I took notes of our various doings as the days passed so I wouldn’t forget important facts/moments/anecdotes, but on the day we visited Hobbiton, my note to self was : “Too glorious to put into words right now! Got a Hobbiton mug cozy from Lisa and a Hobbiton Movie Set t-shirt for myself.”
So, now it’s time to put into words the unexplainable and hope they affect you nearly as much as Hobbiton affected me. It’s a tall order!
We bid adieu to the Ripples Hotel under a considerable downpour that morning. This was only the second (and the very last) time during our visit to New Zealand when it rained, even though the forecast for our vacation there was “rain beginning to end.”
Deborah drives a vehicle with a license plate that reads, “SPLWVR” (spellweaver). By the time our vacation ended, we were uttterly convinceed she is, indeed, a wizard when it comes to weather, glad tidings, and good fortune.
By the time we reached Hobbiton about an hour and fifteen minutes later, the sun was out. There were still a few clouds in the sky scattered about, so I dutifully wore my Diamond Princess slicker — bought in 2004 during a cruise to Alaska on that ship’s maiden voyage –but I certainly didn’t need it. Hobbiton remained dry as a bone all during the three plus hours we were there.
I must have taken 100 images. Although I have never watched Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit movies all the way through (I know, I know — I plan to now!) I did read The Hobbit as a teenager and loved it, so I was very much looking forward to visiting the Shire and to enter the hobbit hole dwelling that opened to the public just this past December. We are so fortunate that Helen grabbed tickets the moment it was announced on TV that there would be actual visits inside a real hobbit home starting in 20244, because she was able to get four of very few remaining touring dates during the time Lisa and I would be in New Zealand.
It’s quite a drive through what indeed looks like Shire country before reaching the Hobbiton Movie Set. There were miles and miles of green, rolling hills and sheep and cattle in lots of places.
So far, sooo good. But when we actually boarded the bus that would ferry us to Hobbiton, the vision became so complete that we felt sure we’d run across hobbits at every turn on the path.
The Shire was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Deborah had never been there before, so she was looking forward to seeing it as much as we were and, of course, Helen hadn’t been there since before the hobbit hole/home opened for visitors.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I was gob smacked. The Shire EXISTS! Take a look!
What a glorious adventure, topped off by a stop at the Pub on the Shire the Green Dragon Inn (the busiest pub in New Zealand by a landslide, with tour groups arriving every twenty minutes throughout the day!), where I polished off two mugs of non-alcoholic ginger beer because the first (complementary one, included in the price of the tour) was so good. For the rest of our trip, we were on the lookout for more non-alcoholic ginger beer, and Helen found it! Lisa has found it at Amazon, so I reckon I’ll be ordering some, now that I’ve checked with the cumadin clinic to make sure it won’t mess with my INR levels unduly (because there is so little ginger in it). (Update 3/29/24:I found it at Winco, where Lisa and I usually shop!)
If I was forced to choose favorite of the many places we visited, it would be Hobbiton. It is a sure fire winner, whether you’re Hobbit fan or not!
Glorious!
