Matamata farm owner creates hobbit-hole toilet

By AINSLEY THOMSON

Matamata's booming Frodo economy has a new tourist attraction - a humble toilet.

Ever since Peter Jackson chose Matamata's lush rolling hills to film the hobbit scenes for The Lord of the Rings, the area has become a tourist mecca.

Last year saw the opening of Hobbiton movie set tours on the farm where the scenes were shot.

This year it is the toilet.

You see, this is a toilet like none other - it's a hobbit-hole toilet complete with grass roof and round windows and doors.

Now Rings fans making the pilgrimage to Hobbiton will be able to relieve themselves in true hobbit style.

Russell Alexander, whose family own the 500ha farm which is now known the world over as Hobbiton, said that in light of the success of the movie set tours - 13,000 people have paid the $50 fee - the decision was made to expand.

After doing some research Mr Alexander, who has an accountancy firm in Matamata, came to the conclusion that good toilets are imperative to the success of a tourist venture.

He decided to enhance the visitors' Middle-earth experience and designed the hobbit-hole toilets.

Inside, they look like any other, with a few added "rustic" charms such as a hay-rake chandelier.

Another addition to Hobbiton is the Shire's Rest, an entertainment room handily located next to the hobbit-hole toilets.

The busloads of tourists, the majority of whom are from overseas, will now be able to enjoy a true Kiwi barbecue.

The Alexanders wanted the farm experience to be authentic, so the Shire's Rest has been built inside an old corrugated iron woolshed.

Mr Alexander said that since Hobbiton opened to the public last December, it had had huge international exposure.

An average of two overseas television crews visit each week, and the farm recently featured in the Los Angeles Times.

Many of the visitors are devoted Lord of the Rings fans who have travelled around the world for the experience of seeing Hobbiton.

And the term "Frodo economy" is catching on.

An American IT expert has created a website called frodoeconomy.com because he believes NZ is the next Silicon Valley.

What he describes as a wave, like the dotcom wave, is hitting New Zealand and it is all because of Peter Jackson.

"I think there is something brewing down there and I've started this site, a blog really to document what I find as I look into what New Zealand has to offer."

Back in Hobbiton, Mr Alexander is dealing with requests for weddings and even for someone's ashes to be scattered in the idyllic setting.

The toilets and the Shire's Rest will have their first visitors today.