Hobbiton!

“In a 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.”

We started our tour of the shire with our tour guide asking the 40 in our group who had seen the movie “The Lord of the Rings”.

Almost all the hands went up. Then he asked who had seen the movie “The Hobbit”, still most of the hands went up.

Then he asked who had read the book “The Hobbit”. The hands were about half now.

Then who had read “The Lord of the Rings.” We were down the 25% of the group. 

Then he asked, who had read the “Silmarillion”. The only ones with their hands up now were a European couple, and me …

Our nerdiness was laid bare. 

Then the tour guide very appropriately looked at the three of us and said, “Welcome Home.” 

Side note: there was actually one family from India on the trip who had never even heard of a hobbit! Gasp! 

We spent the next 90 minutes meandering through the shire and admiring the more than 44 unique hobbit holes. 

There are a lot of photos and I have really narrowed this down. This was a place meant for photos, and perhaps a picnic, or 2nd breakfast and then some games, or maybe just moving in. 

While all the interior filming was done at the studio in Wellington, they did make a replica interior so we could explore. 

Is there anything more charming?!

Then we visited the Green Dragon.

I loved it so much! I could have spent days here and not been bored. 

Next time I’m in New Zealand I will do it again.