Monday, February 27th Through Wednesday March 1st, 2023 - Hobbiton, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui

 After all the fun we had in Rotorua, it was time to move on. We were headed to Tauranga, on the Bay of Plenty, but the drive allowed us to take a detour through Hobbiton where we had a reservation to tour the movie set where The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed.

Typical Landscape Outside Rotorua

I had mentioned in the last blog that the landscape here was quite different from the South Island and this photo gives you an idea of the type of country we were driving through. It was just as green as it looks in the photo, with sheep and cattle often seen grazing. It was still very beautiful in spite of its being less dramatic than the south.

The Road to the Hobbiton Movie Set from The Shire's Rest

When we arrived at the Hobbiton guest services (Shire's Rest), we found a relatively small and simple building with a ticket office, café and gift store. The buses run from here with tour guides over to the movie set every ten minutes - it is a well oiled operation and very popular. We were lucky to get tickets at short notice.

Our Tour Guide, Hobbiton

It had been raining, so paths were muddy, but the weather was kind to us and the drizzle had stopped. With their tight schedule we were asked to stay with the group and stay on the paths. The site had been found through an aerial search and still operates as a farm. She explained that Russell Alexander, the owner of this 1,250 acre farm, negotiated with Peter Jackson (Director) to keep the set open after filming - the only place in New Zealand where they did so. It had been destroyed after the filming of The Lord of the Rings had been completed, but was rebuilt for the subsequent filming of The Hobbit movies and then kept open to create this tourist attraction. 

Up Close and Personal With a Hobbit Hole

It was quite delightful to walk into The Shire and feel so very at home, knowing what dear souls had inhabited this space of fiction. The gardens surrounding the Hobbit holes were colorful and free spirited and those little round doorways, all brightly painted, just brought a smile to one's face.

Little Faces Smiling Out of the Hillside

The hobbit holes were different sizes - some had windows, some did not. I thought the ones with round  windows looked like little faces smiling out of the hillside.

Tolkein's Drawing of Hobbiton

Tolkein did not describe The Shire, or The Hill in detail in his books, but had created a drawing of it.

The Hill Movie Set

This is how it ended up on the set, with The Green Dragon and The Mill to the left outside this view. It covers a total of twelve acres and like Tolkein's drawing, has a tree atop the hill with hedgerows, paths and Hobbit holes throughout. This Hill did not seem to be quite as high as Tolkein's and did not have fields that look quite as orderly. You can see smoke coming out of some chimneys. When you consider that there must have been at least four busloads on the set at the time I took this photo, you can appreciate how carefully they co-ordinated the groups to reduce 'visual pollution'.

The Apothecary?

The set makers made up for the lack of detail that was given in the books. Each Hobbit hole conveyed an occupation or interest that was revealed by the small-scale details in and around it. From the fungi, fruit, herbs and recipe book under the awning, along with the jars inside the open door, it seemed this owner probably was an herbalist or apothecary.

A Hobbit Laundry Line

I was very pleased to see that the Hobbits used a line for their laundry, rather than a tumble dryer. It was such a cheery sight! I took pains to photograph everyone's laundry - though I have to admit I didn't see bras or underwear on them. Perhaps Hobbits are shy about these things and prefer to dry them inside! LOL! We were told that the clothing gets changed out every six months or so, as they deteriorate in the constant exposure to the weather.

The Beekeeper's Hole

Here you can see the scale of the dwellings with people on the path. There were little round windows sticking out of the hillside as well as chimneys. This hole had beehives nearby on the hill.

The Beekeepers Sign

The beekeeper had a little sign in front of his place........

Self Help Shopping

......and had a table of honey pots for sale, with a little leather bag for his honest customers.

Not Much Inside

Each hole is only 6 feet deep, at best. There was a masonry wall inside and some essentials for the workers might be stored there - we saw a first aid kit and some fire extinguishers in this one. (We found out later this was not the one we were supposed to go in to!) However, they have plans to create several Hobbit holes that will open this December so that tourists can walk through to see inside.

Apples Became Plums

There was a little orchard. Tolkein had referenced the children playing under plum trees, but Peter Jackson felt plum trees would loom too large and the scale would be wrong. So instead they planted apples and pears and when the fruit began to ripen, replaced them with fake plums for filming!

Bag End

Because the Baggins's were a prosperous family and had high prestige in the village, Bilbo's hole was at the top of The Hill. This gave him a lovely view and privacy, without the noise of the pony-and-cart traffic below. Our guide said there were many windows - something like 17! (I couldn't find them all - so perhaps I heard wrong.) The Alexander Farm had an oak tree that sat atop its hill and it was perfect for the filming of The Lord of the Rings. When The Hobbit trilogy was filmed 11 years later, the tree had grown, but The Hobbit was a prequel that was set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings. So, they chopped down the tree and made a younger fake one with fiberglass and silk leaves! Each leaf had to be attached by hand! There are many quirky and fun facts about this set, and if you really are interested, here's a link to more.

https://www.internationaltraveller.com/oceania/new-zealand/freaky-facts-hobbiton/

The Stairs and Bench With Bilbo's Pipe

You might be sad to know, that Ian Holm who played the old Bilbo Baggins in several of the movies never came to Hobbiton. The interior filming with him was done in London Pinewood Studios due to health concerns which led him to be uncomfortable at the prospect of the long flight to New Zealand. All the interior scenes at Bag End were filmed on set in Wellington or elsewhere. 

The View From Bag End

This was the view that Gandalf and Frodo saw when sitting on the bench in front of Bag End during the smoking scene at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring, except that it wasn't, because the actors were filmed at two different sets elsewhere with a green screen. The images were then merged to enable Gandalf to appear so much larger than Bilbo. Because Bag End faces east, the film crew had to film a sunrise and then play it backwards to make it look like a sunset! Oh the tricks they play, these film-makers!

Bilbo's Laundry

Before we leave Bag End, I do want you to rest assured that Bilbo also dried his laundry on a line. I was surprised to see the lace doily, though - his treasured doily might really be too delicate to be 'left out to dry' like this! LOL!

Samwise Gamgee's Hole

Sam's hole was where the last scene from The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. The child who ran out to greet him was the actor's real daughter who had not seen him in quite some time. I thought that was a sweet fact.

The Mill, Hobbiton

I finally tore myself away from the Hobbit holes and laundry and we headed to the lake at the bottom of the hill where the mill and the Green Dragon were located.

Refreshments at The Green Dragon

We were treated to a drink at the Green Dragon - I had a cider that had a punch to it. They had shared a story about freely giving alcohol to the actors who were in Bilbo's 111th birthday party. It seems the gaiety was not acting at all. After some of them fell ill, they changed that policy and created a 1% alcohol drink to use. Our guide told us they didn't tell the actors it was only 1%, so they ended up thinking they were drunk anyway!  In that same scene, Bilbo's birthday cake caught fire, too! 

Some Just Have to Stick Their Neck Out!

As we were riding back to the bus, we came to a halt and discovered it was because the farm was moving sheep along the road. The flock moved in unison, heads bobbing, all intent on the direction they were going, except for this guy who was looking at the bus - a curious character!

Kaimai Mamaku Lookout

Next was our drive north to Tauranga, which was only an hour from Hobbiton, taking us over the Kamai Range. This view looks south-west in the direction we have come from. Always the long white cloud!

Sunset at Mount Maunganui

Originally we had planned to go on to the Coromandel Peninsula further north, but the flooding that happened in late January had led to road closures that compromised access. Tauranga was added to our itinerary as a 'second choice'. It is the fifth biggest city in New Zealand, but we were drawn here by the advice of a friend of Toni's, that the area around Mt. Maunganui, (which is like a 'suburb' of Tauranga) was very nice and it did not disappoint.

Summit Trail Up Mt. Maunganui

There up many trails up the mountain, some with steps, some without. It is only 761 feet high - an old lava dome. Originally isolated as an island, the dome is now joined to the mainland with a sand bar that gives views of Pilot's Bay on one side and the Bay of Plenty (ocean) on the other. I was intrigued to see sheep grazing on its slopes, very close to an urban, medium-rise area.

Bay of Plenty

I decided to take the 576 steps up the mountain, because it was the shortest route. It offered stunning views. Using my walking pole, I was the slowest on the route which was very busy. Lots of people of all ages headed up and down - mostly younger and many running!

White Island

I was very pleased that I was able to see White Island off in the distance. It was a volcano that erupted violently in 2019, killing 22 tourists and injuring 25 others. I don't know why it pleased me to see it, because it was such a horrific event, but having watched the documentary about it on Netflix (The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari) I was intrigued. It's the little dark dot on the horizon in the middle of the photo.

It was a Beautiful Hike

Coming down is more difficult for me now than going uphill, so I was very pleased to complete the walk in good time. It truly was beautiful.

A Sweet Branch for Toni and I to Pose On

The following day Toni and I took a 2 mile walk around the base of Mt. Maunganui, as recommended by her friend.

A Truck Ferry in The Bay of Plenty

It too, was very scenic.

Tangaroa, Maori God of the Ocean and Progenitor of Fish, Pilot's Bay

It afforded us views of Pilot's Bay, which as you see is dominated by commercial shipping infrastructure. This statue represents Tangaroa, Maori God of the ocean and progenitor of fish - I hated to see him being stuck in suck a non-natural setting.

Pilot's Bay Marina, Mt. Maumganui

Further around the path from Tangaroa, the view became a bit more attractive with yachts moored in the bay. 

Mount Hot Salt Water Pool, Mt. Maunganui

Following our walk, Toni and I decided to try a dip in the geothermal salt water pool nearby. The salt water is drawn in cold from the ocean, then passes through a heat exchange with pipes that draw hot water from the ground. This way the water is heated without using fossil fuels. It was rather more like a regular swimming pool and they asked us not to take photos, so all you get is this rather dull sign.

We did not do a lot of touristy things in Tauranga, as we had decided to try some thrift shopping. I had hoped I might find some nice cast off woolen clothing or accessories, but discovered that the women of this area are very parsimonious with their cast offs! We drove around to a number of different stores and only had very minimal success. At least I scored a pair of cheap sunglasses to make up for the pair I had lost along the way.

The Historic Village, Tauranga

So when we went through Tauranga, the only non-shopping thing we had on our list was this historic village. It was a very empty when we visited toward the end of the day. I thought it looked a bit like a Wild West ghost town.

Mural Behind the Bathroom, Historic Village, Tauranga

This mural really tells the story. It is not really a historic village, but was a shopping mall built in the 1970's to attract tourists from the cruise ships that stop in the port. If you were in a mood for spending money, it might be fun, but it was rather more like Disney than real life.

Inclusive Mural, Historic Village, Tauranga

It did seem to be an active cultural center and I heard a group of teens rehearing a play in a hall there, so no doubt it offers value to the community by supporting the arts. I liked this mural that seemed to be encouraging multiculturalism and inclusion, in a somewhat 1960's style of artwork.

We had made the most of our Coromandel back-up and thanked Maunganui for offering a lovely alternate setting. I was astonished to find that our time together on the North Island was coming to a rapid close, as all we have ahead of us now is a drive to Auckland where we spend a couple of days before heading back to our respective homes.