5 OCTOBER 2018 : AUCKLAND, MATAMATA & ROTORUA, NZ

HJ ZULHEIMY MAAMOR

3 MAY 2024

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Is a major city in the north of New Zealand's North Island. Some of the best things in Auckland highlight its vibrant Maori community, waterfront seafood restaurants and bars, as well as a dazzling skyline.

5 OCTOBER 2018 - MATAMATA, NEW ZEALAND

At 7 am, the group checked out of the motel to continue the journey to Matamata, which is approximately 161 km from Auckland. The journey takes 1 hour and 54 minutes.

Matamata is a town located in Waikato, Northern New Zealand, near the Kaimai Range. It is a thriving agricultural area and also a famous horse breeding training ground. Matamata is part of the Matamata-Piako District.

Matamata means "headland". This was a name of a new pa established in 1830 by Te Waharoa, the famous Ngati Haua chief, on a ridge of high ground projecting into the swampy valley of the Waitoa River near Dunlop Road, a few kilometres north-west of present day Waharoa.

This is the filming location of the movie Hobbiton, from The Lord of The Rings. A visit to Matamata would be incompleted without exploring the Hobbiton Movie Set. This enchanting location, just a short drive from the town center, is where you can immerse yourself in the real Middle-earth.

HOBBITON MOVIE SET

Hobbiton Movie Set, a location used for filming The Lord of The Rings movies and The Hobbit series, is located on a family farm about 8 km west of Hinuera and 10 km southwest of Matamata.

The New Zealand government has maintained a set of film studios in this area to be used as a tourist attraction.

There are as many as 44 Hobbit houses built in this village.

From the Hobbiton Movie Set, the group was then taken directly to Rotorua, approximately 67 km from Matamata, with a journey time of 52 minutes.

ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND

Rotorua is a city on the South Coast in the Bay of Plenty area of the North Island of New Zealand. It is famous for its geothermal activity and Maori cultural village (the indigenous people of New Zealand). In the Whakarewarewa Te Puia Valley, there are bubbling mud pools and the 30m high Pohutu Geyser which has erupted several times.

ROTORUA GOVERNMENT GARDEN

Rotorua Government Gardens (originally known as Paepaekumanu) are a public park located on Lake Rotorua. They are a major tourist destination in New Zealand.

The area is of historical significance to the local Maori, with battles having been fought there.

The Rotorua Museum (Te Whare Taonga or Te Arawa) is a local museum and art gallery in the Government Gardens near the centre of Rotorua, New Zealand.

It housed the former Bath House building which was opened in 1908 and is noted the first major investment in the New Zealand tourism industry.

BLUE BATH HOUSE

The Blue Bath House us a heritage geothermal baths building in Rotorua. The building is designed in the Spanish Mission style, listed as a Category 1 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand. It was opened in 1886 and stood for over 40 years before being demolished in 1932 when the present building was constructed alongside.

WYLIE MEMORIAL

This monument commemorates Fred W. Wylie, a young soldier from Galatea who fought with the 4th New Zealand Contingent. He is a member of a unit known as the "Rough Riders". He was killed while leading the attack at Klipfontein on 26 May 1901.