Hobbiton
It is by crossing the Waikato plains of the North Island by train that Peter Jackson realizes how much the landscapes of New Zealand evoke Tolkien’s “Middle Earth”.
The green hills that pass before the eyes of the New Zealand director make him think of the village of Hobbiton, whose description he has just read by Tolkien.
He asks the studios "New Line" to entrust him with the film adaptation of "Lord of the Rings".
A crazy project long rejected by producers from all over the world who are backing away from the mountain of special effects and sets to be made.
The prodigious variety of landscapes makes it possible to group outdoor shooting locations in the same country, reducing costs. This is the case of New Zealand
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Thousands of people around the world have grown up admiring the quest of Frondon, Gandalf and Aragorn to destroy the evil ring of Sauron.
We booked several weeks in advance. Generally, the deadline to get a date is around 3 months!
The village was deliberately built in the middle of hills to hide any trace of modern civilization like power lines and promote immersion of the spectators.
The Shire’s Rest, a charming construction entirely in the spirit of Hobbiton brings together the tourist office, ticket office, café-restaurant and a souvenir shop dedicated to the world of Tolkien.
You have to take a bus to reach the entrance of the village in which a presentation video is projected to explain the story of the film.
The guided tour of the village is carried out in groups of up to 25 people and follows a precise itinerary.
The Hobbiton recreation is simply exceptional. The village has 44 fully decorated Hobbit mansions.
We loved this tour and left with stars in our eyes.
Rotorua
Rotorua is known for its intense geothermal activity.
What strikes immediately is the smell of sulphur that reigns there, and the fumaroles that rise from everywhere.
Europeans settled the area around 1880 and made Rotorua a spa resort in the 1890s.
Today it is the city where one can most easily be introduced to the culture of local tribes who have exploited the tourist potential of the city by adapting their villages and areas of life for the reception of visitors. Demonstration of "haka", dances and songs, traditional cuisine, introduction to crafts are some of the aspects presented.
This morning the tourist office is our first step.
We get brochures for activities around and we book a Maori Lunch Buffet at Te Puia for the 14th.
With our city map in hand, we take the marked route:
*Government Gardens : A public park that houses the city museum in a sumptuous historic building, but closed since 2016, a swimming pool and a croquet field.
* Sulphur Point: The landscapes are almost lunar: The ground is greyish, white water and steam escapes here and there. Sulphur is present everywhere, there are many terraces of silica and sulphur, as well as puddles of boiling mud.
* Ohinemutu: The Maori village where the Ngāti Whakaue tribe lives. In the centre is the "Marae" – where the tribe gathered with its magnificent sculptures, and the Church of St. Faith, built in 1914.
- Kuirau Park: It is located in the heart of the city and is the only park in New Zealand where we can observe natural geothermal phenomena for free.
The Maori legend says that in the early 19th century, a young woman named Kuirau bathing in the then-fresh waters of the lake was suddenly drawn by a dragon (Taniwha) into her underwater den. The Gods, furious at the Taniwha, boiled the waters of the lake in retaliation. Since then, the bubbling waters and the park are named after this young woman.
After lunch the afternoon is dedicated to a hike in the " Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest".
Since the end of the 19th century, more than 170 species of trees have been planted.
Its main attraction remains its incredible flora: giant redwoods, ferns of all kinds, cedars and other species make this forest one of the oldest exotic forests in New Zealand.
Rotorua
Today on the program, visit of two caves.
There are 300 caves in the Waitomo area, not counting those that remain to be discovered.
More than 30 million years ago, New Zealand was still at the bottom of the ocean. The phenomenal pressure of water has compressed sediment deposits to form limestone.
Over the centuries, earthquakes have split the rock, and water has seeped into caves and underground tunnels.
We choose to visit " Les Waitomo Glowworm Caves. They became famous thanks to the presence of thousands of glow worms located on the walls and on the ceiling of a part of the cave.
The visit begins with impressive limestone formations, stalagtites and stalagmites.
Then continue through an underground river where we sail on a flat-bottom boat to discover the ceiling of glowing worms ... A unique spectacle.
At the exit we visit the " Ruakuri Cave ".
The tour begins with a 12-metre descent underground. A wide spiral ramp has been built to facilitate access.
The path winds between stalactites and pink, white or pale beige stalagmites. Underground galleries join rooms entirely carved by erosion. It is an extraordinary spectacle.
In " Glowworm Cave ", only the end of the visit allows us to observe these bioluminescent creatures,
While in " Ruakuri Cave ", glow worms are omnipresent
At the exit we take the road to Roturua by a monotonous road.
Installation in a large park at the entrance of the city.
Waitomo caves
This morning the tide has not completely low, we leave our spot for a point of view where we admire the "Three Sisters" under a beautiful sun.
We continue towards " Waitomo Caves "
On the way we stop at various "lookout".
We are in a country of breeding. Favored by mild temperatures and a fatty grass, the "Waikato" has become the great breeding center for horses and cattle.
We set up early in a campersite to work on our site and video.
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