With Vicky & Jordan arriving early we made our way to Matamata, better known as Hobbiton of the Shire! Beautiful weather and rolling hills dotted with Hobbit holes; it felt like we had stepped into Middle Earth.
The hobbit holes are immaculately kept with flowers and plants everywhere: I suppose Samwise is a gardener after all!
Some friendly hobbits came out to greet Vicky & Jordan.
We had intended to pop in on Bilbo Baggins but apparently he was planning a birthday party and we were not on official party business!
Instead we made a trip to the Green Dragon for a sneaky half (they did not come in pints)!
A stunning location and a great start to the time with the Goulds - "we are just about ready for another adventure"...
Up early, (blame the Goulds' jet lag), to visit Waitomo caves. Some amazing limestone formations and ceilings strewn with glow worms.
The glow worms hang threads of mucus down to ensnare flies - not very pleasant but impactful for photographs with the right light conditions:
Also hanging down were some of the most impressive stalactites we've ever seen:
Difficult in the low light to get a photo that doesn't look like we've been superimposed but this was our best attempt...
We couldn't take pictures of the glow worms lit up as they are damaged by flash photography, but if you imagine looking up at the stars as if they are just meters from your face then you'll have an idea:- what an amazing experience.
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