Michael and Peter in Waterfront Bar

Hobbiton and beyond

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December 22nd 2008
Leaving Rotorua we're now heading for Auckland via Matamata. I don't know what that means in Maori - but in English this translates to Hobbiton. We made it just in time for the noon tour of the Lord of the Rings Set. It was quite amazing as the guide literally went through each of the major bits in Hobbiton and showed us where it was filmed. The amount of re-constructive work that had been don ... read more

Oceania » New Zealand » North Island » Auckland

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The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year... ... read more