landmark
Hobbiton Movie Set
The real-life Shire from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, with 44 hobbit holes set in rolling green Waikato farmland.
10 km · about 20 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandWaikato Region
Matamata
Waikato Region, New Zealand · Oceania
About Matamata
Matamata is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Waharoa, 56km from Rotorua.
Matamata is in Waikato Region, New Zealand, with about 6,300 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Waharoa, about 5 km away.
Matamata (Māori: [ˈmataˌmata]) is a town in Waikato, New Zealand. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which takes in the surrounding rural areas, as well as MorrinsvilleRead more
and Te Aroha. State Highway 27 and the Kinleith Branch railway run through the town. The town has a population of 9,540 as of June 2025.
A nearby farm was the location for the Hobbiton Movie Set in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. During the period between the filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey they had no furniture or props, but could be entered with vistas of the farm viewed from inside them. A "Welcome to Hobbiton" sign has been placed on the main road. In 2011, parts of Hobbiton began to close in preparation for the three new movies based on the first Tolkien novel, The Hobbit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Matamata?
Within an hour or so of Matamata: Hobbiton Movie Set (10 km), Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata (10 km), Rainbow Springs Nature Park (52 km), Rotorua (56 km).
Where is Matamata?
Matamata is in Waikato Region, New Zealand, about 5 km from Waharoa.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 6,306
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Waikato Region
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -37.8106, 175.7624
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
Worth the detour from Matamata
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
film location
Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata
The permanent Shire set with 44 hobbit holes, the Party Tree and the Green Dragon Inn, built for The Lord of the Rings and rebuilt for The Hobbit.
10 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Rainbow Springs Nature Park
Rotorua nature park showcasing New Zealand's unique wildlife including kiwi in a natural bush setting.
52 km · about 60 min drive
natural wonder
Rotorua
New Zealand's geothermal wonderland with erupting geysers, boiling mud pools, steaming lakes, and rich Māori cultural experiences.
56 km · about 65 min drive
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