Hobbiton opens doors to locals
For the month of July, local Matamata people have been invited to take a tour of Hobbiton Movie Set and Farm Tours, which for the first time includes the Green Dragon Inn and night lights.
A bus has been departing The Shire’s Rest four days a week, with locals paying $10 a ticket. All proceeds are going to support Pohlen Hospital.
Shayne Forrest, Hobbiton Movie Set Tours Marketing Manager, says Pohlen was selected because it was a wonderful facility that provided a great service to the community.
‘‘We are very lucky to have such a wonderful asset in our town so we want to show our support.’’
This is the fourth time locals have been invited to take a tour with the last one held in 2012. However a change in the format now means instead of a locals ‘day’ and it’s the first time the tours have been held over an entire month.
‘‘We want all the locals to have the chance to come through and experience Hobbiton Movie Set for themselves so they can see what it is all about and hopefully come away feeling proud to have such an iconic piece of MiddleEarth in the town. It’s our way of saying thank you for helping us host so many visitors.
‘‘So far they are proving very popular and tours are filling up fast. A lot has changed at Hobbiton including the opening of The Green Dragon Inn and the night lights. People are taking the opportunity to come experience Hobbiton and support a fantastic cause at the same time.’’
Hobbiton Movie Set and Farm Tours was recently nominated for the 2016 Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards for Auckland and Waikato, but missed out to Gallagher Group Ltd.