Hobbiton Movie Set: Aerial Views and Hobbit Holes

The Hobbiton Movie Set: This is how a New Zealand farmland became Middle Earth

Hobbiton, the iconic movie set from "The Lord of the Rings" film franchise, has become a seemingly magical tourist destination, luring fans with its bucolic charm. The green, rolling hills of Matamata, New Zealand, provide the real-life backdrop. It has 44 hobbit-holes, each uniquely designed. The set has been growing and transforming since its original construction.

The Hobbit's Home in New Zealand

The Hobbiton movie set is a sprawling expanse of green hills, cut through by a winding road and dozens of charming hobbit-holes. Each home is distinct, built into the earth with round wooden doors and windows framing the verdant landscape. "The whole place just transports you into another world," said one visitor. Many of the set's amenities — the Green Dragon Inn, the double-door to Bilbo's hobbit-hole — were recreated identically from the films. The largest green space of the site is the Party Field used for events and film extras. The set's creators and tenants go to great lengths to preserve the immersive fantasy world. The site has almost permanent grounds staff to keep the set in immaculate condition.

Hobbit-fever: An unintentional tourism boom

The enjoyment of the natural beauty comes hand-in-hand with a fascination for medieval European romanticism. Inhabited only by hobbits, trees, fields and cattle in the films, the New Zealand landscape has become a literal "green screen" between reality and fantasy. The set, tucked away in the rolling farm valley, inspired new tourism in central New Zealand, where it was previously virtually unseen. Today, fans from every corner of the globe visit. Most visitors come to Hobbiton to take a guided tour. The site offers basic tours, Hobbit special extras, or a grand banquet. Hobbiton has become a great driver of tourism in rural New Zealand. The staff have taken their hospitality role incredibly seriously, and the whole experience is finely tuned. For fans of LOTR and the Hobbit, a visit to New Zealand feels incomplete without Hobbiton.

The Hobbit Houses

Exiting the bus, visitors are greeted by a gateway that reads "Welcome to Hobbiton". Next, guests take a short walk to the Green Dragon Inn, a replica of the pub from Bilbo’s birthday feast in the LOTR films. Guests are later brought to the Noble Hobbiton Party Field, which sits right in the middle of the Shire. Just like the homes of the fictional hobbits, Hobbiton's hobbit-holes are built into the ground. Each one has a round, wooden door, curved windows, and chimneys waving out smoke. The hobbit-holes are part of what makes Hobbiton so charming and unique. These frames are made from recycled materials; they're built from the same kinds of materials you'd use to build a real home. The inside of the Hobbit houses are detailed. These homes have the living and dining rooms at ground level, with a tiled roof, a gardening area with actual flora, and a second floor.

The Slow Rise of the Green Dragon

As customers arrive to the Hobbiton Movie Set, they are greeted by the Green Dragon Inn, a central hub for visitors to rest, have a pint or two, and socialise. With a serene atmosphere and delicious array of beverages, the Green Dragon is a replica of the pub from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The Green Dragon Inn is the most social part of the tour. There are benches, tables and shelves filled with ales and spirits. The Green Dragon Inn was originally a cafe, but now it's a bar and is part of the tour. The inn has a close resemblance to a British pub. It has the same wooden exterior and inside, the roof is sloped and covered in wood.

The Truly Unique Experience

The daily tours at the set are anything but static. Sure, visitors spend time at the Party Tree and in the Party Field. But they also get to walk along the paths of the Hobbit village following a guide, with behind-the-scenes stories and photo-ops. The Hobbiton Movie Set was a place of painstaking work. Hobbiton was originally built for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring". The huts were raided and destroyed by katakoffs. Builders were "hiding" something in the huts until they were ready. Finally everything was in place for the cameras and the filming crew. Then the set was made in to Hobbiton for real. Every hut gathered on a hill and was connected to the network of other huts. The end result was a set at a perfect perspective, which would become the Hobbiton set. For those waiting for a "Lord of the Rings" reunion film, Hobbiton can fill the void. The set is always ready with its set-pieces. Everything is a real set-piece — the doorways, the windows, the gardens and the pathways. Tourist almost could effortlessy get lost in the countryside. Visitors can almost imagine that if they follow the path to the sound of Bilbo Baggins strumming the lute, they'd find him sitting at the table of the Green Dragon Inn.