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Home » Destinations » New Zealand » What Hobbiton taught me
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What Hobbiton taught me

Last updated: May 22, 2019. Written by Laurence Norah - 8 Comments

I recently visited the set of the Lord of the Rings filming location for Hobbiton in New Zealand. Sadly, that is about all I am allowed to actually write about the experience, due to a rather impressive looking piece of legal paper I had to sign that I’m pretty sure gives Peter Jackson the rights to my first born if I tell you any more.

So don’t be expecting any lovely photos of the set, or whimsical musings as to what the size of a hobbits hole means about the hobbit in question (update, the NDA is lifted, and you can see my photos of Hobbiton here!).

Instead, I will use this general experience (which was entirely worth it by the way, and really worth the visit even if you aren’t a born again Tolkien fan) to share how the whole trip and a series of events around it have helped to change my approach to travelling.

Big words I know. Let me attempt to explain.

When travelling long term, there is an easy trap to fall into, which I must admit has lured me in. This is for the travel itself to be the draw, rather than the experiences accumulated along the way. By this I mean that one starts to focus on how long one can travel, and starts to forget the reasons why one is travelling in the first place.
HDR view of Mount Ngauruhoe from Ruapehu
Working in a hostel really started to strike this home. So often people would come and visit, take a look at the myriad of adventures and activities available to them, and then write them all off as being too expensive. Inevitably the folk doing this would have been travelling longer term. To them, and me, the end goal of travelling for longer on the available funds has become more important than the adventures available on the way.

Sure, splurging out on every attraction and adventure when travelling is going to seriously eat into your budget, and in a worst case scenario, overspending will result in a trip having to be cut short.

But the risk of missing out on anything and everything merely because it isn’t free is a more terrible crime. Particularly when you add up the cost of how much it has taken to get you where you currently are, compared to the fairly measly cost of the attraction you are pondering skipping over.

Take Hobbiton for example. I had been on the cusp of visiting it once before, back in November. It was pouring down with rain, and the description of the location in the Lonely Planet was that of a few plywood boards set against sheep dotted hills, with a big tree thrown in. This did not seem worthy of the $66 dollar entry fee.
A waterfall which has nothing to do with anything
Spinning on a few months however, and word began to reach me that perhaps this description was not entirely accurate. Travellers coming through described to me how wonderful the tour was. I was shown, in darkened alleyways, actual shots from their trip. I realised what a mistake I had made on missing up this opportunity, all over a few dollars that in ten years time I won’t even remember having spent. The memory of the tour though, will last forever.

In approximately three years time, I will be able to revisit this post and put some photos up. That is when the embargo that I have signed will lift, as the second movie will be out. But if you are in the area, and are pondering taking a visit, then I can highly recommend that you do so. Ignore the sticker price. It is entirely worth every cent.

And finally, if you are travelling, and really want to do something, just go ahead and do it. Money can be found again, once in a lifetime experiences generally can’t.

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There are 8 comments on this post

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  1. Michelle Muellner says

    21st May 2019 at 10:14 pm

    Just found your blog as we are traveling in NZ for the first time and are headed to Mount Doom today. Now you can post your Hobbiton photos! I will be following your adventures from now on!

    Reply
    • Laurence Norah says

      22nd May 2019 at 9:28 am

      Hey Michelle – have an amazing time! I did post my Hobbiton photos, which you can see here: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/in-photos-tour-of-hobbit-film-set/

      😀

      Reply
  2. Laurence Norah says

    29th January 2013 at 3:34 am

    Hey Bronwyn 🙂 No such thing as late to comment – I’m delighted you discovered us and are enjoying the content! Ticking off countries is something I’m not a fan of – we really like to travel slowly! For example, our latest trip is just Thailand, for three months, which many would see as the amount of time to visit all of SE Asia. For us though, we find we can really get to see all kinds of stuff all over the country, and really get a feel for the place 🙂

    Thanks so much for letting me know you’re reading, it’s always nice to hear from folks 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your time in South Korea!

    Reply
  3. Bronwyn Smith says

    29th January 2013 at 3:24 am

    I know this is late to comment but I’ve recently discovered your blog and am loving it!

    I have been living abroad for a year, in South Korea, and this year has taught me exactly what you said here. Sometimes you need to forget about the cost and remember what you’re taking away from the experience as a whole. As a young, new traveler who wants to see it all, the pressure to simply tick off countries on a map rather than really experience where you are in the moment is an easy trap to fall into.

    I guess I’m just saying that this was such a lovely post to read, and it reminded me that it’s not always about the price tag 🙂

    Reply
  4. Laurence says

    23rd May 2011 at 9:37 pm

    Thanks amanda! Now I just need to find a money tree for all the rest of the
    stuff I want to do 🙂

    Reply
  5. Amanda Williams says

    23rd May 2011 at 9:34 pm

    I love the message of this post! I, too, believe that traveling on a budget just to say you traveled on a budget is silly. You miss out on SO MUCH just trying to save a few bucks.

    I admit to being somewhat of an impulsive traveler; I splurge on things sometimes without even thinking about the costs. But have I ever regretted it? Absolutely not.

    So I’m glad you splurged on this tour! I’m sure it was even better than the last time I was there a couple of years ago. Would LOVE to see those photos!!!

    Reply
  6. Amanda Williams says

    23rd May 2011 at 9:34 pm

    I love the message of this post! I, too, believe that traveling on a budget just to say you traveled on a budget is silly. You miss out on SO MUCH just trying to save a few bucks.

    I admit to being somewhat of an impulsive traveler; I splurge on things sometimes without even thinking about the costs. But have I ever regretted it? Absolutely not.

    So I’m glad you splurged on this tour! I’m sure it was even better than the last time I was there a couple of years ago. Would LOVE to see those photos!!!

    Reply
    • Laurence says

      23rd May 2011 at 9:37 pm

      Thanks amanda! Now I just need to find a money tree for all the rest of the
      stuff I want to do 🙂

      Reply

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Hi there! We're Laurence and Jessica Norah. We've been running this site since 2010 as full time professional travel bloggers. We visit all the places we write about personally, and all our content is based on our own first hand travel experiences. We also take all the photos you see on our sites. So grab a drink, dive in, and read on! You can also find out more about us here. Comic included.
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