...I drive out to Matamata to begin my Hobbiton studio tour. Goo
...I have a coffee before the tour at a drive through McDonald's. This looks like the first drive through I'd been to where after ordering at the intercom and paying at the first window, at the second window instead of getting your order, your you are told to pull over at the parking lot and someone will fetch the order to you. And I just had a coffee! It's funny they can't keep up but cute they deliver it to your car.
...I take the tour and it's quite exciting despite cloudy weather. The set is very impressive , you hear a lot of funny anecdotes and see a fake tree Made in Taiwan, and after that they take us to the famous Green Dragon inn for a free drink. I take an Amber ale and it tastes great!
...watch out because this is where it gets smart: AFTER the drink they take us to the gift shop. Guess how much I spent.
...apparently you get your age checked when buying alcohol in NZ every time you look under 25. And they tell you: if you get carded, treat it as a compliment. Cute,
...I have some food at KFC and for the soda fountain girl pouring me Pepsi actually scoops excess head from the top of the drink with a spoon, like bartenders sometimes do with beer. Strange but nice!
...I notice a full kiwi breakfast is a cool twist on the typical full English: eggs, bacon, toast and mushrooms are still there but not so much baked beans - instead you got avocado and Swiss rosti!
...I drive to Rotorua, the Maori capital of the north island and a tourist hot spot. Finding a bed here is impossible in this season so after 1 hour of being turned away from one motel after another (those that do have a bed want 2 nights minimum at rates like €160 a night) so I drive out to an empty spot and sleep in the car again. Quiet night, mind blowing starry sky...