Hobbiton and Waitomo

The destination occupies the valley of the Waikato River, New Zealand’s longest river, south of Auckland. It’s a region of dairy farms, green hills and small towns, cut by the main roads linking Auckland to the central North Island. Many travelers pass through on the route to Rotorua and Taupō.

Hamilton, the largest inland city in the country and capital of the Waikato region, is the gateway, with an airport, buses and trains. On the riverbanks, the city has the Hamilton Gardens, a collection of themed gardens from different eras and cultures, and the Waikato Museum, with the valley’s Māori and colonial history.

To the east, near Matamata, a sheep farm preserves the Hobbiton set, built for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies and kept as a permanent set, with dozens of hobbit holes, gardens and the Green Dragon inn. The Kaimai Range behind the town has the North Island’s highest waterfall, Wairere.

To the south, Waitomo is a village set on limestone terrain full of caves, underground rivers and natural bridges. The most visited caves have ceilings covered in glowworms, larvae of an insect found only in New Zealand that emits a bluish light in the dark.

This destination brings together 3 cities: Hamilton (Kirikiriroa), Matamata, Waitomo Caves.