New Zealand Hobbiton attraction years in the making finally opens

One of New Zealand’s most popular tourist attractions is about to get even more popular.

More than two decades in the making, one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist attractions is about to get even more popular.

The Hobbiton Movie Set in the country’s Waikato region has long been home to the famous Hobbit holes seen in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, attracting visitors from all over the world.

But the Hobbit holes in Hobbiton have always just been an external facade, with interior shots for the films done in a studio – until now.

“You’d open the door and realise there’s nothing on the inside, up until now,” Hobbiton Movie Set general manager of tourism Shayne Forrest told news.com.au.

“We’ve had a few tears in the past when they realise Hobbiton is not a real place and just a movie set. So now we’re excited to really bring it to life, and they can actually step inside a Hobbit hole.”

Two Hobbit holes have been constructed for tourists to walk inside and explore from Friday, December 1.

Guests will be able to enter a Hobbit hole at the Hobbiton Movie Set in New Zealand for the first time on Friday. Picture: Hobbiton Movie Set

While the idea had been “thrown around” since 2002 when tours at the set first began, illustrator and concept designer John Howe, best-known for his artwork of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, was approached to do the first concept drawing in 2014.

“It’s been simmering away in the background ever since,” Mr Forrest said.

“A couple of years ago we decided the time is finally right to do it and put the Hobbit hole interiors in place, and go to the next level.”

Construction then started in March this year.

The project was years in the making. Picture: Hobbiton Movie Set

Mr Forrest said the project had been like a “Middle-earth reunion” as it had been created, designed and built by a lot of the same people who worked on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie sets.

Even director, writer and producer Sir Peter Jackson, and screenwriter and producer Fran Walsh, who are co-owners in the Hobbiton Movie Set business, had input.

The Hobbit holes are built at 83 per cent scale. Picture: Hobbiton Movie Set

The company started taking bookings for the attraction in December last year and Mr Forrest said bookings were “strong” throughout summer.

“We know there has been people emailing the office. We’ve been inundated with inquiries early on asking about the Hobbit holes because people have been planning their trip to New Zealand around making sure they can do the interior Hobbit holes as part of the Hobbiton experience,” he said.

He believes “the sheer amount of detail” is going to surprise visitors, with “Easter eggs” hidden throughout to delight even the most serious fans.

There are ‘Easter eggs’ hidden around for the most serious fans to enjoy. Picture: Hobbiton Movie Set

One important thing visitors need to know is if they are not the size of a Hobbit, they will still be able to fit in the Hobbit hole as it is 83 per cent “human scale”.

“The scale we settled on, it took a long time. We built prototypes of the Hobbit hole down the back of the farm so we could test out scales and sizes and make sure it was big enough to fit groups in there comfortably,” Mr Forrest said.

“It’s not the size of a Hobbit around 3’6” to 3’7”. If we had that it would be quite small and claustrophobic.

“We still want visitors to feel like they’re visiting someone else’s home who does belong to a different world so that 83 per cent scale still feels intimate and cosy, but still allows people to look around.”

He warned: “People will need to duck their heads as they move through the tunnels to make sure they’re not banging their heads like Gandalf did at Bag End.”

The Hobbit holes are the biggest development at the Hobbiton Movie Set since The Green Dragon Inn opened in 2012.

The interior of the Inn was fully reconstructed to appear as it did in the films.