Hobbiton – The Shire vs. the Sheep: The Story of an Annexed Farm

As I drove towards Hobbiton, or rather the town of Matamata, I immediately knew I was heading in the right direction. The landscape was dotted with perfectly undulating hills, practically begging to be turned into Hobbit holes. It looked like it had been plucked straight from a film set. Yet the most captivating part of the view was the greenery. The grass was so vividly green it almost seemed unreal. At that moment, I thought it was a fair trade-off for the previous day, when a wall of rain had driven me to despair and offered no hope for the rest of the trip. Incredible how the scenery can transform in just a few hours.

It’s hardly surprising that when Peter Jackson was looking for the perfect Shire back in 1998, he chose this place. Hobbiton was set on a vast farm owned by the Alexander family, which is still a fully functioning sheep farm today, with thousands of sheep roaming the fields.

The original Hobbiton was a makeshift affair of polystyrene and plywood. The deal with the owners the Alexanders family was simple: once filming wrapped, the land would be returned to the sheep. However, nobody anticipated that the blockbuster would draw Shire-hunters from all over the world. Ten years later, during the filming of The Hobbit trilogy, the Shire was rebuilt. The sheep’s land was annexed, and the settlement was constructed from durable materials.

Today, forty-four Hobbit holes can be seen on the site, each crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Miniature letterboxes, cheese and jars of honey on the tables, and smoke curling from the chimneys make it all feel incredibly real.

The Hobbit homes are still facades, as the interiors were filmed in a Wellington studio, which I’ll cover in another post. Only two houses were built for tourists and are open to explore. Inside, a miniature version of Hobbit life awaits. Tiny furniture, little tables, a kitchen and pantry give the impression they’re inhabited.

Interestingly, the houses were designed in various sizes. The smallest are typical Hobbit homes, while the larger ones were built specifically for actors.

The surroundings of the homes don’t feel like a film set either—they look like a charming garden. Fruit, vegetables, and flowers are carefully tended by the on-site gardeners. Washing hangs on lines, refreshed every few months to maintain its freshness 😉

The view from Bag End—the luxurious home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins—is exactly like in the films: the birthday party green, the pond, the inn, and all of Hobbiton at the foot of the hill. This is precisely where Bilbo and Gandalf smoked their pipes before the great disappearance.

Visiting in practice

Tickets for Hobbiton are best bought online in advance, with a specific tour time reserved. Even though Hobbiton is one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist attractions, it never feels overcrowded. Groups enter every 30 minutes, and guides ensure everything runs smoothly. For the best experience, choose the first tour at 8:30 a.m., when Hobbiton is just waking up. Tours last about two hours and end at the Green Dragon Inn, where your ticket includes a drink—either beer or non-alcoholic ginger beer.

Hobbiton surprises at every turn. The houses and their tiny accessories are genuinely impressive, all crafted with film-set precision. But the real magic of this place isn’t just in the artificial details—it’s in the unique, idyllic landscape. Here, you don’t have to paint the grass green.