Nov 20 – Arthouse B&B, Matamata
37°46′19″ S 175°43′16″ E

We left the Chateau Tongariro in much the same weather as when we had arrived a couple of days before – in the pouring rain with the clouds so low that there were no mountains to be seen anywhere.

We can’t believe our luck – we had one full day in the area to see the sights & we were fortunate enough to get the only day with sunshine & mostly clear skies.

Now we were headed off to the next part of our adventures. We had a 3 hour drive through the mountains & valleys to the town of Matamata, which is just a few minute’s drive from Hobbiton.

Matamata is a busy town in the midst of a very prosperous agricultural area. The arrival of the movie production people for elements of the Lord of the Rings movies cranked up the activity in the area by several notches.

We went to the tourist information center which is modeled after a Hobbit house & then strolled through the downtown commercial area.

Matamata & Hobbiton are now among the most popular tourist areas in New Zealand, even almost 20 years after the initial release of the movies.

We stayed at a very nice B&B just outside of the town. The place was in the middle of farm country with gentle rolling hills & great views in every direction. The owners have 3 alpacas in a small field adjacent to their backyard – Cleo, Madonna and Frida – very curious animals.

Tomorrow we go to Hobbiton!