A Journey Through Middle-earth and the Glow of the Underworld

We woke up feeling much better today after getting a little more sleep. The camper mattress was still terrible, but with an extra pillow for my neck, I managed to get a little more comfortable.

Up bright and early at 5:50 AM, we quickly got ready, secured the campervan for travel, grabbed a quick bite with coffee, and set off to our meeting zone for one of the biggest excursions of our trip—Hobbiton and the Waitomo Caves!

Hobbiton – A Dream Come True

We met our tour guide, Herm, at the Skyline Gondola Car Park, where we had been told in advance we could leave our campervan all day. However, when Herm picked us up, he casually mentioned, “You’re not really supposed to park here, but should be alright.” Oh well—too late now!

From there, it was a one-hour drive to Hobbiton, where we would embark on the official movie set tour and buffet lunch.

I’m not ashamed to admit it—this 6’4″, 40-year-old man shed a few tears as we entered the grounds. As soon as the iconic music started playing on the short bus ride from the terminal to the actual set, I could feel the emotions welling up. To top it off, a video message from Peter Jackson himself played, thanking us for visiting.

We spent an hour or two walking through Hobbiton, taking in the incredible level of detail put into every hobbit hole, every garden, and every tiny piece of set design. Bag End stood proudly at the top of the hill, and while we couldn’t go inside (since it’s just a façade), we did get to explore two fully realized Hobbit homes further down, and WOW—the craftsmanship inside was astounding.

At one point, our guide started testing our Lord of the Rings knowledge, pointing at a Hobbit hole and asking, “Who lives here?” Without hesitation, I proudly yelled out, “Samwise Gamgee!” The guide grinned, nodding in approval.

When the guide asked if anyone had read The Silmarillion, I was one of only five people in a group of fifty to raise my hand—fellow Tolkien nerds, unite!

The tour ended at the Green Dragon Inn, where we enjoyed a pint on the house, before heading into a large tent for a Hobbit-style lunch buffet. The food was delicious, and the entire experience was beyond magical—a true highlight of the trip.

The Journey to the Waitomo Caves

After Hobbiton, we were handed off to another guide named Pete for the next leg of our adventure. It was another one-hour drive, but Pete was a fantastic storyteller, making the journey even more enjoyable.

He even made a few unexpected stops along the way, including:

• New Zealand’s oldest dam, where we walked across a suspension bridge high above it. Sarah, however, stayed firmly on solid ground.
• A fascinating retelling of the real story of Moana—much darker than the Disney version. While Pete loved that the movie brought Polynesian culture into the spotlight, he explained how Maui’s character was much more complex and dark in the original legends, as is often the case with Disney movies.

Once we arrived at Waitomo, we stopped briefly at the gift shop (where everything was insanely expensive), received a code for professional photos, and were told we’d be handed off to yet another driver named Dirk, as Herm was having car troubles. Dirk, however, was only responsible for part of the return journey—our final driver would be arranged later.

The Enchantment of the Waitomo Caves

This was, without a doubt, one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life.

We descended into the caves, following a winding path into the darkness. Photography and filming weren’t allowed, but honestly, it wouldn’t have done justice to what we saw.

Deep in the cave, we boarded a silent boat and drifted beneath a vast cavern ceiling lit up like the night sky. Thousands of bioluminescent glow worms twinkled above us, creating the illusion of an endless galaxy underground. The pure silence, the soft glowing light, and the sense of complete awe—it was an experience I will never forget.

As we exited the cave, we took one last photo of the entrance, decided to purchase the digital green screen photos as a souvenir, and then met our final mystery driver (whose name I can’t remember) for the long 2.5-hour drive back to Rotorua.

Winding Down the Day

Once back at our camper, we made a quick stop at McDonald’s for a late supper (it was already 6:30 PM). Then, we returned to our campsite, where we:

• Did laundry
• Relaxed in the hot springs one last time
• Finished watching Armageddon with Xander

By the time we hit the hay, we were completely exhausted—but what an incredible day it had been.

Hobbiton might be behind us, but our adventures in Middle Earth were far from over!

As always, you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. Embrace the adventure, cherish the memories, and I’ll catch you tomorrow for day 6!

#NewZealandAdventure #LordOfTheRings #DreamTrip #Travel #40thBirthday #MiddleEarth #BucketList #AdventureAwaits

-Rob ❤️