At this year’s IMEX in Frankfurt, the New Zealand booth transported attendees to Middle-earth with a charming tribute to Hobbiton—complete with a hobbit hole and all the whimsy you’d expect from the Shire.  (see below for the original post).
The post instantly took me back to one of the most unforgettable moments of my career: a private helicopter landing in the “real” Hobbiton. What followed was pure magic.  Here’s Part One of A Journey to Hobbiton…
During an unforgettable Around the World journey I arranged for a group of clients, we made our way from Los Angeles to Dubai, Bangkok, Sydney, and then touched down in Auckland, New Zealand — with just a 9-hour window before sailing on toward Bora Bora.
During the planning stages, one guest shared a dream: to visit Hobbiton, the iconic movie set built on a sheep farm in Matamata, where The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies came to life.
I looked into the logistics. The drive from Auckland? Nearly 2.5 hours each way — too tight for comfort. So, we turned to the sky.
Working with Heletranz Helicopters, we arranged a private flight and exclusive Hobbiton experience, led by a graduate film student whose passion for the set and its stories made the day all the more special.
But that morning… fog.
Heavy mist and grey skies threatened to cancel everything. After a few nerve-wracking delays, the flight command team gave us the green light — and we lifted off through a silvery sky, heading south along the spine of the North Island.
Then… the reveal.
Just outside of Matamata, the fog lifted, and we were greeted with brilliant blue skies, with sunshine pouring down across a sea of green pastures, and an ocean of blue beyond. It was a cinematic entrance worthy of Middle earth itself.
We circled the Great Tree, touched down in a nearby field, and stepped into the story. Across the meadow, through a rustic gate and over a quiet road… we entered the world of Hobbiton.
To be continued next week in Part Two…
#MomentsOfInspiration #LuxuryTravel #IncentiveTravel #AroundTheWorld #NewZealand #IMEX2025 #HobbitonNZIMEX #Hobbiton #HelicopterExperience #HeletranzHelicopter #MiddleEarth #EventPlannerLife #CinematicTravel #UnforgettableJourneys #TravelWithPurpose #TravelWell #TravelThatTransforms #CuratedExperiences #PrivateTravel #BucketListMoments #ExperientialTravel #BehindTheScenesMagic #GLMLuxuryEvents #TimeFlies #LiveWell #TravelWellÂ
