Tuesday 7th December - Have been looking forward to today for ages. Today is the day I go to Matamata - the location of Hobbiton. Got a lift to the bus station which was such a relief that I didn't need to lug my bag and caught the 10.20am bus to Matamata. Once there I booked to go on the tour that went to the Hobbiton film set. I had such a great time here. Only half the hobbit holes are left now as the rest were bulldozed, but enough remains now (although not quite as it appears in the film. The guide was really good and explained all of the filming process and how and why Matatmata was chosen to be Hobbiton. It was when I arrived at the bottom of Hobbiton - I looked up and could see load of hobbit holes and Bag End (which is where Frodo and Bilbo live). But first we went down to the Party Tree which is in the Party Field, right by the lake. There are scraps of the Birthday banner from the film still in the tree. I gave the tree a hug and then had my photo with it. The guide said that loads of people come here dressed up, some play musical instruments in the party field and have a dance in it, and people even propose there. See I'm not as obsessed as some. Went to the lake and we were shown pictures of what it looked like with the mill and bridge there. Practically everything (even the bridge Gandalf rode over) was made of ply wood and styrofoam. Then we walked up to Bag End and I went inside. Not suprisingly the inside is nothing like the film, but it was still cool to go inside, and I got a picture from inside looking out to the party tree. It was a this point that I felt the urge to text everyone and tell you all that I was in Hobbiton. Sorry if I woke anyone up, but it had to be done. On the top of Bag End in the film was an oak tree. There was no oak tree there in reality, so Peter Jackson bought one and had it shipped in pieces to Matamata and reassembled on top of Bag End. The remaining pieces of the tree plus one of the fake branches with leaves on (as all the original leaves fell off in transit) were located on top on Bag End, so we all went up to have a look. We then had just enough time to walk around Bag Shot Row (that hasn't been featured in the films - unless it appears in the extended ROTK) before the coach came to pick us up to take us back to Matamata. I was sad to go as it was ace being here. I then caught a bus to Auckland.