Tauranga

Tauranga, New Zealand – March 12, 2014

It was another gorgeous day here in the Bay of Plenty... and we signed up with our friends for an excursion to Hobbiton, the outdoor movie set designed for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings productions. It was comprised of over 1,200 acres of picturesque hobbit holes….

This one is where Bilbo Baggins lived….

….and Susan has dibs on this one!

Our guide stressed that the one thing we needed to remember was, “DO NOT GO OFF ON YOUR OWN!!” But when we saw this sign….

….we just couldn’t resist heading over the river and through the woods to The Green Dragon for some cold beer!!

We have now been thoroughly pampered for two months….and are hardly capable of making any decisions greater than what to have for dinner. Well….except for occasionally deciding to be scofflaws….i.e. “DO NOT GO OFF ON YOUR OWN!!” So we’ve determined that this clueless gesture is our very appropriate tribal trademark….

Thank goodness we were delivered back to our ship and aren’t destined to wander Middle-earth forever!