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We picked up a car in Auckland, and after a couple of “non-deadly” miscues, I think I’m doing ok driving on the left.  Stressful as hell….I bigtime need a massage right now…..but we are alive!  The hardest part is to remember to look right at intersections, both as a driver AND as a pedestrian.  BTW, important note, New Zealanders do NOT stop for pedestrians at crosswalks.  I was lucky to not get run over today!

No trip to New Zealand is complete (according to “geek code”) without a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set.  This is one of the main reasons we forced Kim to watch the 3 LOTR movies (although to be honest, Hobbiton is only at the beginning of the 1st movie and the end of the 3rd one). The set is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, 2 hours south of Auckland.  Fortunately it was on the way to Rotorua, our next destination.

You show up at a parking lot a couple of miles from the actual set, and board a bus which takes you the rest of the way.  They show informative videos on the bus to keep you entertained (and keep the kids quiet, thank god).

The first spot before embarking on the walking tour is the Green Dragon.

This is the view just outside The Green Dragon.

There are a total of 44 Hobbit Holes throughout Hobbiton.  None of them are fully excavated as shown in the films, but have enough room inside of them to make it appear somebody is stepping into the doorway.  They made two different sizes of Hobbit Holes, larger ones to make Hobbits look smaller, and smaller ones to make Gandalf look taller.

The set was originally created for the LOTR trilogy in 1999.  They spent 3 months filming that series  Much of the set was taken down after those movies, only to be reassembled with more permanence for The Hobbit movies in 2009.  They only spent 12 days filming The Hobbit.  That seems like a large expense for 12 days of filming, but I’m sure they realized the potential of geeks with cash and built the place to last.  A few thousand tourists a day at $82/person….who can argue with that!

This is the most famous Hobbit Hole of all, the home of Bilbo Baggins.  I must say there were a few people who shot at least 100 photos of the door.  Why?  I think I shot 3 to make sure 2 looked good.

The next most famous Hobbit Hole is that of Samwise Gamgee, with an iconic scene in front of this setting near the end of Return of the King.  The tour guide told us that the small child that runs out to greet Samwise in that scene is Sean Astin’s actual daughter, and he had no idea she would be there, so it was an authentic welcoming scene.  Will have to go back and watch that part again.

While we were touring the set there was an awesome thunderstorm towards the west.  I took a shot of this tree with the dark clouds behind it.  These trees were part of the reason Peter Jackson picked this location.

This sign let us know our tour was coming to an end, and it was time to head to the Green Dragon for a well deserved Hobbiton Ale (included with the tour).  I have to admit the amber ale they served is so far the best beer I’ve had in New Zealand.  There are so few amber ales these days.  What about those of us who don’t care for hops!

Next to the watermill there was a bulletin board with various items for sale.  Anybody need a wheel barrow?

One last final shot of the watermill before heading in for our beer.

This is a shot of the Green Dragon from the outside.  I just love the attention to detail.

I will say the management did a really good job of keeping the groups spread out so it never really felt too crowded.  The group sizes were larger than I would have liked, but that’s part of being here in the high season.  We did the lunch+tour, and while the food was ok, I would skip that part.  They do provide an evening meal and I understand that tour is excellent, not because of the food but because you get to see the place all lit up.  I would definitely do that if you are able!

Next up, Rotorua.

 

 

 

Day 3 brings another ferry ride, this time to Tiritiri Matangi Island.  Yeah, I can’t pronounce it either.  The 75 minute ferry ride gives you a good view of the coastline just north of Auckland, as well as volcanic Rangitoto Island, which erupted 600 years ago.  Rangitoto is just off the coast from downtown Auckland, so it’s nice to get a closer view.

The weather on this route can be a little choppy, so if you get seasick then wear your wristbands.  Kim never leaves home without them!

Tiritiri is an uninhabited island, and the only way to get there is by ferry, unless you are fabulously wealthy and have a yacht….which is why we took the ferry.

Tiritiri Island was once occupied by the Maori, who had large settlements there.  In the mid 1850’s, the Brits kicked the Maori out, as they are wont to do, and then used the island for farming.  I find it humourous that the brochure claims it was “Europeans” who did this, as if we don’t know who they actually were…..obviously those of the inability to taste Syrah.

The Brits cut down nearly all of the trees on the island to plant their crops, with only a few pockets of original trees remaining.  This farming went on until the late 1970’s, when the farming lease was not renewed.  A lot of room temperature beer was drank on that night!

The forward thinking New Zealanders decided to make it an island sanctuary for wildlife, and starting planting native trees in the 1980’s in the hopes of bringing back the birds that left for parts unknown.  They have also relocated birds, as well as geckos and skinks, to the island in the hopes that they would be able to thrive there.  It has been a miraculous success, and the island has become a haven for bird watchers from around the world.  Native birds are here by the thousands, while some very rare birds have been able to do quite well here.

We took a guided walk with Bob, one of the volunteers who obviously loves the work he does.  The first spot we came to was a nesting box for the Little Blue Penguin.  The nesting box has a plexiglass cover you can set your phone on it and take a photo of the penguin and her egg.  I’ll be honest, I think that’s just a rock sitting there.  Either that or Little Blue Penquin eggs look just like rocks!

Some of the birds made it easy to catch a photo.  This is a fairly rare bird called the North Island Saddleback, so named for the brown spot on their backs.  As the Lone Ranger would say, “Hi-Yo Brown!  Away!” (that’s for you boomers out there).

Bob has a great eye for spotting birds that most of the group had no chance of seeing.  This New Zealand Pigeon was way up above us, but Bob spotted him immediately.  I’ve had “Squab” before in France, but never one this big!

Here is a Bellbird.

Here is a Stichbird.

Where do they come up with these names?  Here is a Pukeko.  Sounds light the result of a bad night of drinking!  I must admit I’ve had my fair share of Pukeko’s!

At the top of the island is a visitor center and a historic lighthouse, that is still in operation.  It was first lit in 1865, and was manned until 1984, when computers took over.

They have some bird feeders by the visitors center that attracted a bunch of Tui’s.

On the hike back to the dock we saw this Red-Crowned Parakeet sitting right on the trail.  I don’t know how much time Bob spent looking for them prior to that without success.

The trail reminded us of hiking in Hawaii.  Lots of boardwalk trails to make it easier to get around.

They have New Zealand’s largest insect here in abundance.  Lovely little critters!  Looks like something out of a Survivor eating challenge.  They actually reintroduced this insect to the island.

Here is a last shot looking back at the island before departure.  They have one ferry departure a day, at 3:30 PM.  If you miss it, it’s a $480 water taxi ride back to shore.  Needless to say, that rarely happens.

We are renting a car from here and heading south…..pray for us!