I found it! Hobbit-town

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So there I was, in hostel in Whakatane (the 'wh' is the 'f' sound and it really sounds like 'f@ck-a-tawny') pouring over a map to plot my next move.....and I saw 'hobbittown' in the countryside between Tauranga and Rotorua. I figured I could drive along the coast of the Bay of Plenty then jig south to pop in on my way to Waitomo's famous limestone caves with glow worms. The advertisements indicated that the movie set was 90% removed but you could see the mounds and some white round wooden doors.
There was yet another rain storm coming the next day, and despite local advice not to drive far I set off along the coast. Bit frustrating cause you rarely see the sea from highway, and soon I entered Tauranga, a popular coastal resort town. I had lunch and decided to press on.
When I got to Matamata, there was the typical touristy signs about Hobbittown. I went to the information office and was shocked that it cost $64 to visit the site. What? to see some mounds of dirt? Aaaah, but no.....the site was being rebuilt for Peter Jackson's next movie, the Hobbit. Hmmmm, sounds intriguing...and yes, this is my holiday....coming to an end soon.....O.K. sell me the ticket and give me the directions cause I have my own car.
I had to sign a confidentiality form, so I will be sparing with details and photos. Let's just say that it was a thrill touring the site, watching builders and gardeners revive and increase Hobbit town. For all of you tourists that have visited the site over the last few years to see a bunch of mounds and some round wooden doors...I hope they didn't charge you $64! I'm sure you heard about all the coincidences (name of actual road) and the pain-staking adherence to detail, but you surely missed the thrill of a nearly complete movie set! Go back! Go back now, before they start the movie.
I took tons of photos, so when I get back I can show you.
Moving on....where have I been? I left Rotorua and drove to Whakatane for a night (yup, scarey narrow roads on cliff some of the way), then drove to Tauranga, then Matamata and ended up in TeAwaputu. Next day went to Waitomo to see glow worm caves (don't waste your time going there) then stopped over at Otaura. Then visited mountain-top sanctuary, Mangutatautari and then proceded back to Auckland to return rental car. No time for lengthy descriptions....just a few photos to blast through these places.

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Photos

Found It!!
Yup, that is me, in front of a hobbit house, re-established for next block-buster

Matamata
This town is all geared up for the incoming Lord of Ring fans. Bit hokey....but pay the money to get to secret location

Movie Set
Site is buzzing with builders and gardeners. Ask me when you see me for all the inside scoops.

Pretty
This one is complete

View
The Shire....developing in front on my eyes

Hell's Gate
On the edge of Rotorua. Sometimes the town has steam coming out of drain holes in streets. Unnerving. Who'd want to live here permanently?

Swans
Drive to the coast has those tricky roads, but here is a calm photo along the way

Whakatane
Streets boxed in by river and this hill. Note, to get to beach you had to take the road that ran UP this hill.

Riverside
River beside Whakatane

Big Beach
On other side of hill, lovely beach

Cook
Cook landed near Whakatane

Tauranga
Didn't stay long enough to appreciate this town, had Hobbit holes to find

Kiwifruit
Growing on trees

Glow worms in Caves
No cameras allowed inside, but this is poster of what we saw. Still....don't waste your money

Sanctuary
On mountain-top

Fence of safety
Keeps predators out, lets birds increase in number

Lovely Forest
Great hike through here

More info
Click on photo to enlarge view

Lucky Bird
Five of them had peanuts to share

View
Beautiful countryside at Ohaupo

Comments

[Teresa]

three years later
It is me, back into career I love, but am losing steam.....today I returned to my own travel blog to be wow-ed by the beauty of the photos, and admiration that Yes, I ventured forth. So many memories come with each photo, a book of experiences happened when I purposely wrote just a curt description of new and wonderous lands. Blessing to all Travelers...I was totally correct when I wrote that traveling to uncharted lands helps me 'get back to me'.