Hobbits!

Te Aroha didn't have much excitement for us as it was pouring with rain. The thermal pools didn't seem such a great idea so we headed to a nearby campsite and settled in for the day. We watched tv and cooked dinner ready for the next day, hoping for better weather. After a night of rain,  the morning was bright and dry! We decided to head to nearby Matamata which we had never heard of, but is famous for being the setting of Hobbiton in the Lord of the Ring & Hobbit films. I've never watched them, but Jay was excited and there was a free drink at the Green Dragon pub.

We bought our tickets and headed to the countryside. Peter Jackson found the land in a helicopter and paid the local family to use it for the films. After the locals got wind of what was going on they all wanted to see the hobbit holes so the family convinced PJ to let them keep them. Hobbiton is entirely intact and how it was in the films and was amazing to see regardless of seeing the films or not. The attention to detail was incredible.  We even met a star! The local cat who lives in the pub is apparently in the third hobbit film and loves live in a cosy pub with lots of attention! It was a great day out. Next we were heading to Rotarua,  the geothermal capital of New Zealand!