For everyone who reads the books or/and watches the trilogy of the Lord of the Rings or the trilogy of the Hobbit will definitely dreams to visit the shire. The shire is a region where the hobbit lives. It can be defined as Hobbiton village. The shire is originally a fictional place, until being built for real for the purpose of the movie in 1998.
Peter Jackson (the director of LotR ) and his team used several places in New Zealand for the movie. Yet, the one and only place that still remains until today is only the shire. The shire or more famous as Hobbiton village is located in Matamata, New Zealand. It takes 2 hours drive from Auckland and the tour takes 3 hours. I went there several months ago as part of my research and I need to go back again soon.
Oh well, here's the picture that I took during my visit. Enjoy!
It was such a good lovely weather on that day. Actually, the village built and surrounded by dairy farms that owned by Alexander Family. The family still owns the farms until today and the Hobbiton movie set is being managed by them as well, together with the New Line Company (the movie production company).
I feel like I want to try to live over there for just one day.
Knock, knock, knock! Overall there are 37 hobbit holes in the village.
The famous house in the movies, the house of Bilbo Baggins. Did you know that the tree on top of the house is a dead tree with fake leaves? The tree was cut down and brought in from near the village, Matamata. Therefore, the leaves were made in and imported from Taiwan.
The village built in March 1999, and in December, they started to use if for the movie. The movie set is now being an icon for not only the town, Matamata, but for the country as well. Even though some people said that it is not worth to pay a visit to the site, because of the price and the size of the village. Yet, for me, everything was awesome. One thing that I can learn after discussed and read about peoples' experiences coming there, don't expect too much. Because, expecting too much lead into disappointed.
That's all from my one day trip, Auckland - Matamata with naked bus . Until next time, Mate!
Time to say goodbye and time to back to reality in the big city, Auckland. We went to this lake before we head out back to Auckland. Thanks for the experiences and the trip, it was a nice weekend get away.
It's our last day in Rotorua and we would back in the afternoon. Before us back, Gugi's family wanted to show us around. Our first destination was Green and Blue Lakes. These lakes locate in the same area. We only saw the lakes from far, because it took time to walk there.
Here's some pictures that I was able to get, I tried to capture the color differences between those lakes, yet it was not that easy.
Sometimes when you are going to another city for business purpose, you don't think much about the attractions. Especially, when you are in the middle of a busy work before the trip. I guess that's what I could say about my weekend getaway to Rotorua. I was busy with my reports and journals to read before I left, I didn't even realize that I need to go to Rotorua on the weekend. I didn't prepare much for this trip, I didn't look for any information about tourist attractions. So, when Gugi's family asked me to go to Skyline Gondola, I couldn't resist. I just thought that since they are living in Rotorua, they must know which tourist attractions are good and worth to go.
We had a nice yet late lunch on the summit, with strong wind outside the building. Here's some pictures that I could take during my visit. I was so tired on that time, so I couldn't take that much.
The second destination was Lake Rotorua, the biggest lake in Rotorua district. It was raining for a while before we got there. Thankfully even though it remained cloudy, the rain stop. We were taking a lot of pictures over there, teasing the birds, and wandering around. One of the reasons I love this country is their birds are so lovely to play along with. If we hold cookies in an open hand, they definitely will come to us. Yet, they will wait with curousity in their eyes, waiting until we spread the cookies to the air.
See, the birds waiting patiently and silently for the foods. By the way, it was my first time saw rainbow in this country, so adorable~!
I couldn't believe I would see black swans, the real black swans so easily playing along in the lake.
We're suddenly feeling so hungry, so we decided to go to the next destination and have our dinner before go back home.
It started around a month ago from a post on Facebook. The content of the post was looking for someone to help small batik workshop event in Rotorua in the end of September and I volunteered myself to participate. All the bus fare from Auckland to Rotorua was being paid, so I didn't need to pay for it and we're going to stay in Gugi's house during the weekend. The event was held on Saturday from the morning. Since it takes three hours by bus from Auckland to Rotorua, so me and my senior, Ita took a bus on Friday noon. Yet unfortunately, there were some accidents on the way there and it took longer until we reached Rotorua. However after five hours on the bus, we reached Rotorua safely and Gugi and Gifar (Gugi's brother) already there, in the bus stop to pick up us.
On Saturday morning we left their house to the event place, prepared everything, and held the event. Gratefully it went well. After the event, Gugi's parents brought us to take around the event place. Turns out there is a beautiful garden near. It's called Government Garden and there is also a museum that we can enter, where it's free for citizens.
The Government Garden and The Mueseum.
Unfortunately I forgot whose house is that.
It's spring, when the flowers bloom beautifully.
Me and my senior, Ita would stay until Sunday and since the day was still long, Gugi's family brought us to the next destination.
Welcome to Tiritiri Matangi, the open sanctuary, where no one lives there except the volunteer and the researcher, the place that we must bring back our rubbish, the place when wild birds live peacefully. I had no idea at all about this island before, until when I visited my friend's family and his mom talked about it. I googled later when I back and I felt so curious. Here's the website, the one that I found and makes me crave more to go there. Short story, I got the cheapest ticket to go there and after discussing with my friends, we decided to go there on Saturday.
We had no clue that the weather would change dramatically from lovely sunny day to super disaster windy day on that weekend. Yet, we must go there because we already booked everything. Then after almost two hours waving around in ocean with super duper strong wind, we got there safe and sound.
Welcome to Tiritiri Matangi.
The rules that we must obey.
The map, just for making sure about the direction. Even though, in the end we got lost in the middle somewhere and we found another map.
Some wild bird that I could photograph. Sorry for the blur.
Some of my friends.
Another wild bird.
I bet it will be more beautiful during a sunny day with a little bit windy. I hope someday in the future I can be back here to explore more and try another path, bring better lens so I can take more picture. Yet, I still thanked God, I could go there and went back home safely.
We just didn't want to go back home yet, and since the day was still long, we continued to explore the city.
We stopped the car, walking around, taking pictures, and adoring the nature.
Please let me know, is there any other parks provide dog litter bags like this?
Extremely amazing.
Hi there, enjoying lunch?
photo session inside glover garden, nagasaki
In 1863, Thomas Blake Glover built a house on the hill in minami-yamate, nagasaki. Now century later, the memories of glover's life in those days remain in this garden. Enjoy!
children book' museum on the right side on the way to the garden.
oura church
the entrance
front gate guardhouse of the former nagasaki commercial college
the view from the highest place
former glover house, from the front side
inside the house
the back side
