An Incredible Journey

My incredible journey began on a fine warm and sunny day as I traveled with my two companions to Matamata.

Our car journey was to take around 4 1/2 hours, so being driven I settled down in the back, put my music on and just relaxed. A most enjoyable car journey through a busy city, townships and farmland. We stopped for lunch and a bit of a leg stretch, much needed I guess for our driver.

On we went until we reached our accommodation situated just outside of Matamata to a 600 acre dairy farm near Wairere Falls. Once we had settled in and had a chat with the owner who told us there was a lovely walk up to the falls, we decided the walk was a good idea. When we arrived at the start of the walk, there were quite a number of people who had either been or were just heading off to climb the mountain!! So we three being brave with our walking shoes, walking sticks, and bottle of water made headway along the path to see this waterfall. The path was walkable, however, in parts was very rocky and as we neared the top it was beginning to get quite muddy and wet. My two companions were not happy with this and so we turned back and once back at the start of the trail we instead took a picture of the waterfall from a distance, not as good as the real thing though.

The morning saw us then on our way to the attraction that brought us to Matamata to see Hobbiton. We were all very excited, well perhaps I was more so, anyhow, on reaching the movie set we got on a bus which took us to the Shire where the Hobbits lived. I was immediately transported back to' Middle Earth' where Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gangee lived and where Gandolf made his appearance in his horse drawn cart. I was absolutely amazed by the detailed craft of the hobbit holes, 39 in total.The door to Bilbo and Frodo's residence was slightly ajar, however, we were not allowed to go in even though being short in height I could have quite easily made it, sadly we were not allowed. We traveled on up the hill and looking over to capture a magnificent view of the valley to the Shire, it was just magical.

Our journey then took us past the homes of the Hobbits showing the various crafts and work that took place there. Very clever little hobbits's, (as Gollum would call them).  Nearing the end of our 2 hour tour we approached the bridge over to the Green Dragon pub, this being the place of ale drinking and merriment for these happy little Hobbits. I could feel the excitement of the 60th Birthday party given for Bilbo, and imagining the rockets and firecrackers going off. As we entered the pub, the huge fire was burning in the grate giving a real atmosphere of the evening frivolities of the pub, and we were given a drink of either cider or ale, very nice it was as the day was very hot.

All too soon our incredible journey had come to an end, a day I will remember for a very long time, even at my time in life. I would not be able to describe all that we saw, it is a place you would have to go and see for yourself and be transported back to a time of Hobbits, Wizards, Dwarfs, Elves and all the characters of The Hobbit Trilogies. I would have turned around and gone through the tour again, however, time is not always on your side. Perhaps another day.........

Have a safe and happy day with perhaps a little magic in it.