I should have been a Hobbit

After we left Whitianga, we headed to Rotorua where I had plans to visit Hobbiton in Matamata while Don went mountain biking for the afternoon. He had a wonderful experience "shredding the gnar" for a solid four hours as he told me upon returning.

Meanwhile, I was having a lovely tour through Hobbiton and decided to stay there forever. Just kidding about staying forever, but I absolutely loved every second there, I could have easily spent all day there. It was the second day of entirely beautiful weather (no rain at all) we had up until that point. Out of all the people on the tour, I knew all the answers to the questions that the tour guide asked. Her response: "I see we have a Lord of the Rings fanatic among us..."

Being in Hobbiton was a dream come true for me. If you've known me since I was in my early teenage years, you know that I was absolutely enchanted (call it an obsession, if you will) with Lord of the Rings. My bedroom walls were covered in posters and magazine clippings that pretty much turned my bedroom into a LOTR shrine :D

Enchanting

Bilbo's home

The Green Dragon. Best ginger beer I've ever had. It might have just been because I was drinking a ginger beer at the Green Dragon like a hobbit. 

Doesn't get much better than this...

After spending a day in Hobbiton, I realized that I really should have been a hobbit for the following reasons:
a. I love having bare feet
b. Round colorful front doors...need I say more?
c. Since being in New Zealand, I realized that I really like rolling hills...add some lambs and it's pretty much paradise. If being a hobbit means I could live amongst rolling hills with lambs and grassy knolls and meadows, I'm totally in.
d. Having an earth home, how sweet is that?!
e. It was a hobbit who saved Middle Earth from Sauron, therefore, hobbits are phenomenal beings.