We got up early this morning and said so long to Jo, Zeb, and Treetops as we headed down the mountain and into the Shire! S is a bit LOTR fan, so we spent this morning at Hobbiton. The film set was entirely destroyed after the LOTR films were made, but when the company came back to film The Hobbit, the set was rebuilt with the intent of making it permanent, so that visitors like us could come to see it! Most of Shire was Hobbiton, and we got to look at the exteriors of so many Hobbit holes, including Bag End! The weather was perfect - sunny and cool, with occasional rain showers sprinkled throughout.
 |
| S is 'Wizard-sized.' |
And, two of the hobbit holes had been dressed inside so that guests could wander through and feel like they were hobbits! None of the interiors were shot in the shire, but it was still a cool experience.
After the shire, we leaded west and stopped off at an aviary, where we saw lots of birds, including some kiwis!
From the aviary, we headed further west to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The caves were Maori burial grounds, but now they're open to respectful visitors. We were guided through the caves and saw the glowworms up close. Our guide invited someone to sing in the caves to hear the acoustics, and H regaled the tour with the first verse of Rainbow Connection. We ended the tour on an underground boat cruise, with glowworms high over head. Magical. We were all silent and in awe.
From there, we headed to Taupo and our hotel for the evening. S and I had booked a dinner at fancypants Embra, and it did not disappoint. This is my starter - a crab tart with apple and macadamia foam. Stunning!
We're back at our hotel for the evening, trying to get warm and settle in. Tomorrow is a waterfall day!
No comments:
Post a Comment