I was really excited about this trip, and it was an early 6am start. I was mostly looking forward to visiting Hobbiton, as I had read about the film set being located out in North Island and I am a big Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fan – plus I’ve seen all the films!
It was still dark when I left, and it didn’t start to get light for a little while. The drive in the minibus headed out of Auckland city and to the Waikato countryside, which is the most extensive farming area in the world. We later arrived at the movie set after winding round country roads and up and down hills – everywhere looked so green. There was a short bus ride to do once arriving at the 12-acre movie set that took you to the guided 1.5-hour walk. The set is amazing with its 44 Hobbit holes scattered around, and the view across the shire towards the Hobbiton pub is stunning – that was after the torrential downpour we had on arrival that thankfully blew over to leave a stunning sunny day! You can literally take as many photos as you wish – and believe me, I took LOTS! The added enjoyment of this trip is that you can now go inside one of the Hobbit houses that has been completely kitted out and is truly amazing. I was lucky to go when I did, as it only opened its doors at the end of 2023 – so had I gone pre-covid, I would not have been able to experience this. The final part of the Hobbiton trip includes a free drink in the Green Dragon Inn, and of course you can buy food inside too, including a traditional homemade pie that comes well recommended.
The minibus then headed out to the small town of Tirau which is famous for its unique corrugated iron sculptures and buildings and aptly called the ‘Corrugated Capital of the World’. This was a short stop before heading on to Te-puia in Rotorua that is renowned for its amazing Maori culture and geothermal activity – it is also home to the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where you can see traditional wood carving and weaving taking place. Here, you will also be able to try and get a glimpse of the New Zealand Kiwi bird, but be warned that they are quite difficult to spot. These flightless birds are nocturnal and about the size of a chicken. They have a well-developed sense of smell, but not great eyesight, so they feel, hear, and smell their way around. I went into the kiwi house that was of course dark, but you could just see into the Kiwi houses. The first time I went in there was no sign of any kiwis, but I was lucky enough to get a second chance to go in and I saw one quite freely running around – wonderful birds, but obviously no photography was allowed!
Te-puia Geothermal Park is incredible and is home to the Pohutu Geyser which is the largest geyser in the southern hemisphere. The geyser erupts up to around 20 times a day. The area is very hot to walk around, but a great experience and you can take some wonderful photos of the mud pools and geysers.
On the way back from the day’s adventures, we stopped off at Lake Rotorua which is the largest of the region’s lakes and is formed from the crater of a large volcano. This was beautiful and there were lots of birds here, including a number of black swans – a real haven for bird lovers.
I really enjoyed this day, although long, but it enabled me to experience a large area of the North Island in one day and see some of the area’s top attractions.
