Manakau Heads and Awhitu Lighthouse

We were hoping for a good weather as we knew the views from Manukau Heads would be great.  Our destination was an hour and half from Auckland to a site largely unknown and  unvisited even by Aucklanders. As picturesque a countryside as you will find anywhere with signs and the feel of spring in the air.  A most pleasant day!

Manakau Heads is the narrow channel leading into Manakau harbor. Strong rip tides channel vast volumes of water though here  twice daily.We are looking west from the light house..

Gary is pointing east towards Auckland which we could see clearly from here.

This is looking out from Awhitu Regional Park  onto  Manukau harbour.

Hobbiton the movie set

Perhaps the site achieving the most acclaim was made famous by the movie the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  We   knew we had to visit it, if only for our grandchildren's sake.

There were 45 of these in ground houses, called Hobbit holes

A number of the Hobbit holes had gardens, all maintained and cared for.

The occupation of the Hobbit could be discerned by carefully examining the surroundings

Originally they were built for the movie set, but later were constructed from natural materials to last for years.

All with the exception of one was built into the hills each spread over 15 acres.

No detail was left out. Even the lichen on the posts was added in some places to add authenticity.

They chose the site, not only for the picturesque terrain, but the added features of a little lake and ponds.

In the foreground is a chimney seemingly coming out of the ground,  in fact there are several in the background as well

Some were built to various size to accommodate filming requirements.--my attempt to look like a hobbit!

The overall site was beautiful This is an early spring shot on gorgeous day.  We picked a good one.

Even laundry was hung out.  The tree to the left is actually artificial, made from silicone and the leaves all sewed on .

I prize this shot, as it captured the character of the place for me.

Yep, a little window, on the side of a hill, a reminder that there was a home in there.

They spoke of the ales and beer brewed on site in keeping with the Hobbit tradition. 

This is "The Green Dragon" where the local brew and good times were to be had. We settled for the tamer Ginger Beer.

I was rather skeptical about the whole venture given the $75 tour fee, but in the end I was pleased.  The guide provided the background necessary to appreciate the experience.

The shire is located on a 1200 acre sheep farm two hours south of Auckland near a town called Matamata.

At the end of the tour we sat down and had a pint of  the tame stuff.

Gandalf  in a life size rendition