If you’re a fan of the films Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit, you might already know that they were filmed in New Zealand near a town called Matamata at Hobbiton. The location was discovered by the films producer after flying around in a helicopter, and chosen for the large natural pond and oak trees that were first described in the novel. Set in a valley, the 44 brightly coloured hobbit holes were built into the side of the hills on one side facing the pond. Lots of the vegetation was planted there for the films, but some of the trees were native to the land. More than 3000 visitors take the tour of Hobbiton each day, and they only close on Christmas day. Despite its overly touristy vibe I would say it was still worth a visit. They say if you want to avoid the crowds go early in the day, and book ahead. Since we aren’t die hard fans the crowds didn’t bother us much, or inhibit any photo taking opportunities.

The girls did fantastic- 2 hours walking around the grounds in the heat of the day. Zo went backpacking, and Ry actually walked the whole time, and was just perfectly elf sized to pose for many photos and fit right in.

Below are the many, many images we took while on set.