We rose early and shuffled bathroom privileges with the Polish couple who were checking out of the B&B that day. Judy heard us stirring and began to prepare breakfast. When we got to the table we found it covered with a smorgasbord of options, including cereals, yogurt, fruit, milk and juice, French toast, sliced bread, a frittata, and bacon, among other things. Finally a hot breakfast! It was more than two people could ever dream of eating, and we were appreciative of her efforts.
The drive to Hobbiton took about an hour and was a lovely journey through only slightly curving roads, rolling hills, and all the cows and sheep you could ever want. It rained lightly on and off, and then the sun would peek through the clouds. We hoped the weather would hold somewhat so that we wouldn't be completely soaked during our jaunt through The Shire.
We got our tickets and went to the waiting area where we would be picked up by one of the large green Hobbiton tour buses. We loaded up with about 30 people and were driven into a nearby paddock on a narrow winding road. Outside lay pasture after pasture of sheep and black Angus cattle. The cows were even unfenced in areas and stood at the roadside just outside the bus windows. There were even darling babies!
We pulled up to a trail head and got out of the bus. Our guide, an English bloke named Jake, led us down the path and into The Shire. The tour took about two hours and Jake pointed out several interesting set details and provided bits of movie trivia along the way. The couple of rising hills comprising the area looked just like they did in the movies: magical and welcoming. I honestly wished I could buy up the place, kick everyone out, and move into one of the Hobbit houses (even though they were mostly just facades). The detail was incredible and we got more insight into the painstaking effort put into movie-making.
A real garden!
Outside the beekeeper's Hobbit hole
The only fake tree in the place
The surrounding scenery
For once I feel tall.
Sneaky little hobbitses
The Party Tree in the distance
Bilbo's house
Samwise Gamgee's house
After the walk, we were invited to have a free drink at the Green Dragon Inn pub. It was dark and cavernous inside, decorated with dark chunky wood and rustic decor. A fire burned in one corner. We each grabbed a cup of ale and ginger beer, respectively, and sat outside at a picnic table. There we watched three flies get drunk off a previous visitor's spilled ale. Then The Shire's only inhabitant, Pickles the Cat, made an appearance and I followed her around a bit for a chance to stroke her calico fur. The weather had held and we really enjoyed ourselves. It was time to get back on the bus.
The Old Mill
Inside the Green Dragon Inn
Seeking out the cats, as usual.
Lake-front property
As we drove back to Rotorua, large grey clouds rolled in. I had a bit of a headache so I wanted to stop back at Judy's to grab some water and recombobulate. We had been discussing riding the Skyline Gondola up the hill (and the luge down!) if the weather held, but as soon as we pulled into Judy's place it started to rain. There was no view to speak of so we called it off, opting instead to have lunch at Eat Streat again. We had more Italian pasta at a place called Nuvo, and then made a stop at the Countdown supermarket nearby. It was raining miserably hard by now and we got completely soaked. We decided to have an evening in with frozen pizzas.
Nice! Kathy
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