At Home in Hobbiton

At Home in Hobbiton

Kili:

Tauriel and I are still on a bit of a high after "going home" to Hobbiton, near Matamata, yesterday. Where do we begin to describe the experience? How can you encapsulate the feeling of something done that has been so long in the dreaming, so long in the desiring? (You'll have to pardon my lapse into melodrama; I'm prone to gushing about these things.)

I must admit I didn't properly allow the excitement to register initially. Maybe I wasn't sure how Hobbiton would measure up to my expectations. Even on the bus ride from the tourism center, my heart wasn't really a-flutter, and I was more focused on preparations for photo ops than the actual experience (Tauriel, Swaggins, and I were all in cosplay, and fretting a bit over our costumes).

That all changed when the bus pulled into the carpark by the front entrance. Almost immediately, the spark was ignited. It was a surprise, maybe, to see something so instantly familiar - the way into Hobbiton, piled grey stones and deep green grass where a Wizard's wagon once showed us our first view into a place many of our hearts have never truly left. I knew, then, as the first of the smials appeared around the bend - all old world charm and comfort within the rolling green hill - that I had come home.

Tauriel:

Hobbiton is not a place I'm terribly familiar with, as Kili is, but it surpassed my expectations. Even with the seasons changing to fall, the land was lush and green, and flowers still thriving. As soon as I saw the winding paths, the pond centered with hobbit homes resting on the hills around it, and the gardens behind each fence, I felt home as well. There's something magical about the rolling green hills, and the simplicity of the life there that makes me wish I had a hobbit home of my own.

I can't find the words really to describe how I felt as we walked along the path, and viewed each circled door. Whenever I looked back over my shoulder, I could see how far up we were getting, and the homes left behind us. The curve of the hills below, vibrant and green. Red, blue, and yellow doors. Trees tall and round. Mountains stretched across the sky in the distance, and the clouds were few enough that we could see the land across from Hobbiton. I think Kili and Swaggins both grew excited by the lamp posts when we came to a fork in the path, but what excited me the most was the colorful banners on the festival grounds.

Kili:

The grassy field beneath the Party Tree was a true delight. Just the realization I was in the same place that Bilbo celebrated his 111th birthday, the event that set the Ring saga in motion, was all but overwhelming. I was so overwhelmed, in fact, that I nearly missed an excellent nerd faux pas on the part of our resident burglar, Bilbo Swaggins, in which our tour guide queried as to one of the most recognizable lines in the Hobbit Trilogy ("I'm going on an adventure!") and received "Wait!" in reply. Our guide, as it turns out, was a kindred spirit - kind, understanding, and a full-on Tolkien nerd, he was enthusiastic about our costumes, and appreciative of our (well, mainly my) knowledge of The Hobbit. He also regaled us with anecdotes surrounding the locale and its filmic history, including one about a "giant hobbit" who visited Hobbiton at one point and refused to leave for some eight hours. Tauriel and I privately thought it a tempting idea.

We continued on, trying to avoid delaying the rest of our group's progress but finding it difficult in the face of so many requests for photos by the many tourists in our group (and the group behind, which somehow overtook us). After crossing the bridge near Ted Sandyman's mill, a picturesque sight that added to the surreal feeling I'd stepped into the real Middle-earth, we approached the Green Dragon Inn. I wouldn't have been surprised to find Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and Sam inside, sharing pints and dancing across the tables. Everything looked exactly as it had in the film, except that now, I was really here. We'd come to a place where fantasy and reality met, and stood beside each other in perfect harmony. It felt real, not like some cheesy theme park intended for those who only took a passing curiosity in the world of Tolkien.

Stone, carved wood, arched doorways, and thatched roofs lent a rustic, earthy tone, and gave the impression of love in the labor of building - real hands and ancient skill, warmth and color and Hobbit-y zest for life. Tauriel and I tried not to gawk overly much as we distractedly ordered drinks - cider for us, since we're lightweights - and found a table by the hearth. Swaggins, meanwhile, who had fallen behind sometime back, finally found her way in, and photographed every inch of the place before ordering a ginger beer and joining us. We had many fellow "patrons" request photos with us, as well as two young twin boys, who were quite taken with our favorite elleth, and managed to behave impeccably well during the snapshot.

Tauriel:

The memory of the twins has me grinning ear-to-ear. They were adorable!

Our guide, Sean, later joined our table and we got immersed in the conversation of possible work opportunities at Hobbiton. After all, who wouldn't love going to Hobbiton every day for work? The employees there had overall been friendly and welcoming; one was even kind enough to share her enthusiastic opinion over our outfits. I admit, I got a bit too excited over the prospect, but Kili is the most likely to be hired out of our company when it comes to one's knowledge of Middle Earth. If only we were staying in Matamata - perhaps after the school year, Kili is thinking.

Our twenty minutes at the Green Dragon Inn went by way too quickly, and I found myself having to quickly finish my cider to keep up with our group so we could continue our journey - which to both Kili's and my disappointment, was at an end. Although, Swaggins remembered as we trailed along the path with the twins' family, that she and I had forgotten our water bottles at the Inn. This began a worried debate, but we both decided it was worth going back, and ran for it. Despite our guilt of holding back our group, I think we both were happy to see the Green Dragon again. We couldn't help grinning when we reached the doors and moved to our previous table.

But alas, we left just as soon, and ran half the way back (Swaggins was quite worn from the run before). We boarded the bus and stared out the window, watching the green hills as we went by, and wishing to stay.

Kili:

With a final, lingering look back at the bucolic green hills and what was still visible of the smials, we crested the rise blocking us from that last, beautiful view of the place that felt so homey to us. When the bus returned us to the Shire's Rest café, we thanked our wonderful guide and paid the obligatory visit to the gift shop. There wasn't much there that sparked my interest, as my primary emphasis is generally the experience itself and not the tokens to be taken away, but I enjoyed meandering around the shop and ogling the pretties. I ended up purchasing a beautiful postcard and a pencil case, vividly printed with an image of Bag End. With that, we posed for a few more photos with enthusiastic tourists (one of which exclaimed, in broken English, that we looked "just like the movies!") and headed for the carpark. Our spirits were full, and Swaggins and I chattered eagerly about the experience - 11/10, would do again - as we drove back into the "real world," which seemed somehow less far now from the world of Middle-earth.

We have all decided that we now have a tremendous need to build our own Shire. *nods seriously*

Holiday with a Lovely Hobbit Lass

Holiday with a Lovely Hobbit Lass

Before our holiday, we stayed with our friend (hereafter referred to as "Swaggins," short for Bilbo Swaggins) in Lower Hutt. Our mid-week day off led to ice skating at a nearby rink. Kili wanted to do go-kart racing, but alas, the price was too prohibitive. We spent three hours with the skating rink to ourselves. Kili and Swaggins raced in circles and attempted pirouettes, while Tauriel dedicatedly studied her skates for fear of falling. (Not very elf-like, I'm afraid - but an adventure!)

The three of us were then left to plan our holiday break further up the North Island, while the students of our company still had homework to complete before the end of the week. After two late nights of analyzing six productions a piece (a new book started and completed, in Tauriel's case), and sixteen hours spent in the school's sewing room - we reached our weekend!

We had our travel plans, for the most part, decided. We would drive up to Napier to stay with Swaggins' family, and a couple days later, meet in Gisborne for a school field trip that would be five days long before our actual holiday. Swaggins' family was welcoming, most likely the warmest hobbit-y family we had yet to meet. Both Kili and I felt like close kin, and with a house of many artists, we scouted out the nearest craft stores. A really cool shop called Aaron's Emporium is where I was able to source some trimming and charms for my current work in progress, and Kili was able to find blue corduroy for a project still in the planning process. The best find, though, had to be the sheepskin shop Swaggins took us to. The three of us spent nearly an hour and a half gushing over the bargain finds of leather and fur scrap bags. We traded ideas for pieces we could incorporate into our characters' outfits, as well as assisting Swaggins with inspiration on how to craft her hood.

We visited an adorable lolly shop and a café catering high tea and various cakes Kili and I had yet to experience. Alas, we filled ourselves with enough of the delightful sweets to induce belly-aches, and still had many more yet to sample. Swaggins continues to inform us our ignorance of Kiwi lollies is some sort of crime against humanity. We are attempting to remedy the situation.

Pavlova, custard, and hokey-pokey ice cream are some of the desserts we've tried, as well "Goody Goody Gumdrop" ice cream.

My favorite dessert, though, has to be the pumpkin pie Kili made, with the Hokey Pokey ice cream! Yum! (Although, just recently, I tried a really delicious sweet that I want to say was a sort of fudge - almost like hokey pokey or butterscotch flavor, but no definite certainty on what it was.)

After the lolly shop, we explored the coastal walkway, basking in oceanic splendor again (something I will surely miss when I return to the States), and enjoyed a walk through opulent arrangements of colorful flowers. The two of us goofed around while Swaggins photographed us, and her mom led the way back while we four hopped on the stone wall and balanced our way back.

You know as a child when your parents reprimanded you for walking on the curb/wall in fear you would fall? We walked the whole length, and I didn't slip once! Of course, I'm an elf, so I have grace... *hides behind Kili who raises her eyebrows*

I think the three of us were quite sad to leave Napier so soon; it was a homey place. We had to remind ourselves that we would be stopping through again, but even so, we were nervous about the school trip, as we still didn't know quite what to expect.

We were on our way to our first Marae. Sadly I don't have any pictures to show for our time there, but it was a beautiful area outside of Gisborne. Tons of green hills and farmlands decorated the land outside the Maori village (as we had driven past our turn by mistake and continued for about 8 km, I think I can speak for its local surroundings). The Marae itself lay beyond a verdantly green field, and sat before a cornfield where feral kittens could often be spotted playing and peering out at us. The initial energy of the large group suggested anxiety and tension, but once the Powhiri ceremony had concluded (during which Toi Whakaari and the resident Maoris alternately reached out to each other, the speakers "chasing each other's energy"), the atmosphere grew gentle and embracing.

I can't speak for the rest of my company's thoughts on the trip, but I found it very eye opening. The students were open to share, helping you see through their eyes what it meant to be an artist. They had different ways of expressing themselves as to what made them passionate or inspired them, but they were also excited to hear their fellow student's thoughts and arguments on certain topics. It was very open, which to me, was unexpected. I'm not a student at their school either, but I felt very accepted during this trip, and enjoyed being able to witness the growth and connection between everyone. I also felt honored to be included in the lessons about the Maori culture, and sharing in their singing and dance (Kapa-haka).

Best of all - Kili and I realized we have the greatest circle of friends here in New Zealand, and we love them all to bits!

Easter Weekend 2016

Taranaki Region - New Plymouth

Vacation: Easter Weekend

Place: New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand

Day 1:

Went off without a hitch. Other than the part where we got stuck at a bus station without a clue where to go next. Or, for that matter, any buses to help us out with that little problem. (I blame Easter.)

Fortunately, we availed ourselves of the power points, bathrooms, and maps, and then hauled all our baggage (minus a sleeping bag left behind in Wellington) to the nearest campground,

We succeeded in claiming the final tent spot, practically seizing it from the person on the phone with the receptionist, who was also trying to book it. But she wasn't there in person, and we looked really, really desperate. And quite possibly like we would throttle someone if we were turned away. ;)

The campground wasn't much. A lot of campervans and motorhomes. The patch of grass we paid for was actually the receptionist's parking spot. She kindly moved her car as we made motions to set up our tent. Alas for the dwarven member of this duo, who is also a pyromaniac, there was no fire pit, and no fires allowed. We had to content ourselves with cooking in the nearby shared kitchen, leaving the "roaring fires" to our imagination. Kili made an excellent pumpkin curry, which was exceedingly welcomed by our famished bellies, after which we went for a walk along the now dark beach, then snuggled into the surprisingly okay $30 NZD tent and got some much-needed rest.

Day 2:

The morning came less quickly than we'd hoped, for once. We kept waking up to check the time. Kili, who had had to sacrifice her sleeping bag to the good of other members of the rather forgetful Company, suffered the worst of it, waking up cold and stiff. We'd made arrangements to procure our own transportation the previous night, so a 30 minute walk and $163 NZD later temporarily afforded us a brand new, white Toyota Corolla hatchback. Camp was swiftly struck whilst breakfast was being prepared, and we were off to nearby Egmont National Park, at the base of Mount Taranaki, where we struggled against an obscene amount of traffic which was clearly crazed and trying to run us off the (basically) one-lane road. (Okay, so it was a road the width of a one-lane road, with a painted broken line down the center at intervals. This is very much a New Zealand thing, we're finding out. The road department is very stingy.)

The parking lot/car park of the Visitor's Center was terrifying. It was all Kili (the hapless driver) could do to get out again without smashing into all the insane tourists crowding in. Nonetheless, once we'd succeeded in reaching a less crowded park some distance down Egmont Road, we were much better equipped for the day. We began by testing out one of the shorter trails (for the elf's benefit). We ended up going in circles. We think. We still can't decide just how lost we were. Boo on Egmont for trail markers. This will be addressed later on.

Afterward, we decided to go on a hike. A real, challenging one. The trailhead said "two hours." We said, "no problem!" After all, we'd packed a lunch and everything. The trail proved to be an amazingly immersive jungle experience. We were impressed by how much faith its creators placed in potential trampers, considering it required numerous unguided river and stream crossings, and some of the slopes were incredibly steep and not well cut. The foliage was, of course, gorgeous. I won't waste words describing it because we have pictures, and I'm lazy. Pictures. Look at them.


After about two very long hours of hiking, we decided we must have taken a wrong turn. The elf was exhausted and in low spirits, most likely from slipping and falling half a dozen times, squashing the lunch in her pack. The dwarf tried to be sympathetic, and ultimately took the pack (mostly to spare the food), but it was no use. The elf was simply not as wood-hardy as the dwarf, who seemed to have endless stamina amidst the muddy track and unmaintained trails. We did mention it was raining, didn't we? No?

It was. Rather earnestly. A bit, at first, which we shrugged off as a passing shower. As the hike went on, however, it started coming down through the canopy overhead, and all the water that was accumulating on the ferns brushed off on Kili (who was in the lead, obviously), soaking the poor dwarf's leggings.

On the plus side, we found an incredible river, which we proposed to revisit the following day in cosplay, and Kili enjoyed confusing the birds with vocal imitations.

In the end, we reached the Visitor Center, mere minutes before they were closing, some three-and-a-half hours after we'd begun our "two-hour" hike. Anyway, Ngario Trail, 9.5/10. Definitely recommend. (Just don't wear fabric of any kind - the burrs will eat you alive.)

The vast majority of our energy exhausted, we decided to forego any further trails for the day and began our descent back down Egmont Road.

Tent was set up. Food of a very cold nature was eaten. Silly New Zealand doesn't seem to appreciate Kili's need for fire. Harrumph.

 Day 3:  

Sleep was much easier for the elf and dwarf, as a second sleeping bag had been secured the previous day. Given both slept past the “I See Fire” wake-up alarm, we’re assuming it was good rest, or dead bodies. After some cold cereal, Kili complained about our tent neighbors being orcs from our homeland, and wishing more than anything that they would be on their way already, and we proceeded with our cosplay plans.

We - more like Kili - were determined to capture photos of our recently favorited find on the Ngario Trail. A river we currently don’t know the name of… but beautiful nonetheless!

Lunch packed, and gear accounted for, we made the twenty-minute hike to the incredible, treacherous, slippery river crossing we encountered before - this time Kili carrying the pack.

The company did their best to document the magnificent surrounding area, even going as far as trying out their new selfie stick. Some shots were a success, others not so much, only the chosen ones will be revealed!

I, Tauriel, find the videos much more fulfilling in documenting our travels.

It was a great start for an enjoyable Easter Sunday. Short morning hike, getting to enjoy a beautiful river on a trail near our campsite. The setting being peacefully serene, minus the spider I found later in Kili’s hair… There’s just something very relaxing listening to the flow of the river, and the light sprinkle of rain.

Before we knew it though, our day was half gone, so it was time to pack up camp and leave Egmont National Park in hopes of seeing some other sights close in our region. We were indecisive, though we had the rental car and could pretty much have seen other parts of the Taranaki region other than New Plymouth, we had realized we had been fortunate in securing a vehicle. Our very own 1997 Nissan Cefiro Wagon. So staying close to the city was a bit essential.

Kili decided the museum would be fun to explore! Though we earned some stares and comments (you would think these men had never seen an elf and dwarf before), we saw some interesting culture exhibits on the Maori, as well as an interesting documentary before they were closing.

A coastal walk, visit to the Te Rewa Rewa bridge, and three circles on foot in town, we found a place to eat and parked our car near the coast with a bunch of other campers. The sight of stars with the noise of the waves crashing in the background welcomed us to sleep.

Day 4:

This is the day Kili and Tauriel picked up their BRAND NEW CAR! =D 1997 Nissan Cefiro wagon. Tentatively named Shadowfax (because if we named it Hedwig, Tauri feared it may one day meet the same fate as a certain Prius her friend owned).

Kili had concerns that it would die on us, but so far, Shadowfax has held up very well during the 400+ km we traveled from New Plymouth to our accommodations in Lower Hutt. But before returning, we drove to Dawson Falls and hiked the short trail to see the waterfall there. Not nearly as impressive as the Milford Sound falls, but it was lovely to see. We got to enjoy the Taranaki area a bit more - the surroundings and forest area in general were gorgeous and serene. Probably would have camped there longer if we had a cook stove, and some other needed supplies, but alas, Kili had school to return to - and Tauriel, work.

Our adventure wasn't over yet, though I think both the elf and dwarf refused to see it as an end, even during the five hour drive back. We stopped at a couple of small parks, both having a variety of flowers and little gardens for viewing. The most remembered stop was a cute strawberry farm and cafe. Our sandwich had been the most delicious of all sandwiches! At least since firehouse subs at DragonCon (Tauriel's favorite). Garlic incorporated into the bread, and a tasty combination of chicken, lettuce, tomato, swiss, and sauces.

Driving on the opposite side of the road, I'm not sure quite how Kili was handling it, but I believe she did rather well. It appeared to be natural for her, even as we twisted around a crazy windy road that I confused her on to near the evening. It's honestly strange the path phone navigation sets out for you, but in the end, we saw a magnificent view before dusk.