Saturday 9 December was a beautiful early summer’s day for a group of 7 students from Auckland Institute of Studies and myself to go to Waitomo Glowworm Cave and Hobbiton.
Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves – $260 per person, full day tour.
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Destination: Hobbiton and Waitomo
On Saturday 9 December, a group of 7 students joined me and we left Auckland at 10.30am. It was a beautiful early summer day with temperatures around 26 degrees. We leave earlier in winter because the last tour of Hobbiton in winter is at 3.30pm, while at this time of the year, it is at 5pm. In my opinion, the last tour of the day is the best because there is no group following so we can get better photos – ones without other people in them – and there isn’t the same pressure to keep moving to allow the groups to flow through the site.
First, we drove 2 hours to Pirongia, which is about 25 minutes before Waitomo, and we had a relaxing picnic lunch there. Then we went to Waitomo where we had a tour of the Glowworm Cave, which includes a boat ride on an underground river into a pitch-black chamber where the only illumination is the blue lights from uncountable glowworms. Photos are not permitted in Glowworm Cave because camers flashes affect glowworms (photos are allowed in Ruakuri and Aranui Caves but Glowworm Cave has the most spectacular glowworm display).
From Waitomo, we drove to 1 hour 15 minutes to Hobbiton, parked the vehicle, checked in and got on the bus which took our group into the sheep and cattle farm which surrounds Hobbiton.
The Hobbit Holes (houses) have different sizes to allow for the supposed different heights of groups in the movies. Hobbits are supposed to be short, so they were filmed in front of large scale Hobbit Holes, while Elves, Humans and Wizards are tall, so they were filmed in front of small scale Hobbit Holes.
Also, different Hobbit Holes have different features: one has art supplies outside, another has fish smoking, another has beehives and honey, and another has baking. There is a place for chopping wood and many other activities that Hobbits would have undertaken.
A highlight for most visitors is Bag End, which is at the highest point, overlooking the area. In the movies, this was the home of the main characters, Frodo and Bilbo, so it is the most elaborate Hobbit Hole.
Near the end of the tour is the Water Wheel, just before the stone bridge and on the other side of the bridge is the Green Dragon Inn where everyone gets a complimentary drink.
After the drink, it’s back onto the bus and back to the starting point of the tour. We drove 10 minutes to Matamata where we had dinner and then headed back to Auckland, a drive of about 2 hours, getting back at 10.30pm.
