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fredXgeorge

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Yep, Hobbiton was AMAZING! Definitely the highlight of the trip for me. My dad used to read The Hobbit and LOTR to me as bedtime stories when I was a kid, so it felt a bit magical to actually take a stroll through Hobbiton. :) You can walk right up to the hobbit holes to take your photos -- eg. https://twitter.com/SkyeOhWhy/status/278659989474775040/photo/1

Our tour guide had worked behind the scenes on the LOTR movies, so he pointed out interesting spots as we passed through (eg. a tree that was made of fibreglass, how they painted a garden fence to make it look old, different sized hobbit holes to portray the size of different actors...) And we finished the tour with a drink in the Green Dragon! :D
Omg that sounds so amazing, I love LOTR and The Hobbit so much, almost as much as HP. They're my dad's favourites too. The link didn't work but I found the photo on your Twitter. I can't wait to go! Even though it'll be over a year away lol.

Nice. :)

*packs bags for NZ*
Heh pretty much
 

ChrisElfy

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Hobbiton was really cool. I especially liked the stories that the guide told about the problems they have with the sheep on the farm around it getting into the village and causing havoc. It really does look like if you were hobbit sized you could live there. Something fictional made very real.
 

Racey

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I did the LOTR tour in Queenstown a few years ago (after they'd just finished shooting) it was really good, you get to see lots of scenery from the movie, including the river that Arwen crosses (and floods) in fellowship, the cliff that Aragorn falls off in two towers and..ah heaps of other stuff! And we even got to hold replicas of the swords and armour.

I'd love to do the Hobbiton tour though :) One day!
 

ChrisElfy

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Yeah, when we go back to NZ, we will do so, too much unseen not to, we'll do Hobbiton again. If anyone is going there don't miss the glow worm caves in Waitomo, those are incredible.
 

ChrisElfy

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Oh yeah, amazing stuff! My sister went black water rafting through the caves, but I chickened out and did a walking tour. :D
Oh, I did tubing there years ago. My main fear was having a weta land on me. Down other end rafting in Queenstown is a blast.
 

Hilary

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Been black water rafting at Waitomo - and loved it! Jumping backwards over waterfalls in the pitch dark while clutching a rubber ring, then cruising through huge caverns looking up at what appears to be the night sky, but is in fact zillions of glow worms. Definitely a blast!
 

SkyeOhWhy

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It's funny; I did plenty of other adventure activities during my NZ trip (bungy swing, zorbing, jet boat ride, parasailing, white water rafting etc.), but I just couldn't bring myself to do the black water rafting.

I have a weird phobia about drowning in enclosed spaces. Perhaps I was traumatised by Titanic as a kid. :D
 

ChrisElfy

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It's funny; I did plenty of other adventure activities during my NZ trip (bungy swing, zorbing, jet boat ride, parasailing, white water rafting etc.), but I just couldn't bring myself to do the black water rafting.

I have a weird phobia about drowning in enclosed spaces. Perhaps I was traumatised by Titanic as a kid. :D
When I did the tubing I went with a friend. She couldn't bring herself to fall backwards off the platform, so the guide had to walk her down on the steps there. She also put her hands out briefly slow herself when we slid down this iron slide down another waterfall, this cut one of her hands open. It didn't need stitches, but it was still a nasty cut. I thought I'd be the one this may happen to, but it didn't. I did enjoy the more gentle tour I did through the glow worm caves this time, though.
 

amaikaorii

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Hello! NZer here now living in Adelaide. :)

As for all the talk about The Hobbit - one of the boys from the school I was teaching at did a lot of the visual effects for the film. He came back to talk to my media studies class about how it all works and showed us an amazing short film he was working on. It was pretty inspiring stuff!
 

fredXgeorge

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When I did the tubing I went with a friend. She couldn't bring herself to fall backwards off the platform, so the guide had to walk her down on the steps there. She also put her hands out briefly slow herself when we slid down this iron slide down another waterfall, this cut one of her hands open. It didn't need stitches, but it was still a nasty cut. I thought I'd be the one this may happen to, but it didn't. I did enjoy the more gentle tour I did through the glow worm caves this time, though.
Eesh. I wouldn't be able to do any of that adventure and extreme sports stuff. I know it's, like, what New Zealand about, but no freaking way lol.
 

Hilary

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Since posting about the glow worm caves and black water rafting I have been challenged to do the Black Odyssey at Waitomo, which is dry caving and includes rope walks and heights. Way out of my comfort zone, and wondering how to wiggle my way out without losing face!
 

SkyeOhWhy

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Since posting about the glow worm caves and black water rafting I have been challenged to do the Black Odyssey at Waitomo, which is dry caving and includes rope walks and heights. Way out of my comfort zone, and wondering how to wiggle my way out without losing face!
We passed some people doing Black Odyssey during our walking tour of the caves. It looked pretty challenging! I was happy to keep my feet on the ground. :)
 

LA*78

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I'm in Brisbane so I'll probably get laughed at for saying it's cold, but Friday was freezing! Today is not so bad, it's blue sky at least. Really wish someone would make socks and thongs a good look... I think I'm going to have to invest in closed-in shoes this year.
 

Caitlin Black

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I've been wearing socks most days down here. My hands and feet have been getting cold, which I'm not used to.

I don't think it's particularly colder than usual; I'm just getting older.

I still prefer this to Summer!
 

LA*78

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It is colder than usual up here. Apparently Friday was the coldest day in over 12 months, and it's only the start of Winter. I don't think all the rain we've had this year has helped.

I'm a big fan of Autumn, but we don't really get much of that anymore. It seems to go from hot to cold then back to hot again with no inbetweens anymore :( Lucky the cold bit doesn't last too long.
 

Racey

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Melbs is very cold, chilly winter nights and mornings but I'm partial to them, after living in London you kind of miss it. It's nice to have come crispness to the air :)

*yes I'm weird*
 

Caitlin Black

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Three pairs of socks?!

Yeah, my feet don't get *that* cold. :tongue

I have an exam tomorrow evening, and that is officially the last thing to do for my semester. I'm hoping it doesn't rain... Getting wet before the exam isn't my idea of fun. (Plus it's open-book, so I can take notes in with me. But wet notes aren't as useful if the ink runs!)

*looks forward to the semester from hell finally being over*
 

SkyeOhWhy

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... after living in London you kind of miss it.

Ooh, now I'm jealous. :D I travelled to Europe for the first time last year but didn't make it across to the UK. I'd love to see London one day. (Come to think of it, preferably a day in summer.)

I have an exam tomorrow evening, and that is officially the last thing to do for my semester. I'm hoping it doesn't rain... Getting wet before the exam isn't my idea of fun. (Plus it's open-book, so I can take notes in with me. But wet notes aren't as useful if the ink runs!)

*looks forward to the semester from hell finally being over*

Ugh, exams. I just finished Uni last year, so I know your pain. Good luck! :)
 

Caitlin Black

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Thanks. :)

I've been doing remarkably little to prepare for it, because it's open book. Like, the other day I made up a bunch of notes that streamline the information into manageable chunks, and that took a long time... But since then I've done hardly anything. I mean, I have my notes, I can take the textbook and reader in with me (though I probably won't need them, as we don't need to use quotes)... Yeah. It shouldn't be a problem.

I feel kind of weird about not stressing out about it, actually. It's just been my go-to reaction for Uni - upcoming assignment/exam = stress out for days beforehand. But not this time.

I feel kind of zen, but also kind of disconnected. I think it's just burnout. This really has been a very intense semester.

I wish I would win the lottery so I could just take things easy for a while... I still have 1.5 years to go for this degree, and I really need a long break.