“There is only one Lord of the Ring, only one who can bend it to his will… And he does not share power
Gandalf’s voice was resonating in my ears, getting more and more high pitched with each word, till it matched the screeching of an alarm clock – “Powweeerrrrrrrrr….”
I scampered out of bed realizing it ‘was’ my Alarm Clock – and I was in a dream.
I was on a trip to New Zealand with a group of friends, and had decided to follow a pre-scheduled itinerary which had a lot packed in to make the best use of time. Thus, despite a long flight via Singapore, we did an immediate 3 hour road transfer to Hamilton in order to save time. After check-in at the Hotel Sudima – our first evening in New Zealand had been spent at the sets of Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (which explains the vision of Gandalf).
Hobbiton was a revelation. The expanse of hills and valleys dotted with the iconic Hobbit Houses were straight out of an Alice in Wonderland storybook. The hilly terrain, in it’s run up to the horizon, made hypnotic patterns with varying shades of green – while splashes of colour from the Hobbit Homes, provided a break in the monotony at random intervals. The unique landscaping made Hobbiton an ‘Out of the World’ experience in quite the literal sense of the world.
An impromptu cricket match was held with two teams captained by renowned cricketers Stephen Fleming and Sir Richard Hadlee. The game was played with camaradie and in the true spirit of the game and it didn’t matter which team lifted the trophy at the end – because everybody was a winner.
In the coming days we explored the Hamilton-Waikato region thoroughly and were indeed taken aback by the multifaceted offerings. The region has something for everyone, from caving to glow-worms, Hobbit houses, surf breaks and more.
My recommendation if North Island is on the cards for you soon – If you are Tolkien fans, head east to Matamata and visit Hobbiton Movie Set, the amazing Hobbit-sized village created for the movies. If surfing is more your style, then Raglan is the perfect spot for you, with one of the longest left hand breaks in the world. For a magical underground experience, south is the Waitomo Caves, where the natural beauty of stalactites and stalagmites lit by the blue light of glow-worms will take peoples’ breath away. And for those seeking more of an adrenaline rush, black water rafting and abseiling are not to be missed.
Decide what makes you tick and go ahead with that intrepid experience…. Or if you like it served on a platter like me, then just go ahead and pick a little of each experience.
