We are in Matamata, in the North of New Zealand, at the foot of the picturesque mountain range of Kaimai Range. The picturesque village Hobbiton is part of the Alexander farm, full of sheep grazing that now dominate the movie set site built in 1999 for the filming of the first movie of the Tolkien saga: “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”
Various and curious are some of the procedures that led to the creation of the suggestive village:
– 1.5 km of roads were built from scratch to create Hobbiville;
– The tree of Bilbo Baggins’ house was brought to the site cut into pieces and then reconstructed later, also the hedges were artificially planted and watered throughout the winter;
– The creation of the characteristic “green” of the village also involved importing artificial leaves from Taiwan;
– Almost all the houses are empty inside, only the “Green Dragon” tavern was recreated identical to the Wellington set where the interior scenes were shot;
HobbitIn the wonderful village, besides admiring the typical houses of Hobbiville, you can learn to shear sheep and perform other small tasks with a “countryside” flavor, thus rediscovering the sweet and pleasant atmosphere of the imaginary village of the Hobbits.
This small and wonderful “wonderland” is an example of how human imagination is capable of shaping and enriching, and therefore not only destroying, the most beautiful thing on earth: nature, simple and complex at the same time. Visiting this place means immersing yourself in the adventures that saw Frodo and Bilbo Baggins as protagonists while eagerly awaiting the arrival of Gandalf the Grey. An enchanting and fairy-tale place that will delight the little ones but at the same time awaken joyful feelings even in the grown-ups.
