The visit to Hobbiton was as good as we'd hoped. We were dropped off at 11 am and caught the 11:30 tour. We got on the bus and George, our bus driver regaled us with tales of how the site was found as he drove the one lane road to the movie set. Once arrived,a second George, shepherded us around the Hobbit Holes. The sets are so elaborate, all 44 of them, with props outside each door; such as baking (baker)' tools (builder) and fresh vegetables (gardener). Only about 10 Hobbit Holes were seen in the films. In fact, the first sets were temporary as per usual for Lord of the Rings. As the sets were being removed a major storm came and it rained for 3weeks. The demolition crew got an extension of 6 months. Meanwhile the local residents recognized the terrain and started visiting the farm. From this the tours were born. When the Hobbit films were planned they built permanent sets. So we walked up and down the hills and finally arrived at the Green Dragon where we enjoyed an ale or ginger beer. We continued to take many pictures and then got back on the bus to the Shire's Rest and the gift shop. John bought another shirt and I (Andrea) got another stuffie of a Kiwi bird. John's relatives retrieved us and drove us back to their lovely home in Mangawhai. This is our last stop before we head home on Sunday. The drive here had to go through Auckland during rush hour. Auckland is very spread out as are many of the cities here. Fewer tall buildings because of earthquakes.