The Shire

Here's the van that picked us up at our hotel, it was an approximate 1.25 hour drive from Rotorua (where we were staying) to the Anderson farm (which is just outside of Matamata). 

I have so many pictures of Hobbiton, that I've decided it would be best to first show you the most memorable scenes from the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring today.

According to our guide, this lane was in one of the very first opening scenes.

Frodo: "You're late."

Gandalf: "A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins, nor is he early. 

He arrives precisely when he means to."

Frodo then jumps into Gandalf's cart. 

They cross this bridge, where banners are being hung in a field for Bilbo's 111th birthday party.

This road leads to Bag End, the home of Bilbo Baggins. The tree at the very top of the hill (just to the right of the chimney) is artificial. Made of aluminum and latex, it's 10,000 leaves are plastic and were individually hand-wired in place. If our guide hadn't pointed this out, we would never have known - it looks incredibly realistic.

The home of Bilbo Baggins... my life is complete, haha!

You will recall this is the stoop where Gandalf stands when he raps on Bilbo's door with his walking staff. There are just over 40 hobbit homes in Hobbiton! I was very surprised how big it was - I'd expected perhaps a dozen at best. 

As per the contract with New Line Cinema, a full-time staff of gardeners are employed to maintain a very specific 'look' 365 days of the year, right down to the height of each shrub, plant and flower. That way, whenever the studio needs to resume filming, there are no inconsistencies. To give the 'town' a true lived-in feel, the landscaping and plantings were in place 2-3 years prior to filming. In order to avoid detection, the gardeners are known for quickly hiding in the homes as tour groups pass by. 

The homes are unfinished inside. All interior scenes were shot in a studio in Wellington, NZ. However, for photo ops, Bilbo's is panelled the first few feet in and the door is kept open.

The bench Gandalf and Bilbo sat on while blowing smoke rings.

Sam's house. You may remember the moment at the end of the Return of the King, when Rosie and Sam come out of their home with their children. Each of the actors' children in real life were utilized for this scene.

All the wood used to build Hobbiton was new, but aged with a special vinegar solution.

Each and every prop in Hobbiton, be it leaded windows, hardware on the gates and doors, or a simple basket, was handmade by local artists in New Zealand. 

This is what Gandalf and Bilbo would have seen from their bench. The Party Tree and grassy knoll where the party was held, are in the foreground.

The Party Tree

Me and the Party Tree - it's so much bigger in real life - it's gynormous!

Bilbo's birthday party was held on this small field (the Party Tree is to our left). The fireworks in the movie were all real, the only CGI used was for the 'dragon.'

That's all for today! I hope you enjoyed the tour. A few more adorable homes and Pickles the cat tomorrow.