Hobbitses Village (Hobbiton)

It's Bilbo Baggins village, The Shire (Hobbiton)

"In the hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.  Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." -J.R.R. Tolkien, the first sentence of The Hobbit. 

The Hobbiton movie set was a location used for the lord of the rings film trilogy and the hobbit film series. It is located in Matamata-Piako District, Waikato, New Zealand. Now it is a Tolkien tourism destination, offering guided tours of the set.

Hobbiton is actually a farm since 1978. It is still farmed the same today and is run by the Alexanders family. Hobbiton runs approximately 13,000 sheep and 300 Angus beef cattle hence. The major sources of income are mutton, wool, and beef.

Peter Jackson, the director of the films, chooses the location for the hobbit village, The Shire. Jackson wrote: “I knew Hobbiton needed to be warm, comfortable and feel lived in. By letting the weeds grow through the cracks and establishing hedges and little gardens a year before filming, we ended up with an incredibly place, not just a film set.”

Site construction started in March 1999 and filming commended in December that year, continuing for three months. There was 37 hobbit holes were originally created with untreated timber, ply, and polystyrene. The set was rebuilt in 2011 for the hobbit films series.

It is now a 12 acres permanent attraction complete with 44 hobbit holes and associated gardens and hedges, a mill and double arch bridge, and erecting a 26-tonne oak above Bag End (Bilbo Baggins hole). There is also the famous Party Tree.

It is about a 2 hour drive from Auckland or ;

1.       From Hamilton : a 45 minute drive

2.       From rotorua : a 45 minute drive

3.       From taupo : one and a half hour drive

4.       From Tauranga : 45 minute drive

5.       From waitomo : one and a half hour drive

 It opens 7 days a week, 30 days a month, and along the year. Tours depart daily from the Shire’s Rest Café, 501 Buckland Road Matamata and from the Matamata & Rotorua i-SITEs. The ticket price is $79.000-$195.00. Children aged 0-9 and free and youth aged 9-16 are $39.50.

The venues

• The Green Dragon™ Inn. The Green Dragon was the meeting place for all residents of Hobbiton™, who would gather in the warm surroundings of the bar to chatter about the day’s events. Inside the masterfully recreated pub, there are barrels filled with an exclusive Southfarthing™ ale, stout, cider and ginger beer. The scones, meat pies, and cheese platters they serve were also to die for. This venue fits up to 90 people. 

• The Shire™. The Shire™ Store features an extensive selection of souvenirs to remind you of your visit to the Hobbiton™ Movie Set. Situated to the right of The Shire’s Rest™ Cafe, the Shire Store stocks the exclusive Hobbit™ Southfarthing™ beverage range, an extensive range of Weta Collectibles, Tolkien books, Location Guidebooks, exclusive branded clothing and much more are all available for purchase. you can also buy elven robes, rings, Hobbiton beer,  Gandalf’s staff and more.

• The Party Marquee. The Party Marquee is a fully themed, spacious location for large groups. The painted canvas exterior, vibrant bunting and colourful lanterns means your group will be immersed in the festive magic of the movies.

• Yard Flat. Yard Flat has a stunning view overlooking the set and towards the iconic Party Tree. This area is purpose built and can be altered and adapted to suit your group’s needs. The garden bar stretches out towards the set and comfortably sits on top of the Hobbit Holes making for a perfect evening in The Shire.Yard Flat has been created to comfortably sit a 20x50m marquee which we can hire to put in place for your function.

• The Marketplace. The Marketplace is a bustling, vibrant experience to tantalise the senses of your visitors. Guests will find themselves engulfed in the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of The Shire™. The market stalls are catered to your guest’s requirements and can consist of New Zealand cheeses, freshly baked artisan breads, cured meats, smoked fish, etc.

Hobbiton Quiz

1.       Which country Hobbiton located at?

a.       New Zealand

b.      New Guinea

c.       UK

d.      New South Wales

2.       Below are the major sources of Hobbiton farm income, except…

a.       Mutton

b.      Wool

c.       Beef

d.      Lamb

3.       What is the real name of the hobbits village in Hobbiton?

a.       Mordor

b.      The Shire

c.       Hogwarts

d.      The Siere

4.       The amount of the hobbit holes when they originally created is…

a.       37

b.      44

c.       24

d.      27

5.       What is the name of Bilbo Baggins hole?

a.       Longbottom

b.      Bag End

c.       Brandybuck

d.      Gamgee

6.       For what movie is Hobbiton first created?

a.       The Lord of The Rings

b.      Harry Potter

c.       The Chronicles of Narnia

d.      The Exorcist

7.       What is the name of this venue?

a.       The Shire Store

b.      Brandybuck Store

c.       The Marketplace

d.      The Green Dragon

8.       Hobbiton is located in…

a.       South Wales

b.      Waikato

c.       Tokyo

d.      Bandung

9.       How much weight the oak above Bag End are?

a.       1 tonne

b.      20 tonne

c.       35 tonne

d.      26 tonne

Bibliography 

Big thanks to you, 

1. http://www.hobbitontours.com/
2. http://www.newzealand.com/in/plan/business/hobbiton-movie-set-tours/
3. http://www.intercity.co.nz/tours/intercity-hobbiton-excursion-auckland-to-auckland/
4. https://www.gapyear.com/articles/215653/hobbity-things-you-can-see-in-hobbiton
5. http://livinginanotherlanguage.com/journey-middle-earth-hobbiton/