New Zealand update #1 - Hobbiton

This post comes from beautiful, but not very sunny, New Zealand. We spent this morning hoping to ski but weren't lucky today; hopefully tomorrow's weather will be more conducive to skiing/snowboarding. Not to be discouraged, we made the drive from Whakapapa ski fields to the quaint town of Matamata - the home of Hobbiton.

The tour took us around a number of hobbit holes including Bag End of course, the Party Field and the homely Green Dragon Inn. Excuse my fat finger in the photo below.

The oak tree atop the home of the Bagginses is completely fake, it is made of plastics and had leaves imported and wired to it. Jess found a couple that had fallen off, which we were encouraged to keep as souvenirs.

The tour ended with a complimentary drink at the Green Dragon Inn, which offered a number of themed beverages including a Sackville Cider, an Ale, a Ginger Beer and a Stout. The stout was only available from the Green Dragon; there is nowhere else in the world where you can get one. Can you guess what I ordered?

Despite the disappointing start, I think we made the most of the day. As I write this, we're all heading back to base at Ohakune - some more spa'ing and saunaing is in order!