Latest news with #Hobbiton
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
A low-cost flight experience that's surprisingly high on comfort
Excited schoolchildren in traditional dress launch into the haka, while a representative from seemingly every tourist attraction mills about. I meet Julia from Zealong Tea - NZ's only commercial tea estate, and spot Middle-earthers handing out Hobbiton mugs (Hamilton, on the North Island, is 45 minutes from the Hobbiton Movie Set). JQ165 operates four times a week, departing at the not-quite-decent hour of 6.15am.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Suburb 'likely' helped inspire Tolkien's Shire
Residents in a Nottinghamshire suburb say they are convinced JRR Tolkien's vision of Hobbiton was partly based on their area. Francis Rodrigues, from Gedling, paused his TV while watching a piece on the news about the sale of a first edition of The Hobbit. He called his wife through and she confirmed she was seeing the same thing – that an illustration of The Shire by the Lord of the Rings author depicted nearby Arnold Lane. Two Tolkien historians told the BBC they thought the evidence was compelling. Mr Rodrigues was one of several people to spot the connection from news reports. "I'm very convinced. You can see straight away that's Arnold Lane," he said. "It's nice to know he walked the streets I walked… and wow, I'm following in his footsteps." The 75-year-old pointed to the bend in the road and similarities between the drawn mill in the foreground and the real All Hallows Church. He also pointed out the similarity in shape and position between farm buildings in the image and Phoenix Farm. This was a farm, owned by Tolkien's aunt, where the author is known to have stayed and written the poem which began his work on Middle Earth. The farm overlooked Arnold Lane. The road has been reshaped and some of the buildings destroyed since Tolkien visited in the early 1900s. The surrounding fields and countryside have also been turned into housing. But comparisons with old black and white images of the road convinced many on social media of the connection. There is much debate about which locations inspired Tolkien's landscapes. In a newspaper interview Tolkien said the Shire was "inspired by a few cherished square miles of actual countryside at Sarehole", an area in the West Midlands. But John Garth, Tolkien biographer and author of a book on the places that inspired Middle-earth, pointed out the image does not look much like Sarehole. After looking at the old images of the road and old ordinance survey maps, he said it was "rather likely" some of the illustration drew on what Tolkien saw in Gedling. "The place was very special to him," he said. "He was happy to put personal references and in-jokes into The Hobbit. "Even if he hadn't intended it, I can imagine his aunt would have opened the book and thought 'oh look, this looks like my old farm'. "There's a really quite a good case to be made here for direct inspiration." Andrew Morton, author of Tolkien's Gedling, was initially sceptical. He said he often hears people coming up with "fantastic ideas" connecting Tolkien to the landscape. But after seeing the evidence, he said: "It's quite compelling, your readers are onto something here. "It's reasonable to think he'd have dug [Arnold Lane] out of his memory and incorporated it into his landscape. "Although you have to be careful, or you'll end up with Bilbo Baggins living at Mapperley Top." Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story Rare copy of The Hobbit sells for 'record-breaking' sum Tolkien society suggests author for new banknotes Tolkien blue plaque unveiled at railway station
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Gedling 'likely' helped inspire Tolkien's Shire
Residents in a Nottinghamshire suburb say they are convinced JRR Tolkien's vision of Hobbiton was partly based on their Rodrigues, from Gedling, paused his TV while watching a piece on the news about the sale of a first edition of The called his wife through and she confirmed she was seeing the same thing – that an illustration of The Shire by the Lord of the Rings author depicted nearby Arnold Tolkien historians told the BBC they thought the evidence was compelling. Mr Rodrigues was one of several people to spot the connection from news reports. "I'm very convinced. You can see straight away that's Arnold Lane," he said."It's nice to know he walked the streets I walked… and wow, I'm following in his footsteps." The 75-year-old pointed to the bend in the road and similarities between the drawn mill in the foreground and the real All Hallows also pointed out the similarity in shape and position between farm buildings in the image and Phoenix was a farm, owned by Tolkien's aunt, where the author is known to have stayed and written the poem which began his work on Middle farm overlooked Arnold road has been reshaped and some of the buildings destroyed since Tolkien visited in the early surrounding fields and countryside have also been turned into comparisons with old black and white images of the road convinced many on social media of the connection. There is much debate about which locations inspired Tolkien's a newspaper interview Tolkien said the Shire was "inspired by a few cherished square miles of actual countryside at Sarehole", an area in the West John Garth, Tolkien biographer and author of a book on the places that inspired Middle-earth, pointed out the image does not look much like looking at the old images of the road and old ordinance survey maps, he said it was "rather likely" some of the illustration drew on what Tolkien saw in Gedling."The place was very special to him," he said."He was happy to put personal references and in-jokes into The Hobbit."Even if he hadn't intended it, I can imagine his aunt would have opened the book and thought 'oh look, this looks like my old farm'."There's a really quite a good case to be made here for direct inspiration." Andrew Morton, author of Tolkien's Gedling, was initially said he often hears people coming up with "fantastic ideas" connecting Tolkien to the after seeing the evidence, he said: "It's quite compelling, your readers are onto something here."It's reasonable to think he'd have dug [Arnold Lane] out of his memory and incorporated it into his landscape."Although you have to be careful, or you'll end up with Bilbo Baggins living at Mapperley Top."
Time Out
6 days ago
- Business
- Time Out
Big changes (and new costs) are coming for Australians planning a trip to New Zealand
Australians have long flocked to New Zealand for a hit of Hobbiton, haka and hot water bliss. In fact, the country has reigned supreme as our most popular overseas destination for almost 50 years. But travelling to Middle Earth is about to get more expensive for international tourists, with NZ set to introduce entry fees for its most famous natural sites. Under a proposed overhaul of conservation laws, the New Zealand government intends to charge foreign visitors NZ$20-40 (AUD$18-37) to access some of its most iconic natural attractions in the coming years. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the initial rollout could include Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-a-Hei, the Tongariro Crossing, Milford Sound and Aoraki Mount Cook – sites where foreigners often make up 80 per cent of visitor numbers. The new fees could generate NZ$62 million (around AUD$56.6 million) per year, which would be reinvested in those ecologically and culturally protected sites while supporting tourism operators to 'unleash' economic growth. The plan forms part of a wider (and controversial) shake-up of conservation laws that aim to ease the process for selling or exchanging protected, publicly owned land. This land covers a third of New Zealand's territory, potentially opening the door to increased tourism, agriculture and infrastructure without the need for permits. The New Zealand government is expected to introduce these fees in 2027, but locals will be exempt. Might as well plan a trip pronto before that waterfall selfie costs you! ⭐️
The Guardian
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game review – too cosy for comfort
After several hours toiling in the pastoral fields of Hobbiton, it finally started to sink in why two generations of Bagginses felt compelled to leave in search of dangerous adventure. Sure, the Shire has a hazy comfort to it, and there's plenty of unique food to gorge on and friendly faces to meet. But once the saccharine novelty begins to wear off, this bucolic wonderland is actually a fairly dull place to live. Tales of the Shire is set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. As such, there are no Nazgûls or Uruk-hai – instead the 'action' centres on the quaint town of Bywater, whose most pressing issue is its municipal status. Here, you play as a recent transplant from the nearby hamlet of Bree, who gets swept up in the process of turning the town into an official village by building infrastructure and befriending locals one odd job and home-cooked meal at a time. Naturally this high-fantasy life simulator houses plenty of Tolkienian paraphernalia. You can find the Three-Farthing Stone nestled atop a hillside, and walk through the homely Green Dragon Inn. Plus, there are plenty of familiar surnames bobbing around, from Tooks to Cottons and Brandybucks – heck, even Gandalf pops his head in every so often. A chunky art style frames these iconic spaces and characters, coating the world with an appropriately twee veneer. It's not a huge map to explore, but what's there is tenderly dressed, with hanging washing swaying in the breeze, dinky lanterns, and roaming wildlife aplenty. As an upstart Hobbit, your primary goal is to feed and be fed, with all aspects of day-to-day life revolving around this all-important activity. In the wild you can find veggies, nuts and fruits to forage, and the rivers are home to plenty of fishing spots where you earn your catch of the day. There are also seasonal seedlings to purchase and plant, as well as artisanal shop stalls offering speciality items such as flour. With each day running on a timer, the major source of friction is in how efficiently you can dash about and hoover up the goods before bedtime. It's a well-trodden loop familiar to anyone who has played rural life sims such as Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon. But here, the steady flow of button clicks and undemanding chores operates more successfully as a sleep-inducing mental message than any form of compelling challenge. If you can brave the repetition and invest in your relationships with others, the game begins to open up, providing a slew of formulaic but appetising skill paths to rank up. Collecting ingredients is only half the story; you'll also need to cook them up into satisfying bundles to serve at extravagant Breakfasts, Second Breakfasts, Elevenses, and so on. Combining elements of Cooking Mama and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tales of the Shire asks you to balance culinary profiles and textures to curate the perfect plate. To do this, you'll chop, mix and sauté ingredients while consulting a flavour compass in the bottom corner of your screen to ensure your food is as delicious as possible. Eventually, by feeding the right folks, your kitchen expands and there are more opportunities available to get you into the Middle-earth Michelin Guide. But beyond its overly familiar mechanics, Tales of the Shire's most pressing problem is how naive and placid it all feels. When vague interpersonal issues arise between your new friends, they're always resolved in a swift, often mundane manner. Much of your time is spent running between frustrated halflings as they burden you with their petty dissatisfactions. Not all cosy games need to evoke hard emotions. However, it does feel like a disservice to the emotionally complex source material not to explore the richness of the world at large – especially when dry humour, tragedy and finely drawn social structures are what make Tolkien's writing so powerful. Without any challenging quandaries to pull at your heartstrings, the promising atmosphere in Tales of the Shire is overwhelmed by endless fetch quests. Diehard Tolkienites and Stardew Valley lifers may be better off looking elsewhere for their cosy thrills. Tales of the Shire is out now, £34.99.
