The famous Hobbiton Movie Set has a copycat - a new 'wombat burrow' located in Somerset seems to mimic some qualities Bilbo's iconic underground home. Photo / 123rf
The famous Hobbiton Movie Set has a copycat - a new 'wombat burrow' located in Somerset seems to mimic some qualities Bilbo's iconic underground home. Photo / 123rf
It’s one of New Zealand’s best visited attractions but the Waikato Hobbit-holes have unearthed some competition.
The cosy nooks of the Hobbiton Movie Set draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to Matamata every year, as travellers (and keen Tolkien fans) look to wander through the immersive landscape of ‘the Shire’.
Hobbiton is perhaps best recognisable by its little Hobbit houses, burrowed into the grassy knolls of the farm. The circular doors and windows and idyllic gardens combed with wildflowers make up the background of many a tourist photo. The Shire has also been praised as a hidden travel gem and utilised to host mythical seasonal events.
However, the famous Hobbit holes now have a doppelganger, located all the way on the other side of the world.
Design images reveal the similarities between this Somerset B&B and the homes in the Shire. Photo / Supplied
This Wombat Burrow is set to welcome visitors to an underground stay in the Mendip Hills in Somerset. It bears a striking resemblance to the residence of Bilbo Baggins, with its circular entranceway and grassy exterior – it’s just a little smaller.
The design imagery showcases a shrunken entryway and tunnelled rooms, with a strong wombat theme making up the interior design of the accommodation – including an Australian-shaped clock, wallpaper featuring an image of Uluṟu and paw-shaped rugs and floor markings.
The underground houses is full of distinctive, animal-centric imagery. Photo / Supplied
One distinct touch noted by the hosts is the “cube-shaped loo, as a playful nod to wombats being the only species in the world which produce square-shaped poo.”
Even more confusingly, the space is also covered in pop art portraits of meerkats. Animals that are not endemic to Australia nor New Zealand.
The theme carries through to the B&B bathroom. Photo / Supplied
Visitors to the hillside B&B - or B&Burrow - will be welcomed by Compare the Market, an insurance company. Through a competition, Compare the Market is looking to host British holidaymakers who admit to making a travel blunder.
Perhaps explaining the striking wombat and meerkat imagery of the holiday home is the insurance company’s slogan; ‘Don’t Wombat It, Meerkat It.’ The company explains that their character ‘Carl’ usually lives in the home, and the competition winners will be loaning it from the wombat.
It’s not the first time that an underground burrow has welcomed travellers for a visit. Last year, Airbnb offered up the chance for a few fans to stay in Hobbiton and visit major locations like the Hobbit Holes, The Millhouse, as well as enjoy a full banquet in The Green Dragon Inn.
