
Hobbiton
Easter weekend I was going to stay home and work a bit, but last minute decided going on an adventure! Visited the Hobbiton Movie Set, near Hamilton (about 2 Hrs drive from home)
I’m not a big fan of the movies, I’ve watched few clips here/there but not really up to spend 3+ hours watching the movie or who knows how much time reading the book. Either way the studio is like a must do local experienced that had in my bucket list. The main intention was to take photos and that was a really good choice.
Weather changes quite often here, we had a sunny day in between partially cloudy days, so I booked the last tour available (3:30pm). They don’t have evening tours, but that time of the day was great.
Beyond photos, I really enjoyed the tour and visiting the set. There is a lot of attention to details, that really pays off at the end. It also helps to understand and appreciate the local culture, simple, hard-worker, warm, friendly. “The Shire is as a small but beautiful, idyllic and fruitful land settled exclusively by hobbits”, that describes New Zealand perfectly!
The hobbits, on the other hand, are usually shy, but are capable of great courage and amazing feats under the proper circumstances.
Most self-respecting hobbits want nothing to do with adventures. Their lives are all about comfort.
However, when Bilbo is presented with the prospect of a grand adventure, something surges deep within his heart. He understands from the outset that the journey will be challenging. Even dangerous. There is even a possibility he might not return.
And yet, the call to adventure has reached deep into his heart. And so, this unremarkable hobbit leaves comfort behind and enters the path to a great adventure that will take him all the way to “there and back again.”
Does it sound familiar? It may relate to most of us, merely wanting some degree of comfort, not taking risks, but at some point sooner or later the call for adventure may arrive.
I wanted to share couple photos so you may feel like traveling there, and maybe if you can, at some point later, come visit Hobbiton and feel a bit the warm welcome of the Shire, New Zealand and its people.
“I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way.”
– Frodo