The Solo Scale:

---

If you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, a trip to the Hobbiton movie set outside Rotorua feels like a no-brainer. When I went to New Zealand, I wanted to absorb as much of the country’s natural beauty as possible, but I also wanted to see all the filming locations that were used in the original Lord of the Rings movies. The most famous of all of them is unquestionably Hobbiton.

Staying in Rotorua, Hobbiton is an easy day trip with a quick drive out into the countryside to Matamata. From Rotorua, it’s about 45 minutes versus the 2.5 hours it would take to go from Auckland. Booking with a tour company will afford you the transportation, tickets, and the entry time, but you can buy your own tickets and go if that’s more appealing. Either way, you will need to buy tickets in advance. This is a popular tourist destination, after all.

I had scheduled other things to see in the morning and still had time for a leisurely lunch before I had to meet up with my group. In general, you can walk around the whole of downtown Rotorua easily. If you’re staying centrally, you should have no problem picking up the tour.

First comes the bus ride. Once everyone has turned up, you’ll take a bus ride out to Matamata, which will take around an hour. In the tour I took, they played Lord of the Rings material on videos in the bus during your trip. I also recommend listening to Howard Shore’s incredible score on your journey to get you in the right mood.

Upon arrival and after seeing the sign announcing your arrival, you’ll have to wait for your group to get access. These groups are led by guides at the location. This staging area has light snacks and drinks available, as well as washrooms before you begin your tour. The tour doesn’t have another break until the very end, so eat something and get that bio break in.

Your guide will walk you through the set, weaving through paths, under trees, around hobbit holes, and seeing many of the familiar sights from the movie. You will be warned to keep off the grassy areas (and unfortunately, you will probably see people ignoring those warnings). You’ll see Bilbo’s house, including the infamous ‘No Admittance’ sign in the gorgeous calligraphy and pass Samwise’s house. Then it’s on to the party tree and more of the incredible details before arriving at the Green Dragon.

When you get to the Green Dragon, you get a drink of choice! I chose to have a cider and indulge in my dreams of experiencing a drink in the pub before lingering around the area outside. At this point, you get a small amount of free time to wander before your tour ends.

In general, there’s about a few hundred people doing the tour at any given time. Because they’re clustered in groups, you see the pockets of them as you go. Because they keep a bit of control on departures, it never felt like I was bumping into people or was shoulder-to-shoulder with them (like you might be when trying to see the Mona Lisa). Once the tour is over, you head back to the main area. If you took a bus from Auckland or Rotorua, you’ll head back to your departure point.

You can find more information about the guided tours at the Hobbiton website here. If you’re like me and adore Lord of the Rings, this is a dream come true. It’s a great tour for any fan that will fully immerse you in the experience.

---