Secret over as Bilbo's doors open

By ELIZABETH BINNING

Russell Alexander reckons he has had hundreds - even thousands - of people knocking on the door of his Matamata farm, asking to see Hobbiton.

Now he can oblige.

It has been four years since Peter Jackson's film company came knocking at his door, during the middle of a televised Ranfurly shield rugby match, asking if they could film the hobbit scenes for Lord of the Rings.

From Monday he will run tours around what is left of the sets. Much of them were dismantled after filming of the hobbits - little furry creatures who live in idyllic, rural shires.

"Secrecy was a big part of the mystique of the Lord of the Rings," Mr Alexander told the Holmes show.

But visitors can still see the remaining Hobbit holes, including the most famous - Bag End, the home of Bilbo Baggins - as well as the place where the market scenes for the first part of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, were shot.

The rolling farmland, between Matamata and Karapiro, was chosen because it had no visible roads, power lines or houses.

A lake existed on the farm but some of the land was swampy and had to be drained and cleared. Truckloads of soil were brought in to create the gently rolling hills of Hobbiton and a field overlooking the lake was reploughed to appear like hobbit-farmed land.

When the set, which featured hobbit holes, a pond, stream and Party Tree, was completed it was left for a year so the small village had time to mature and the gardens to grow. Filming, with a 120-strong crew, began in 1999.

The site is expected to become a major tourist attraction, attracting visitors from around the world. Until now the owners of the farm have been unable to profit from the set remains by offering tours.

A "Welcome to Hobbiton" sign in the centre of Matamata has been the only sign of the town's link to the films.

The backer of Lord of the Rings, New Line Cinema, was initially reluctant to have Middle Earth linked with New Zealand in case it destroyed the films' mystery.

But after visiting New Zealand, New Line staff realised it was "a magical place" and the association would enhance the movie.

The tours are expected to begin on Monday, with adults paying $50 for their Hobbiton experience.

Herald feature: Lord of the Rings