Driving on the left to Hobbiton

Happy birthday, Sam! Congratulations on being a teenager!

Thanks so much for the comments - it really helps me to feel connected! (Oh, and my camera is a Sony H2 - I'm really glad I got it before this trip!)

This morning started early, but that was okay because we were both asleep by 7 last night! We woke up at 5 AM to catch a bus back to the airport to get our campervan. After killing some time at the airport while waiting for the RV place to open, we finally managed to get our campervan and head on our way.

Here's our home for the next two weeks - inside pictures coming soon! It's big enough for everything but our luggage, but we'll figure something out!



Of course, here's where the real fun started. Driving on the "wrong" side of the road was not easy to get used to! Driving straight is easy - you just stay in your lane - in spite of having a minor reaction every time I saw someone driving towards me in the right lane (they're coming right at me!), I was able to get comfortable with this pretty quickly. What's more challenging is the turning and the roundabouts. I never really knew how much of driving is just instinct before today, when every instinct I have was wrong. Look left-right-left? Not unless you want to get hit and die. Roundabouts were a mindbender - yield to the right, drive to the left...it just doesn't feel natural. Add in a stick shift and that was our morning! I think I finally managed to get a little more comfortable as the day wore on, but it will be awhile before I don't have to consciously consider every decision while driving. One interesting thing about NZ is that we have seen a lot of signs encouraging us to slow down, drive safely, not drink and drive, and even take "power-naps" should we get tired. Very helpful! :)

After getting the van, Rebecca and I went to the grocery store to pick up provisions. Then we headed for Hobbiton, also known as Matamata, which is where the Alexander farm stood in for the Shire for LotR.

The tour was fantastic. Hobbiton is a very recognizable place, both in Middle Eartn and in New Zealand. We drove through a working sheep farm of over 1250 acres to reach the movie set, and the whole way was gorgeous scenery. It rained off and on, but cleared often enough to get some nice pictures. We wandered all over Hobbiton and got to visit Bilbo's hobbit hole, Sam's home, and Bagshot Row.

Here's me in front of the facade of a hobbit hole. Unfortunately, demolition of the set began before they realized they could run tours there, so this is all that's left.



Here is the view from inside Bilbo's place. That tree, and the lake beside it, are why the filmmakers chose this spot - it's just as Tolkien described it.



The guide made us hug the party tree and dance in the party field, and then we went back to town. From there it was on to Waitomo, where we'll go blackwater rafting through glowworm caves tomorrow morning.

The weather has been...challenging. We heard on the radio today that there were 140 km/hour winds and that the rain in Auckland had blow roofs off of houses! We experienced a good bit of rain and some strong winds, but made it through just fine. The biggest challenge was hooking the van up to the site and getting the oven started, but eventually we had a delicious supper of chili and crackers.

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that it's now about 10 PM and we're both just about ready for bed. Waking up early and driving in the rain all day really takes their toll! I did get some really nice pictures today, and I promise to post them in the morning!