Hobbiton Is Here to Stay
?In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. And you could pay $30 to enter this hole, and take pictures. From Stuff.co.nz:
It was also announced today that [the]Hobbiton [set]on the outskirts of
Matamata, will remain as a permanent visitor attraction after filming is
completed.The set will include 44 Hobbit holes, a stone bridge, and a local hostelry called The Green Dragon.
The attraction will be run by Shire Tours.
God that’s a good idea. I mean, plenty of nerds were already traveling to New Zealand just to see the country where the Lord of the Rings films were made; keeping Hobbiton intact and maintained as a tourist destination will ensure that keeps up for a decade at least, I bet. And it gives nerd pilgrims something awesome and concrete to see, instead of just wandering the New Zealand landscape, trying to squint and figure out where Boromir bought it. Nerds are made happy. New Zealand gets tourism money. Everybody wins! (Via Blastr)