The Shire

We are Lord of the Ring movie enthusiasts and have been excited to be experiencing the gorgeous New Zealand scenery where the films were shot.  Mostly we’ve just traveled in some of the different areas around where the film was shot and not actually hunted down the exact locations.  However, on Friday afternoon, we went to The Shire. It is now a tourist attraction called Hobbition Movie Set and Farm Tours in the middle of the countryside outside of Matamata about 30 minutes from where we are now living in Putaruru. The countryside is all green rolling hills with hedgerows and paddocks. Surely looks like Middle Earth!

Very sunny day--umbrella for shade!


Most people get to the site by shuttle bus from Matamata so the site was not very well signed. Mark did some good map reading and we pulled into the dusty parking area adjacent to a remodeled corrugated metal building just minutes before the tour was leaving. This is a fascinating tourist attraction. The site is an actual working sheep farm of 1250 acres, 12000 sheep and a few hundred beef cattle.

Bag End with hobbit-wannabes



We climbed on an older bus with another 15 or so people (including Germans, Brits, Aussies, a Canadian) and rattled off down a dirt road filled with gates that had to be opened and closed every time we went through. The sheep scattered as the bus rumbled by. The driver kept up a running “insider” kind of commentary full of tidbits about the filming, the actors, Peter Jackson, and, of course, what was filmed where.

Middle Earth

We saw the real (Radiata Pine) party tree, party grounds, and lake where Bilbo’s 111th birthday party takes place. Tidbit: the beer they are all drinking in the scene was actual brewed beer but with only 1% alcohol since Jackson wanted the real look but not drunk actors. We saw about 17 white façade hobbit holes including Bag End. Tidbit: New Line Cinema had begun and intended to complete demolishing the entire set but heavy rains interfered. At that point, the Alexander family began negotiations about retaining what was left of the set. Now, preparations have begun for the filming of The Hobbit at the same site. We walked up and down the hills amongst the sheep. After an hour and a half of tramping, we were requested to clean our shoes on the provided mounted brushes and reboard the bus.

The party tree, field, lake

An artist's rendition of the same scene with Gandolf and Froddo looking at the party tree and field.

The end of the tour was an informational, up close demonstration of sheep shearing and an opportunity to bottle feed a few lambs. After all, it is a sheep farm.