You cannot leave New Zealand without visiting Hobbiton at Matamata--the movie set of "The Shire" in the Lord of the Rings series.
My friends and I visited Matamata back in March. It is 3 hours by car, south of Auckland. You can take the bus if you don't drive (either Inter-City or Naked Bus). Once you get to Matamata, you can park your car next to the iSite Visitor Center. You cannot miss it because it looks like an LOTR cabin.
You buy your ticket at the iSite (it costs NZ$75 for adults) and then you wait for the bus that will take you to Hobbiton.
When you get to Hobbiton, your group will be led by a tour guide around the movie set. We're lucky that we visited at a time that they recently concluded shooting the Hobbit prequels as the "The Shire" was in good shape. I heard that a few years back, just after the first LOTR movies, the set was not well taken cared of. I guess Peter Jackson and the farm's owners (yes, the set is actually in the middle of an active sheep farm) soon realized the tourism potential of the area.
It's a really nice place. The Hobbit holes are well maintained. You can take as much pictures as you want (just respect the cordon). As much as you can, do try to plan your trip. It looks much better if the sky is clear and the sun is out. Makes it look bright and colorful.
After the tour, the tour guide will lead you to the Green Dragon Pub where you can enjoy a pint of beer on the house (well, it's part of the NZ$75, hehe).
From there you return to the Shires Rest Cafe, where LOTR fans can shop for souvenirs. Then you board another bus that will take you back to iSite in Matamata.
Total tour time is 2 and 1/2 hours. Better check the Hobbiton Tours website for tour schedules. I think the last bus leaves Matamata at 3:30pm.
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