As you cross the bridge in Hobbiton, you see the Green Dragon, the famous pub. Each tour includes a drink at the Green Dragon, so you can try the home brew. The Green Dragon staff brews four different kinds of libations onsite under their Southfarthing label: an amber ale, a traditional English ale, a cider and a ginger beer. I had a half-pint of the English ale, which was a delicious stout with good, deep flavour.

We were one of the last tour groups through that day – our tour manager made special arrangements for us to come in our own tour bus, and a Hobbiton tour guide just hopped on with us – so the pub was closing up the kitchen, but they also serve a variety of traditional hobbit fare. Apparently you can also take a special evening tour that includes a feast at the Green Dragon at the end.

The interior of the Green Dragon is completely fitted out as it was in the movies, though the scenes in the movie were filmed elsewhere. It really feels like a little country pub. The mantle is filled with books, and there was even a cat snoozing in one of the cozy leather chairs by the fire.

And that concludes my posts about Hobbiton. Visiting the set in Matamata was certainly a major highlight of my visit to New Zealand. I highly recommend visiting if you find yourself in the area – it’s well worth the time.

Title quote: Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh for The Return of the King based on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien