Travel story · 20 Oct 2026
Two days: Hobbiton and Rotorua
How two days from Auckland to the Shire and the geothermal valleys of Rotorua can go.
A round green door in a grassy hillside at Hobbiton 
Mist over the orange-rimmed Champagne Pool at Wai-O-Tapu under a bright sky 
Giant redwoods and tree ferns on a forest trail at Rotorua 
The stone bridge and Mill beyond the water at Hobbiton under a blue sky 
Rotorua Museum's Tudor-style building behind spring flowers in the Government Gardens 
Black swans and ducks on the blue water of Lake Rotorua 
A yellow-door hobbit hole with a picket fence and letterbox at Hobbiton 
A turquoise round hobbit door framed by flowers at Hobbiton
Day one: the Shire
The drive south from Auckland takes about two hours, through the green dairy country of the Waikato. The Hobbiton Movie Set is on a working farm near Matamata. The guided tour takes about two hours: the hobbit holes on the hillside, the gardens, the lake and the Green Dragon Inn.
From Matamata it is about an hour to Rotorua. You can smell the town before you see it: the sulphur comes from the geothermal ground it sits on. A soak in a hot pool is a good end to the day.
Day two: steam and redwoods
In the morning, the geysers and boiling mud of Te Puia, or the coloured pools of Wai-O-Tapu. Then a walk under the tall redwoods and tree ferns of Whakarewarewa Forest.
The drive back to Auckland takes about three hours. With more time, stay a second night and add an evening of Māori culture and a hāngī dinner.
Good to know
- Hobbiton tours are ticketed, and popular times sell out, so it is best booked ahead.
- Bring a warm layer: mornings in the Waikato and Rotorua can be cool, even in summer.
