Hobbiton Movie Set & Rotorua Thermal Wonderland Combo
Hobbiton Movie Set & Rotorua Thermal Wonderland Combo
On your Hobbiton and Rotorua tour from Tauranga city, you will travel for about 1 hour to the thermal region of Whakarewarewa. Here, you will see a Maori village. This living village is situated amidst a landscape of erupting geothermal activity, hot thermal springs, and bubbling mud pools. It is also the location of the famous Pohutu Geyser. Here you will mingle with the local Maori folk who have made this village their home and learned to live in harmony with this unique geothermal environment.
You will experience their traditions and their culture which has been passed down from generation to generation, and visit the fully carved meeting house "Whare Tupuna"(ancestral home). Experience a traditional Maori performance that will include a cultural welcome, songs and dances, games, and demonstrations of fighting skills, including the famous Haka. This is a concert not to be missed!
Then it is time to say farewell "E Noho Ra" to these local friends and head to the Waikato Valley. Here, you will find the Hobbiton Movie Set, nestled deep in the rolling hills of this region. One of the features of this area is the natural, unblemished landscape which was a necessary requirement for this Lord of the Rings movie film set.
You will be met by one of the resident guides who will walk with you around the set with a very informative commentary. Take the opportunity to dress up like a character from Lord of the Rings with costumes provided by your guide, and have your picture taken on the movie set. On your Hobbiton shore excursion, you will see the Party field, stand under the Party tree, and observe the Hobbit holes, the lake, the mill and the bridge. At the conclusion of your journey around the set you can venture into the newly opened Green Dragon Inn and enjoy a complimentary beer, cider, or ginger beer.
Then it's time to depart the Shire and travel back over the Kaimai ranges to your ship. If time permits on route, you will drive along the Marine Parade of Mount Maunganui seaside resort.
See our FAQ for more information