New Zealand's dramatic scenery and its variety within a small area have made it increasingly attractive to movie makers. Almost 150 feature films have been made here between 1971 and 2001. NZ became middle earth for Peter Jackson's epic trilogy. Stunning scenery plays an important role in its huge success. Peter states that NZ is the best country in the world to shoot this film, because of the variety of locations we have. You can test this claim of director Peter Jackson by visiting many of the accessible locations yourself. You won't find the sets: dismantling them and protecting the environment was a condition of filming in National Parks and reserves. You will however find an incredible range of scenery that brings to life the fantasy of Middle Earth. Matamata is the home of Hobbiton. Matamata is a small town in lush dairying country 1 hour drive north from Rotorua. The conversion of an area of a local farm with Hobbit holes, hedges and other planting took over a year. Hobbiton looked as if it had always been part of the rolling Waikato landscape, but, like other sets for the film, it has been essentially dismantled. However if you would like to experience a bit of middle earth, tours are available of the site.
Pricing:
Varied depending on tour.
Travel Time:
1 hour.
Contact Details:
Hobbiton - Explore Middle Earth, Matamata NZ Contact the Matamata Information Centre, Matamata for a range of tours available Phone: +64 7 888 7260
