Manny’s Magical Journey to Middle Earth

I had a great time touring Middle Earth AKA New Zealand, the place where “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies were shot.  As a movie buff, the trip is quite precious. 

They’re called the Ringers, fans of “The Lord of the Rings” in general, and of Peter Jackson’s live-action film trilogy in particular.  Full disclosure:  I am a ringer.  I love the JRR Tolkien books, the movies, I even have trading cards and action figures.  I’ve interviewed some of the cast.  The only thing missing?  I still haven’t been to Middle Earth.

According to the New Zealander genius Peter Jackson, “New Zealand has played a role in the history of Middle Earth.”  And the filmmaker uses his beautiful country in his films to its great advantage. 

So last year, when I got invited to talk to the cast of the Amazon Prime series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” I decided to book a cruise with my hubby. 

We boarded our favorite cruise line, Holland America, aboard the Westerdam.  It’s their last trip to New Zealand this season and I made sure I get to visit Middle Earth before the New Zealand winter.  And it was all worth it!

First stop, the Hobbiton movie set near Auckland, New Zealand in Matamata.  The Alexander Farm is a stunning 1,250 acre sheep and beef farm that was transformed into the Shire, the home of the Hobbits.

It was thrilling to tour the Hobbit holes including the iconic Bag End, home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the Party Marquee, the Double-Arch Stone Bridge, the Green Dragon Inn, and I even visited Bagshot Row and went inside a Hobbit home.  If I could stay here, I would.  There’s an abundance of movie magic nestled inside this fully operational farm.    

Time to board and visit our next “Lord of the Rings” stop – Wellington, the capital of New Zealand where a brief picturesque drive through the heart of the city will take you to Wellywood, the home of Weta Studios, the company behind the animations, props, and creatures from all “The Lord of the Rings” films and many others.  It was a great experience to visit some of the film locations as well.  The tour ended inside the Weta Workshop experience where we got a peek into the magic of Weta. 

But, after 3 weeks at sea visiting New Zealand and parts of Australia, it was time to go home.  But I will never forget our amazing cruise where I always get treated like royalty and the magical places it took me.

Lights, camera, movie magic.  It was the one trip to rule them all. 

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