As we made our way south for our first great walk (Tongariro Northern Circuit) Katie and I went to Matamata to visit the Hobbiton Movie Set, which is at the Alexander family farm. As you’ll see in the photos, the set consists of 44 hobbit holes of various sizes to enable the filmmakers to capture the magic and bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s story to life.

The effort put forth by Peter Jackson and his team demonstrates how far filmmakers will go to ensure that no detail is overlooked; nothing was too small to be worthwhile in creating a realistic and believable Hobbiton.

What makes going to Hobbiton special for me isn’t necessarily the detail put in by the production crew or that I can say I’ve been there. For me, it’s more about connecting with what Tolkien wanted the Shire to represent; a place where someone can live in peace, comfort, and have a quiet place to live their lives surrounded by friends and family. In the end, it’s what most people in this world want, and in the fictitious world of Middle Earth, the Shire represented that.

My favorite part of our visit to Hobbiton was our dinner at the Green Dragon, the pub and inn in the Shire where the hobbits came to drink, laugh, and be merry. Our Hobbit feast would have made Bilbo proud; the spread truly resembled a feast you would expect for an eleventy first birthday.

My visit to Hobbiton confirmed that someday, I will have a round door in the front of my house. And maybe if I’m lucky, someone will come knocking and ask if I want to go on an adventure.