Hobbiton, 2008

Way back in the earliest days of this blog, I didn't post many photos. Not that I didn't take them...my philosophy of photography has always been to take lots of pix: some might turn out. But in 2008, wifi was scarce, not strong, bandwidth was narrow, and rented time on the internet (remember Internet Cafes?) was dear. So my original post from Hobbiton included just two pix. With some time, thanks to the atmospheric river now deluging the North Island, I have decided to revisit 2008 and post some of the pix taken then. Things have changed greatly, especially after the making of The Hobbit and rebuilding of the original LOTR set, and I imagine all the Alexanders, owners of the original sheep ranch, and their heirs, now have mansions and yachts for their trouble. 

In those days, you rode the Hobbiton bus from what is
now the TI in Matamata

Arrival

Pretty much what was there...after filming was done, the whole
set was "deconstructed"...leaving the Alexanders little to work with;
had weather not intervened, even these would have been removed

Then, as now, a guide took the bus-load
of you around to see the "sites"; aided by
blown-up photos from the movies to help
you remember/imagine

The Party Tree in 2008; pretty fulsome back then

The pond

As it appeared in the movies, with the Green Dragon

Us, there, then

More helpful movie scene pix

Just right of bottom center, I think, is (Sir) Peter Jackson...right

attire, right girth, right facial hair...

Our guide declaims

Pretty much what was there is 2008...cue ominous foreboding

foreshadowing sheep music

Bag End as it appeared in the movies...

Bag End in 2008

Gandalf and Bilbo doing their dueling smoke-rings
scene

Me, there, after 4 months of Asian food and a trek to Everest;
maybe I should go back...

Us, down from the door where it began...

Vicki, still on natural knees; since the filming of
The Hobbit, and the reconstructon, no one has been
permitted beyond the gate at Bag End

The gate, then

Movie view from Bag End

Louder ominous foreshadowing sheep music...

So, after the hour-long  "tour" of the "movie set," guests were
treated to a sheep-shearing...a reminder that the Alexander ranch
was still a working ranch (it still is, although the sheep, thousands
of them, now are kept out of view); and perhaps to preclude any
complaints about the value of the tour

Sheep-shearing is a national sport in New Zealand,
and this guy was good

Not sure what the dental exam has to do with wool; perhaps a
diversionary tactic to distract the shearee...?

Zip, zip, zip...

The facial expressions are priceless

And if the shearing didn't knock your socks off, you get to feed
a lamb too!