G'Day

[Cliff Face]

Nice.

*packs bags for NZ*

[fredXgeorge]

Originally Posted by SkyeOhWhy

Yep, Hobbiton was AMAZING! Definitely the highlight of the trip for me. My dad used to read The Hobbit and LOTR to me as bedtime stories when I was a kid, so it felt a bit magical to actually take a stroll through Hobbiton. You can walk right up to the hobbit holes to take your photos -- eg. https://twitter.com/SkyeOhWhy/status...775040/photo/1

Our tour guide had worked behind the scenes on the LOTR movies, so he pointed out interesting spots as we passed through (eg. a tree that was made of fibreglass, how they painted a garden fence to make it look old, different sized hobbit holes to portray the size of different actors...) And we finished the tour with a drink in the Green Dragon!

Omg that sounds so amazing, I love LOTR and The Hobbit so much, almost as much as HP. They're my dad's favourites too. The link didn't work but I found the photo on your Twitter. I can't wait to go! Even though it'll be over a year away lol.

Originally Posted by Cliff Face

Nice.

*packs bags for NZ*

Heh pretty much

[ChrisElfy]

Hobbiton was really cool. I especially liked the stories that the guide told about the problems they have with the sheep on the farm around it getting into the village and causing havoc. It really does look like if you were hobbit sized you could live there. Something fictional made very real.

[Racey]

I did the LOTR tour in Queenstown a few years ago (after they'd just finished shooting) it was really good, you get to see lots of scenery from the movie, including the river that Arwen crosses (and floods) in fellowship, the cliff that Aragorn falls off in two towers and..ah heaps of other stuff! And we even got to hold replicas of the swords and armour.

I'd love to do the Hobbiton tour though One day!

[ChrisElfy]

Yeah, when we go back to NZ, we will do so, too much unseen not to, we'll do Hobbiton again. If anyone is going there don't miss the glow worm caves in Waitomo, those are incredible.

[SkyeOhWhy]

Originally Posted by ChrisElfy

If anyone is going there don't miss the glow worm caves in Waitomo, those are incredible.

Oh yeah, amazing stuff! My sister went black water rafting through the caves, but I chickened out and did a walking tour.

[ChrisElfy]

Originally Posted by SkyeOhWhy

Oh yeah, amazing stuff! My sister went black water rafting through the caves, but I chickened out and did a walking tour.

Oh, I did tubing there years ago. My main fear was having a weta land on me. Down other end rafting in Queenstown is a blast.

[cooeedownunder]

I'm jealous, never been to NZ, but is an aim in the next few years.

[Hilary]

Been black water rafting at Waitomo - and loved it! Jumping backwards over waterfalls in the pitch dark while clutching a rubber ring, then cruising through huge caverns looking up at what appears to be the night sky, but is in fact zillions of glow worms. Definitely a blast!

[SkyeOhWhy]

It's funny; I did plenty of other adventure activities during my NZ trip (bungy swing, zorbing, jet boat ride, parasailing, white water rafting etc.), but I just couldn't bring myself to do the black water rafting.

I have a weird phobia about drowning in enclosed spaces. Perhaps I was traumatised by Titanic as a kid.

[ChrisElfy]

Originally Posted by SkyeOhWhy

It's funny; I did plenty of other adventure activities during my NZ trip (bungy swing, zorbing, jet boat ride, parasailing, white water rafting etc.), but I just couldn't bring myself to do the black water rafting.

I have a weird phobia about drowning in enclosed spaces. Perhaps I was traumatised by Titanic as a kid.

When I did the tubing I went with a friend. She couldn't bring herself to fall backwards off the platform, so the guide had to walk her down on the steps there. She also put her hands out briefly slow herself when we slid down this iron slide down another waterfall, this cut one of her hands open. It didn't need stitches, but it was still a nasty cut. I thought I'd be the one this may happen to, but it didn't. I did enjoy the more gentle tour I did through the glow worm caves this time, though.

[amaikaorii]

Hello! NZer here now living in Adelaide.

As for all the talk about The Hobbit - one of the boys from the school I was teaching at did a lot of the visual effects for the film. He came back to talk to my media studies class about how it all works and showed us an amazing short film he was working on. It was pretty inspiring stuff!

[fredXgeorge]

Originally Posted by ChrisElfy

When I did the tubing I went with a friend. She couldn't bring herself to fall backwards off the platform, so the guide had to walk her down on the steps there. She also put her hands out briefly slow herself when we slid down this iron slide down another waterfall, this cut one of her hands open. It didn't need stitches, but it was still a nasty cut. I thought I'd be the one this may happen to, but it didn't. I did enjoy the more gentle tour I did through the glow worm caves this time, though.

Eesh. I wouldn't be able to do any of that adventure and extreme sports stuff. I know it's, like, what New Zealand about, but no freaking way lol.

[Hilary]

Since posting about the glow worm caves and black water rafting I have been challenged to do the Black Odyssey at Waitomo, which is dry caving and includes rope walks and heights. Way out of my comfort zone, and wondering how to wiggle my way out without losing face!

[SkyeOhWhy]

Originally Posted by Hilary

Since posting about the glow worm caves and black water rafting I have been challenged to do the Black Odyssey at Waitomo, which is dry caving and includes rope walks and heights. Way out of my comfort zone, and wondering how to wiggle my way out without losing face!

We passed some people doing Black Odyssey during our walking tour of the caves. It looked pretty challenging! I was happy to keep my feet on the ground.