Wellington, NZ — “Are you going because of Lord of the Rings? Are you going because of Lord of the Rings?” That was the question I was most frequently asked when I told friends that I would be going to New Zealand where both the Lord of the Rings trilogies and The Hobbit were filmed. When I was in high school we had to read both of J.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies, but that was a long time ago, so I can barely remember what I read. I also watched the first three films and the first installment of The Hobbit. I did enjoy the films, but that was a long time ago too and I do not remember all of the plot, characters and dialogue the way so many fans of the films do.
If you want to experience the magic of the middle earth in New Zealand, there are a few places you should go, but it’s going to cost you. The first location is a few hours from Auckland and it is called Hobbiton. A full day tour is gonna cost you upwards of $200, but the price doesn’t seem to scare anyone away. Hobbiton averages about 2,500 guests per day. My own tour was full and it’s not even peak season yet.
Along the way to Hobbiton, I meet Bud and Cindy a couple from Simi Valley. They have never seen any of the Lord of the Rings or Hobbit movies. They are here because their kids are big fans. Their daughter and son in law even had a Lord of the Rings themed wedding they tell me. Bud and Cindy are now the envy of their entire family. Cindy is already posting pictures of their trip on Facebook as Bud gets the Go Pro ready to shoot.
Before Peter Jackson began shooting Lord of the Rings in 1999, his scouts found this location for their Hobbit shire located on a secluded sheep farm owned by the Anderson family. Jackson came back in to shoot The Hobbit in 2009. There are now an impressive 44 Hobbit holes on the twelve acre site. Bud and Cindy seem to be taking photos of all of them. With the money the Andersons are making from all these tours, they could give up sheep farming if they wanted to. In addition to the tour you can buy lots of Lord of the Rings and Hobbit merchandise at The Shire Store or enjoy a fine beverage at The Green Dragon Inn which was built in 2012. I had a Hobbit Stout and probably could’ve used another.
http://www.hobbitontours.com/en/
About 51 percent of The Lord of Rings films were shot in the Wellington area. In addition other films such as Avatar, Ghost in a Shell and District 9 were also filmed in the area. With 59 Oscars to their credit, Wellington or Wellywood has become a rival to Hollywood. If you’re in Wellington a must visit is the Weta Workshop. It is here you will see and learn about the models, props, make up and digital effects created by Jackson and other artists at Weta. Beginning as a small studio the workshop now employs over 4,000 people and has more computer power than NASA.
http://wetaworkshop.com/visit-us/workshop-tours/
Comparing the two tours, I much preferred Weta, it was smaller and I got to learn about special effects, models and props. Unlike the big studios in LA , Weta and other studios are located in an unassuming residential area of Wellington. Jackson still lives in the area and according to those who know him, his home is very modest. Anyway, now that I’ve been to Hobbiton and Weta, perhaps some of my friends will envy me the way Bud and Cindy’s family envy them? Does this mean that I will now be attending Comic Cons with thousands of other people dressed up as Gandalf or Frodo? Will I be camping out for a week to be one of the first in line to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi? And will I now be learning to speak fluent Klingon? The answer is HELL NO!