Hobbit’s and Lord of the Ring’s fans are being offered an exciting opportunity to visit the New Zealand setting for Middle Earth, and to enjoy a feast in true hobbit style! Crystal Cruises have arranged for passengers to take an exclusive sneak peak at the tiny village near the town on Matamata on New Zealand's North Island, where costumed characters will attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the blockbuster film.
The private after hour's tour will take in many of the familiar settings of the film, including the Green Dragon Inn, where guests can enjoy a traditional Kiwi style BBQ and sample some of the local beers and wines. Visitors can also explore the grassy knolls and tiny houses of Middle Earth stopping at destinations such as Bag End or the famous Brandywine Bridge and enjoy a guided journey explaining how the movies were filmed and how the sets were built. Crystal Cruises vice president of sales and marketing, Phillip Ordever stressed that the tour presented an opportunity for movie buffs and fantasy fiction fans to visit a place that most travelers could only dream of.
The experience will be further enhanced by characters in authentic Lord of the Rings costumes who will serve food and drink and interact with visitors on the tour. The guided tour itself lasts approximately 2 hours, after which guests will be served dinner in the newly opened Green Dragon Inn.
The Hobbit tour can be experienced on a selection of cruises from Crystal, which also take in several other popular New Zealand locations. Among the destinations included are the cities of Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington and the breathtaking beauty of the fiords of Doubtful, Milford and Dusky Sounds. The cruises will also make a stop at Sydney, Australia. The Hobbit excursion costs an additional $265 per person.