Hobbit fans across the globe will be gathering this Thursday (September 22) for a world-first event in celebration of International Hobbit Day.
Taking place at the famous Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata Waikato countryside, New Zealand, the celebration will begin with an inaugural sunrise tour and breakfast birthday banquet in the hobbit village.
Beginning at 5.30am, the tour will take costume-clad attendees through the set as a guide runs through the making of the movies and film set.
The breakfast birthday banquet (below) will be served at the famous Green Dragon Inn at the bottom of the hill. Guests will dine on “hobbit fare” before they embark on a second tour across the bridge, past the mill and under the Party Tree.
As International Hobbit Day marks the birthdays of characters Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, a birthday cake, styled on the cake seen in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, will be on display in the dining room.
Alternatively, guests can opt for an Evening Banquet Dinner Tour, commencing with a moonlight walk through the set.
Those unable to attend can follow updates on the 100% Pure New Zealand Facebook Page.
The 12-acre Hobbit Movie Set is a two-hour drive from Auckland and in easy reach of other North Island tourist destinations including Rotorua, Waitomo, Tauranga, and the city of Hamilton.
The filming of The Lord of the Rings Triology in New Zealand has provided incentive opportunities and increased the country's popularity as a MICE destination.
Sets and scenery from the film trilogy are available for themed travel, tours and events.
Matamata, a city that now advertises itself as ‘Hobbiton’, has a Tourist Centre and its own tour company for those interested in viewing what remains of the fictional town’s set.
Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngauruhoe, which provided the backdrops to the savage realm of ‘Mordor’ and ‘Mount Doom’, are popular trekking sites.
