Lovely Images

Rangitoto from the ferry. 

Downtown Auckland - looking back from the ferry.

Maddy and I on the ferry.

Alec and Carter on the way to the summit of Rangitoto, stopped to hike in the lava caves. We went down here too - it was so scary and dark and you had to crawl part of the way.

At the summit of Rangitoto - a very steep and hard hike, the ground was really unstable due to all the lava rock.

Another cave we adventured into.

Another shot at the summit.

Rangitoto is in the background, this beach Julie and Ryan took us to, Takapuna.

Another cave entrance. 

Little town of Takapuna.

Ryan, Maddy, me and Ella. - Takapuna

Ryan, Maddy, Julie and Ella.

Ella, Maddy and I with Auckland in the background, at Devonport. 

Creepy Golem statue in Matamata.

Katherine and I on the bus to Matamata.

Waiting for the bus to Hobbiton, in Matamata. :)

The bus company that took us to Hobbiton from Matamata.

Hobbiton!!!!!! 

Katherine and I in front of a hobbit hole. 

Inside a hobbit hole!!!

Adorable - Parts of hobbit took eight months to build and another six to get all the details in order, only to be used for eleven seconds in the movie. 

Little Hobbit treasures. 

Some of the doors are bigger than others so that when filming, the actors could stand by the small doors and look giant. The bigger doors were used for the Hobbits, making them look small.

Frodo's swing. 

Sam's house. 

The party tree.

Cool old looking wagon wheel - all of the lichen in Hobbiton is made of yoghurt and plaster and paint. 

Tons of sheep around because Hobbiton is in the middle of the Alexander farm, the last remaining sheep wool farm on the North Island. 

Hobbit hole on the lake. 

Beautiful country. 

Green Dragon Inn.

Bar inside the Inn - complimentary cider was provided. 

The lake beside the Shire.

Tiny little homes. 

So cool.

I'm a Hobbit!

Map from the new Hobbit movie. 

Sunset in Auckland. 

Vulcan Building - just thought this was really cool looking. (Plus the name is awesome.)

Train station we use on a regular basis. 

Bowie, the kitty that hangs around Unitec. 

Pretty flowers in Hobbiton. 

Billbo Baggins' house. The tree used to be real but was cut up and bolted together, the leaves were all hand wired and painted one by one onto the tree. 

Bilbo Baggins' house :)