In a hole in a ground there was a Peachy
When I saw the number 111 on my hotel arrival chit, I knew it was a good omen.
I took the bus to Matamata. And from there, a bus to a little place known as HOBBITON.
OMG.
It's beautiful. Despite the loss of so many features from the film, there are still hobbit holes. And flowers. And the massive Party Tree. I hugged the Party Tree! I WENT INTO BAG END! Okay, it's just a tiny pine room so Bilbo could get in and out, but what a gorgeous view. Took oodles of pics. Heard lots about the filming. You can really appreciate the amazing detail and hard work they put into it. They took out a modern fence, replaced it with a wooden one, then put the old fence back in for the farmer. They moved an oak tree to the site piece by piece, and added the leaves. Millions of them. They cut a small apple tree down to hobbit size and stuck plastic plums over it. The garden Sam passes at the end of ROTK is still there, wild and lovely. Bagshot Row. A shed they disguised as a tree. The Water, sans the Green Dragon and market. I stood where Gandalf entered Hobbiton and took a pic. We couldn't go to where Frodo's first scene was filmed because there's a swamp. I took a pic anyway. It was quite hot, and that's something from an Aussie.
There was a lot of sheep poo. (Hobbit droppings, said the tour guide.)
Anecdotes from tourguide: The vegies in the gardens were fed hormones to make them big, and poison against possums. (Stopped the farmer family from nicking them :D) One extra spent his whole day taking a weed out and putting it back in. Our tour guide auditioned for a hobbit but didn't get it. (Wah). A couple once got engaged at Bag End. How romantic! A devoted Elijah fangirl once kissed the doorstep. A loony in hobbit costume refused to leave and was finally convinced to leave 'home' at 7pm. A group of fans dressed as Elves danced on the Party Field the whole tour.
It was wonderful. Tips to the two M's: ignore the driver who says you can't take pics. He's pulling your leg. (Bastard! Talk about a heart attack!) And the cafe next to the booking agency has nummy food. I ate cheesecake.
I took the bus to Matamata. And from there, a bus to a little place known as HOBBITON.
OMG.
It's beautiful. Despite the loss of so many features from the film, there are still hobbit holes. And flowers. And the massive Party Tree. I hugged the Party Tree! I WENT INTO BAG END! Okay, it's just a tiny pine room so Bilbo could get in and out, but what a gorgeous view. Took oodles of pics. Heard lots about the filming. You can really appreciate the amazing detail and hard work they put into it. They took out a modern fence, replaced it with a wooden one, then put the old fence back in for the farmer. They moved an oak tree to the site piece by piece, and added the leaves. Millions of them. They cut a small apple tree down to hobbit size and stuck plastic plums over it. The garden Sam passes at the end of ROTK is still there, wild and lovely. Bagshot Row. A shed they disguised as a tree. The Water, sans the Green Dragon and market. I stood where Gandalf entered Hobbiton and took a pic. We couldn't go to where Frodo's first scene was filmed because there's a swamp. I took a pic anyway. It was quite hot, and that's something from an Aussie.
There was a lot of sheep poo. (Hobbit droppings, said the tour guide.)
Anecdotes from tourguide: The vegies in the gardens were fed hormones to make them big, and poison against possums. (Stopped the farmer family from nicking them :D) One extra spent his whole day taking a weed out and putting it back in. Our tour guide auditioned for a hobbit but didn't get it. (Wah). A couple once got engaged at Bag End. How romantic! A devoted Elijah fangirl once kissed the doorstep. A loony in hobbit costume refused to leave and was finally convinced to leave 'home' at 7pm. A group of fans dressed as Elves danced on the Party Field the whole tour.
It was wonderful. Tips to the two M's: ignore the driver who says you can't take pics. He's pulling your leg. (Bastard! Talk about a heart attack!) And the cafe next to the booking agency has nummy food. I ate cheesecake.