Within the last week we have sipped a Singapore Sling in the Raffles Hotel, melted in a Sydney heatwave, and taken our first glimpse of the Chilean Andes but none of these were as exciting as visiting 'Hobbiton' in New Zealand. I didn't actually realise there was a real life 'Shire' that you could visit, but as Lord of the Rings fans it was a place we are glad we happened to be passing by- it was truly fantastic! Unfortunately that's about all I can actually say about our Middle Earth experience, as due to the imminent filming of the Hobbit we were visiting an actual film set in production (something we were told has never been allowed before). We had to sign a disclosure agreement and although we could take as many pictures as we liked, we are not allowed to publish or talk about what we saw until the film is released!

New Zealand was a quick 5 day stopover, in order to pick up our flight to Chile and had we not have both visited before, we would have stayed for weeks. We had fond memories of the stunning scenery from our previous visits and once again the picture postcard views were unavoidable.

A quick 2 day stop in Auckland allowed us to catch up with Heidi, an old work friend who is living out there. The city of sails is the capital and biggest city in New Zealand, with a third of the islands 3 million population making it their home. The Auckland area and local islands are overlooked by 'one tree hill' which has actually now become 'none tree hill' since we last visited after a local man took a chainsaw to it! Downtown city views are best taken from the top of the dormant crater of Mt Eden which immediately provides proof of the volcanic activity that has created the rugged landscapes.

Auckland is a pleasant city but to experience the real New Zealand you need to get out into the vast rural areas. With a very limited amount of time we were limited to areas in the proximity of Auckland and we chose to drive about 2 hrs South East of Auckland to the Coromandel Peninsula. Having both only touched on this area before and picturesque landscapes a plenty, it proved to be a smart move.

The east coast road that skirts the Peninsula is a fine example of the picturesque countryside. Landscapes seemingly contrasting with every turn in the road from sandy to rocky beaches, forests to moors, rolling to flat roads. The views all varied but sharing one common theme- sheer rugged beauty unfolding through the car windows all around us. A 55km drive from the sleepy coastal town of Thames to Coromandel town and it's charming craft shops and cafes took around 2 hrs. This wasn't due to the lack of engine power this time, but more to the regular need to make photo stops.

After slowly negotiating some big volcanic mounds in the centre of the Peninsula we reached the West coast road and the scenery once again changed. The rocky grassy seaside banks had now become cliffs not unlike our own Jurassic coastline, with the blue ocean surf crashing aggressively into the sandy beaches beneath.

It is not possible to venture far in New Zealand without further evidence of it's Volcanic roots. A hot spring runs midway along one of the beaches from the cliff to the sea and has become a popular tourist haunt. At low tide, the aptly named 'Hot Water Beach' is alive with shovelled activity, although simply using your hands you can dig your very own steaming hot water bath. Seizing the opportunity to build a sand fort and try and keep the tide at bay we embraced the challenge and got stuck in. It wasn't without a few sizzling toe moments as it is amazing how hot the water actually is and you need to be careful not to burn your hands or toes in all the excitement!

Further South at the foot of the Peninsula we stumbled upon the Coromandel forest and a river gorge that sliced it's way through the mountains with green trees hanging on to the mountain sides that rose steeply from the river below. As with anywhere in New Zealand, well prepared easily accessible trails were on hand to ensure the gorge could be enjoyed more closely. It was an old Gold mining site with suspension bridges and narrow walkways that cut into the mountain side. There were even abandoned tunnels which gave us an opportunity to use the torch we have been karting around for 4 months. Of course the batteries had faded now we actually needed to use it so instead we stumbled away through the darkness- not one for the claustrophobes!

Having taken all of this picture postcard beauty in our strides we then stumbled upon the town of Matamata, home of the Shire! We had passed through a few similar sized towns, all of which could have been mistaken for a nuclear testing town such was the level of bustling activity. However this was different, the hobbits had attracted people and the place was positively manic by New Zealand standards. Hidden nicely from view in the rolling hills just outside Matamata, Hobbiton is the pride of the town. Upon hearing the 'Shire' was once again rebuilt for the new Hobbit film we were compelled to take the 2 hr tour and are certainly glad we did. The magical 10 acre site of the shire is actually as real and sensational as you can imagine.

Before we could leave New Zealand there was just enough time to visit some of my distant family in the town of Waikhu, just south of Auckland. Having kindly looked after me on my last visit in 1993 it was fantastic to catch up with Florence & Sam some 18 years on! By sheer chance some of the local family (Shelley, Paul & David) also dropped in at regular intervals which led to repeats of our travel stories- as you can imagine, something we shall probably never grow bored of!

New Zealand is quite possibly the most scenic country on earth. It has spectacular mountains, lakes, beaches, forests, rivers and it's no surprise it was chosen for the Lord of the Rings films. 5 days was definitely not long enough to enjoy the wonders of these islands but we made the most of the time we had and ensured we got a flavour of this most intoxicating country.

Rather reluctantly and perhaps not quite as spectacularly as Frodo & Sam, we departed the Shire and Middle Earth for the next leg in our big adventure. Our first steps on a new continent and magical faraway lands await us as we fly East to Chile in South America...I have no doubt it will provide many more 'Precious' memories for this 'Lord of the Dring'......