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Sign in with FacebookLatest Matamata hotel reviews
Pro
Only 2 hours from Auckland and 45 mins from the coast.
Con
On a rainy day, can't escape from sheep excrement on your feet
In a nutshell
One Ring to Rule Them All
Hobbiton Movie Set and Farm Tours.
kiwi Says: This is one of those places that unless you have a real interest in the movies/Tolkien/LordoftheRings, you could have been unimpressed with the tour in the past but the new revamped movie set should be of interest to most. You do get onto a real working New Zealand farm, as...
kiwi Says: Over the summer months there are various activities at the airfield. We get interesting aircraft visit as well, similar to this Catalina flying boat which some of the skydivers got to jump from!Resident at the airfield are occasional skydivers, power pilots, glider pilots,...
MFAMILY Says: Get to know in loco LOTRs Shire and Hobbiton. Hobbit holes walls skeletons are still there. A guide will thoroughly explain everything that went through since the location was found from the air. He will tell you in detail and exactly where some scenes were filmed, how many...
saraheg77 Says: Tours of the Hobbiton movie set depart at 9.30am, 10.45am, 12pm, 1.15pm, 2.30pm and 3.45pm each day. You can book ahead or when you get there - we just booked when we got there, but were not there in peak season.Tours cost:Adults NZ$50.00 Children 10-14 NZ$25.00 The tour...
ATXtraveler Says: For those of you that are familiar with Hobbiton, then you will surely recognize this tree, which was known as the Party Tree in the movies.The movie set is no longer here, but you can visit the Hobbit holes, and also see where the movie was filmed and how some of the...
ATXtraveler Says: During the trip to Matamata, Sarah and I took the tour to see where the Lord of Rings "Hobbiton" portion of the movie was filmed. Although the actual sets are no longer there, we both felt the tour was worth the money.It is a quite expensive tour at about $50NZD each, we did...
Rodan44 Says: On a private sheep farm just outside the town of Matamata are the remains of the orginial Hobbiton village set from the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. It is the only LOTR set remaining in New Zealand, as all others were destroyed immediately after filming completed. In...
kiwi Says: Delightful country museum in lovely garden settings, attractive to both adults and children. $5 adults, $1 children, Seniors $3.A European Pioneer, Josiah Firth, built the tower in anticipation of war with the Maoris. However it never really saw action, but is one of the few...
rozehill Says: This is one of the door ways to the information centre in the town of Matamata. It is a "look alike" of one of the HOBBIT HOLES
1 Review and 35 Opinions This is the BEST hotel I've ever visited! (And I travel a lot!) The rooms were impeccably clean,...
31 Opinions
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The food is fresh, light, wonderful, pleasant, enjoyable, I just love it!!!!
This is my all time favourite place to eat. I've been eating here on a regular basis for 20years. I just keep coming back.
Workmans has evolved over the years and at this point in 2013 these are opening hours:
Wed to Sunday - from 9am for Brunch
Tues to Sunday - from 9am to late for Brunch/Lunch/Tapas/Dinner
Feb 2013 also saw the opening of the new Tapas Bar, very vibrant and fun.
Favorite Dish: My alltime favourite item is the Vege fritters, the are "to die for". Not sounding really anything special, but just come to Matamata and try them, then you will know. These days offered as a starter, with the evening meal.
The pork from the menu, pictured, was mouthwatering. This is served with vegetables or salad on a side dish.
Updated Apr 14, 2013
Address: 52 Broadway, Matamata.
Phone: 07 - 888 5498
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Sarah and I ventured out on our trip to enjoy Matamata by renting a vehicle from Europcar in Auckland's CBD. It ended up saving us quite a bit of money not to rent from the airport location, because it was 10-15 NZD per day less than what we had quoted over the internet.
We drove all around Waikato, which was a truly beautiful drive, and was the best transportation option from Auckland. When we entered Matamata, we realized that there would not have been any other option to make it down here to Matamata any easier.
We ended up paying 135 NZD for 4 days rental, including unlimited mileage. Our vehicle was a Peugeot, and it ran nicely... with plenty of room for the two of us.
If you would like to rent from the location in Auckland that we used for your trip, go to the website and use:
Location Code: AKLC01
Written Aug 2, 2005
Phone: +64 (9) 3795080
Website: http://www.europcar.com
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New World is a chain of supermarkets and is the main supermarket in Matamata.
I always enjoy to look in these shops when I go to a country. You get a gauge of life and it is always interesting.
Open 7 days a week, 8am - 8 pm.
What to buy: Apart from the need to buy food and supplies even while travelling, I like to buy small items that we don't get at home. And even common items such as shampoo, in a different language are fun to have in the bathroom at home!
What to pay: Local prices.
Updated Sep 27, 2005
Address: Waharoa Street East, Matamata.
Phone: 64-7-888 7703
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Walking up to the Wairere Falls can be quite hazardous if there has been a lot of rain in the preceding days. This means the day you are there can be sunny and warm, but remember the water in the rivers is still flowing following the rain. Sometimes the track can be washed out.
Updated Jul 13, 2003
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If you do want to see Hobbiton, there´s a place in town you can go to get infromation, books, postcards and so on about The Lord of the Rings. It is easy to find, but I´ll try to find the address sometime soon, just to make it easier. I have all the digital photos with me, but 4GB of photos will fit only on a DVD-ROM and I can´t find a DVD drive. SOOOOOOOOOON!
Fun Alternatives: Can't tell ya... there are those so die-hard LOTR fans that nothing will stop them. Go to Rotorua instead... actually Matamata is a neat town, so spend some time there.
Written Jan 18, 2005
kiwi Says: For a short walk in the bush, going up to see the Wairere Falls is a pleasant experience.You can be up to the base of the falls and back to town in 1.5hrs easily.From the roundabout at the Eastern end of Broadway, take Tower Road. Follow that out passed the Tower Museum, and...
rozehill Says: Coming into Matamata from the direction of Tauranga by road you pass the Kaimai Ranges and you can view the plains from this lookout.
rozehill Says: Just a few kms out from Matamata is a wee village called Tirau and the Information Centre there is in the form of a huge tin dog.
kiwi Says: There are three outdoor public mineral pools, temperatures ranging from 27deg C - 40deg C. Also a private bushclad mineral outdoor pool and private indoor spa baths which can be hired.Swimming lengths all year round, or simply soaking in the hotter mineral pools for healthy...
kiwi Says: Wonderful complex where you can swim, including a heated winter pool, Squash club and personal Gym. Squash courts, gym equipment, various pools.
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Favorite thing: One of the major reasons you would be going to Matamata these days would be to visit the set of Hobbiton from the movies "Lord of the Rings". The place you want to start your trip is at the town information center, which has been turned into a shrine for all things Hobbit.
The information center is covered in a hobbit like building, and is very colorful in comparison to the other regions!
It is located at 45 Broadway in Matamata.
Written Aug 2, 2005
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My local town of Matamata. This region is reknown for its rich green pastures and lovely green hues. It is here, where the most efficient conversion is performed of grass to milk!! The cows never have...
Matamata was a small sleepy Waikato Region town until the Lord of the Rings livened it up by introducing Hobbiton. Now it is a common stop on the path from Auckland to Rotorua. Have a safe trip
In a sheep farm just outside the sleepy town of Matamata, we visited the remains of the Hobbiton movie set from the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. See my tip for more information on this...
Matamata - Home of the Hobbits!
When I heard about Hobbiton, I had to go, so Mark put it on our itinerary! I was really glad we went - as you can see, it was a lovely place!
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Comments (1)
The Information office is being rebuilt right now, and will re-emerge as a Hobbit House, should be very impressive.
I just saw photos of sheep inhabiting the hobbit holes the other day...
When they filmed the Hobbit last year, the entire Hobbiton village was rebuilt and is permanent now, the sheep don't get in the hobbit holes now :-) It's way more impressive now.