In my final weeks here in New Zealand this year I’m trying to do a lot of fun things that I won’t get the chance to do once I leave New Zealand. Last weekend that meant going to Spookers the haunted house and this weekend I visited HOBBITON!

I loved the LOTR triology and can’t wait for The Hobbit, so I was thrilled to visit the Hobbiton outdoor movie set here in Matamata, NZ. It’s only two hours from from where I live in Auckland, so it was a nice little day trip.

After arriving around lunchtime, I spent about 20 minutes waiting on the next tour to leave. During that time I checked out the map and played with the lambs hanging around the main office that the tours left from. It’s a working farm in addition to a movie set, so there are 14,000 sheep and lots of cows in addition to the movie set.

We loaded up on the bus which drove us through the farm to the movie set. It was strange to be driving through the farm with all the livestock roaming around – I can’t remember seeing so many sheep at once!

The actual movie set was just as gorgeous in real life as it is in the movies.

Seriously, it’s gorgeous. So green! So cute! I can see why hobbits would want to settle down and live in this adorable area. It’s perfect for farming and making a life.

I could totally live here!

The views in every direction were amazing.

There were lots of little gardens everywhere and the details at the houses were very intricate. I didn’t expect to see so many mini tools and items everywhere. The whole set was complete with items hobbits would have used in their every day lives.

The gardens were well thought out and well maintained with lots of different things growing and blooming. It was really impressive even though I know the farm has full time gardeners on staff.

The tour is 1 hour and 45 minutes long which involves a lot of walking through Hobbiton. There are many different paths and sections to explore. During the tour you see a lot of hobbit holes that are all decorated differently with their own style based on the character that lived there.

Some hobbit holes are open and functional while others are just for show for the set and tour.

They only allow you to go inside one hobbit hole and even that one isn’t very impressive. These were built just for the outside view and none of them except Bilbo’s has anything inside. The rest are just built for the hobbits to walk inside, close the door, and that’s it.

Bilbo’s hobbit hole was the largest, had the most windows, and was by far the coolest of all the hobbit holed. We couldn’t go inside but it had a room built inside since they did camera shots from inside looking out. I would have loved to go inside and see the view from that window!

My favorite might have been Sam and Rosie’s hobbit hole – how adorable is this?!?

I love everything about this hobbit hole, from the cheery yellow door to the tiny ladder, to the tiny stack of wood they would use for fires during the winter. I adore the flowers growing all around as well!

The gigantic tree which is so awesome and prominently featured in the movie is why they choose this farm over any other.

I mentioned they had a lot of gardens in Hobbiton, right? They also have 3 full time gardeners who work there to keep them up. It really shows with the super green grass and lovely little gardens everywhere.

I decided this little hobbit hole with the blue door would be mine if I was going to live in Hobbiton. I’d need a bright door and cute garden so this little hole called my name.

Since my short stature means I could totally live in Hobbiton, I might as well take up residence in this adorable little hobbit hole!

I think it’s a perfectly nice place to live, don’t you? If you need me please send mail here. :)