the attention to detail for them was amazing, even going so far as to participate in some wood chopping.

They definitely have improved on the set, adding greater detail, including smoke coming from some of the stacks, and greater representation of different hobbit occupations such as the fishing and fromagerie.

One of Mom's favourite things was definitely the gardens. The guide was saying that they can have up to 30 gardeners working on a given day, and despite the heat, the plants were amazing, with numerous classic English species growing in yards and up walls and gates.

So we traveled around, our merry company taking photos at every hobbit hole, even getting to stand inside one of the sets, although Derek is a bit tall and too skinny to be a hobbit. Better chance of being a wizard!

Despite the large group we did manage to see everything, being fully immersed in the magic of this place. We wandered up to Bag End with its beautiful gardens and fake tree above. We also got to see a set of hobbit holes that were created only for the purpose of a backdrop should the camera angle ever go that way! We learned a lot about Peter Jackson, and just how stringent he was on details, having asked people to repaint the fake leaves on the tree above bag end because they were the wrong shade.

This is the view you won't see in any of the moves, only if you visit Hobbiton (or read this blog of course)

With smiles still beaming from the full experience of having been thrown into the manifestation of a world previously experienced through book and movie, we concluded our tour with a drink at the green dragon inn. We all shared a drink, toasting this and the many adventures we had done and would do in the week to come. We shared a few jokes and reflections in our brief time here before jumping on the bus once again, purchasing some memorabilia from the gift shop, and back to Hamilton for a wonderful dinner with the rest of the family.