Fantasy Landscapes – Above and Below Ground

How often do you get to see two extremely different, one-of-a-kind places in a single day? Well, on Wednesday we visited both the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves and the Hobbiton Movie Set. Both were inconspicuously nestled in the remote hills of New Zealand’s North Island, but were totally worth the pilgrimage.
​
From Hamilton, it was an hour drive to Waitomo, and Vincent and I arrived with plenty of time to spare. We even had time to refuel in Otorohanga, the self-proclaimed “Kiwiana Capital” featuring a colorful kiwi sculpture and places like the Fat Kiwi Café. When paying at gas stations, our American credit card wouldn’t work at the pump and had to be brought inside. Another customer at the adjacent pump saw our cards get declined, and offered help, striking up a friendly conversation about the places we’d be visiting – a great example of the local hospitality.

With the extra time in Waitomo, we went on a brief nature hike up to a viewpoint. The forest was lush with ferns and the hillsides dotted with purple foxgloves. 

​Back at the caves, the check-in desk was able to store our backpacks with key valuables in the office. We lined up by the cave entrance while a few latecomers were tracked down. (Meanwhile another tour guide emerged from the cave and jokingly asked: “what year is it?”) When assembled, our tour group was around ~12 people, including a few NZ locals and an Asian tour group with their own interpreter.

During the first part of the cave tour, we ducked under stalactites and peered down a river-carved chasm. Some of the walls were bumpy like cauliflower; others were smooth with prominent layers in the limestone. We descended down metal stairs, past a few stalagmite formations known as the Modern Art Gallery, and into the Cathedral, named for its size, acoustics, and organ-like formation. The guide encouraged someone to sing a song, and one of the Asian tourists offered a short but beautiful aria, surprising us with his professional-sounding tenor voice.

After a brief introduction to the glow-worm’s lifecycle, the guide told us to turn around and crouch down. Behind us, the low ceiling of the adjacent cave was covered with hundreds of blue dots! The group’s audible gasp was definitely merited. Though the light was a pale shade of blue, each larva’s glow was clear and visible – much stronger than the bioluminescent algae in Puerto Rico. Then the guide turned on a lamp, and suddenly revealed silky strings dangling from the ceiling that weren't visible in the dark. The larvae use these strings to catch prey, like a vertical spiderweb. The effect was of an alien landscape, like the Tree of Souls from the Avatar movie. It was the second gasp of the tour, again merited.
​
The final stage of the tour was a boat ride along the river running through the cave. Climbing on board in the sparingly lit cave passageway felt like boarding an amusement park ride. But unlike your average ride, the guide stood at the bow and manually pulled the entire boat using a series of cables that strung from wall to wall. With no engine to break the cave’s silence, we glided through the darkness and looked up at the ceiling. It was covered in a thousand glow-worms. Dense constellations, like a natural planetarium. It was spectacular! Photos weren’t allowed, as the caves are sacred to the Maori, so the group simply enjoyed this otherworldly light show.

​The river exited the cave, and soon we were back in the car. It was another 1.5 hours of driving through small farming towns. After a particularly scenic stretch, with more flocks of sheep than cars, we arrived at the “Shire’s Rest” – the visitor center for the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour. We had plenty of time to eat lunch and peruse the gift shop, which was full of Lord of Rings posters, figurines, merchandise, and even a life-size Gandalf statue.

​To begin the tour, we boarded a green bus and drove across the ridge to a secluded valley on the Anderson family’s sheep and cattle ranch. When Peter Jackson was looking for a filming location for the Shire, he had three conditions: green hills, a lake, and a large tree. The ranch met all these – it was first identified during a flyover. Unfortunately, the Anderson sheep were deemed too modern looking and didn't make the cut - instead, sheep from elsewhere in New Zealand were brought in for the occasion.
​
After the original trilogy was filmed, the set was actually demolished but fans kept on finding their way in. So when Peter Jackson returned to film the Hobbit trilogy, the Anderson family asked to make the sets permanent as a tourism opportunity.

​The morning clouds had moved on, and the fluffy grass was sparkling in the bright afternoon sun. A total of 44 hobbit holes were built into the hillsides, decorated with props hinting at the personality of each hobbit. The houses were only facades (the interior scenes were filmed in the studio) but the exteriors were full of life. We visited the houses via a well-maintained walking path, with strategically placed hedges to hide the other tour groups on the circuit. Hobbits love to garden, and their front yards were bursting with beautiful flowers of all shades. Yellow wildflowers filled in the gaps in between the yards – an embarrassment of riches.

​The tour was led by a knowledgeable guide, who explained the history of the filming, the key features of the set, and of course, where famous scenes were shot. The other guests came from all over the world, and a few came dressed as elves. It’s amazing to think that Lord of Rings probably inspired many of them to visit New Zealand in the first place – at least, that’s how it was for me!

​From Bag End, the most famous hobbit hole at the top of the hill, we walked past a scenic lake and across the stone bridge to the Green Dragon pub. Our tour included a complimentary amber ale or ginger beer in the cozy interior. Between the pastoral scenery and pub atmosphere, the site evoked the English countryside.  Fun fact, when filming the Shire party scenes, the actors were unknowingly given beer with only 1% alcohol to prevent any mishaps!

Hobbiton was such a unique destination. The gorgeous landscapes were absolutely marvelous on a sunny spring day. The iconic movie sets were seamlessly integrated into the hills and jam-packed with loving details. But unlike visiting an artificial theme park, the natural elements and fantasy elements were blended together, elevating the site into a real-world utopia.
​
During the final drive of the day, the rolling green hills were replaced with volcanic domes and bushes of dense yellow flowers. We took a secluded country road, and it made all the difference.

Soon we arrived in the town of Taupo, alongside a lake of the same name, and checked into the AirBNB. Our place overlooked the Waikato River – a little slice of paradise. Dinner was another improvised recipe that turned out well (coconut curry noodles with chickpeas and potatoes).
​
Our first day in Taupo was a rest day, much needed after all the tours and driving. We picked up some groceries at the local Four Square, and I took advantage of the nice clothesline and did some laundry. Vincent and I also went for a short hike along the Waikato River, up to a bungee jumping point with a great view of the light blue waters.

​In parallel, Rachel made all of her bus connections and arrived in Taupo with her new passport. It was a whiplash journey to LA and back, in just a few days!

​To end this post on a sweet note, I discovered a special kind of “Tasmanian Mint” Kit Kat with dark chocolate and a lovely green swirl. A real treat!