The Shire Set Tour In Matamata, New Zealand

Around this time of year, I always get in the mood to re-read some of my favourite books: the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings... The Silmarillion, the Lay of Leithian, The Children of Húrin, basically anything from my favourite author J.R.R. Tolkien's expansive mythos.

I assume it's the anticipation of hobbit-like holiday meals and quiet evenings in front of the necessary wood fire crackling in the fireplace of my childhood home that has me reaching for these books (thankfully, instead of the pantry). It also has me thinking back on one of the best travel experiences for a big ol' Tolkien nerd: visiting “The Shire” in Matamata, New Zealand.

I'm a shameless Tolkien nerd, and would happily talk for hours about the origins of the story or its intended purpose as an English myth cycle. Unfortunately, most people find this to be a narcoleptic passtime. The people you meet on this tour, however, have the best taste in literature and movies, of course, and are more than happy to join in this kind of conversation.

Even if you're not a huge fan, it's a fun time. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a hobbit? Leading a relaxed mostly worry-free existence (just watch out for the silverware stealing Sackville-Bagginses), snacking on pastries and tea, eating numerous times a day, no deadlines or endless reports to write. Dream. Life.

The Shire set is located literally in the middle of a sheep farm just a few minutes outside of the small town named Matamata. It’s surrounded by gorgeous green fields dotted with those little white fluffs and the occasional cow. You drive in to the entrance of the farm where there’s a parking lot and a gift store. From there, you board a bus which takes you onto the property. There you meet the hilarious tour guides and everything from then on is “Sweet as.”

A few short minutes later you’re stepping off the bus and into Middle Earth. You walk through a high ditch cut through a hill and as you clear the high sides you’re greeted by a spectacular view of the Shire, almost all 40 or so hobbit houses at once set into the hillside, multicoloured flowers, fragrant gardens, ponds, and the jaw dropping number of small details. Some houses have little sets outside as if a hobbit was working and just stepped away for a moment. Others have windows through which you can get an idea of daily hobbit life.  Each door is incredibly unique. The amount of thought and effort that went into each single house is astonishing, you can’t help but be impressed by the commitment and thoughtfulness of the set designers and prop makers.

Take me back to the Shire

The gardens are almost all real plants, and there are gardeners working to maintain the beautiful flower arrangements and herb garden. In fact, what's produced by the gardens is used in the preparation of food for one of the two weekly dinner tours.

As you wind your way up the hillside past all the round doors on your way toward Bag End, you’ll actually get to go inside one of the hobbit holes! Unfortunately, you can’t go inside Bag End, but you get plenty of time to take as many pictures as you want.

“I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure.”

After Bag End, it’s a short walk down to the Green Dragon Inn for a complimentary half pint of the beer or cider they brew on site; both are tasty. If you’re one of the last tours of the day, you may get to see smoke drift up from the hobbit house chimneys as you head down while the sun starts to set. Seriously, the attention to detail is ridiculous.

The Green Dragon Inn view from Bag End.

The guest book signed by Bilbo Baggins, I mean Martin Freeman, and the rest of the cast and crew (like Alan Lee… so cool).

If you can swing it, book the dinner tour option. After the regular tour, a family-style feast at long farm tables is served inside the Green Dragon Inn. There’s no need for any icebreakers here, everyone shares at least one common interest! Indulge in your literary or movie fantasy while passing around dishes and chatting with your new instant friends. You might wonder if the priciness of the tickets is worth the meal? The answer is yes yes YES. They've got a chef developing original recipes for them using local produce and oh my... what I wouldn't give to be able to teleport myself there right now. It's so good, I still daydream about it occasionally and it's been 3 years…

Eat and drink like a hobbit!

The evening is wrapped up with a lantern-lit walk back through the Shire. The stars are extremely bright and the milky way is visible from here too, given that you're miles away from any densely populated area. It's altogether a very magical experience walking past the party tree, happily full, the lights from the hobbit houses and smoking chimneys on your left and the stars burning bright up above.

happy happy happy nerd

Gen