Out time in Auckland had come to an end and it was time to move onto Rotorua. We grabbed some breakfast and checked out of the hostel. The rental car place was not far from where we were staying so we set off to fetch our steed. We had to dodge a bit of rain in the process but finally got to the office. After some light paperwork we obtained the mean machine that would be taking us around the north island. Meet the Nissan Sunny.
She is a mid 90's dream with automatic transmission and seat belts She also is into casual parking which we appreciate. No need to rush things baby.
We headed out of town and as soon as we hit the highway we were slammed with torrential downpours. It was like a rain bomb slapped us in the face out of nowhere. Its one of the heaviest rain storms I have ever driven through. Not really the thing I was looking for when trying to remember how to drive on the left side of the road.
Eventually the rain died down and it was just us and the open road.
After some driving our first stop was the town of Waikato. As you can see we share the same set of core values.
The guidebook recommended a pub which we stopped at for lunch. Unfortunately we missed out on the meat raffle. Next time it will be us on the big screen. I predict a four maybe five-peat.
We both got the spicy lamb burger which appeared to be made with all fresh ingredients The chef was taking a photo of it as it went out the window so we took that as a good sign.
As we headed out we realized one important thing about the sunny; It has a very small bladder. We estimated it at around 8 gallons. On top of that its not super fuel efficient so we needed a quick fill up before heading off. This has worked well with peters small bladder. They seem to be on the same servicing schedule. If the sunny ran on urine we would be set.
While paying for our petrol I discovered the most delicious gum known to man. The flavor only lasts a few minutes but it is totally worth it. Four thumbs up.
All fueled up we headed to our main attraction of the day which was Hobbiton. This is the set where large portions of the Lord of the Rings/that new hobbit movie were filmed. Having not seen any of them I did not know much about it but peter is a big fan. We arrived just as the next tour was departing.
The set is built on an functioning farm that features beautiful rolling hills. I have never seen anything like it. I can see the appeal of filming here.
We loaded onto the bus which took us onto the farm and over to the set. They had the New Zealand army build a network of roads on the farm so that they could move in all of the needed people and equipment during filming.
The first stop was the location of all of the 'Hobbit Holes'. This is where most of the characters in the movie lived. Sorry if I am talking down to you LOTR fans this was all new to me.
We shall now explore the many emotions of peter at Hobbiton. Take the proper time to analyze the distinct differences.
I also got in on the fun.
Our next stop was the Green Dragon which was the pub and I am guessing inn for the hobbit city. This building was full scale for human measurements. This was different from the hobbit holes which varied in size based on the filming needs. If the hole was to be seen with a wizard it was made small so that the human actor would seem large. If the scene called for a hobbit the hole was made larger to make the actor seem smaller.
Everything was meticulously planned and you really felt like you were engulfed in the fictional universe. The level of care they take to make sure everything is accurate was quite impressive.
We entered the set and were offered a free goblet of beer. Some annoying LOTR historian like character on the tour corrected me and said they only drank ale in the movies. So I guess I had a goblet of ale.
It was warm and gross but it was neat sitting and a fitting end to the tour. We had a jolly good time.
We left Hobbiton in good spirits and drove the rest of the way to Rotorua. The hostel was easy to find in the small city and we checked in to a weird room with three beds and a really stupid bathroom system. More on that later.
After some rest we walked around the surrounding area only to stumble upon this puzzling sign.
For most of you this will mean nothing but for us Oregonians this is quite odd. Klamath Falls is a small town in southern Oregon which we all know about but never want to visit. It also is a name which is rarely seen outside of Oregon so this was a surprise. For it to be seen in another country is quite random. Upon further investigation we found that Klamath Falls has only one sister city, and that city happens to be Rotorua. Who would have guessed. Way to date up k-falls.
We also wondered into the local grocery store which featured quite the selection of premium bologna. I know what we are having for dinner.
