By Maramarua the excitement of the journey had begun to wear off, suppressed by the lulling comfort of a smooth highway and a warm day. But on joining this rolling country road, the console-GPS counting down the kilometres, the previously somnolent air was fast giving way to a palpable sense of collective anticipation.  ‘Nearly there’ I said, ‘plenty of time to spare’.

‘A tour operator, like a wizard is never late Frodo Baggins’ intoned a voice behind me; continuing in perfect Gandalf  ‘Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to’. Yet another peal of laughter rang round the car, and the middle-aged merchant banker from New Jersey glowed in our communal admiration for his faultless Gandalf.

‘Hobbitses, my preciouses!’ came an excited croak from beside me and there in front of us was our destination, the gateway to Middle Earth.

Set amongst the impossibly green hills of the Waikato the Shire’s Rest Café may look more shearing-shed than mythical portal, but it is a gateway nonetheless. And it’s the countryside in this part of North Island that caused film-maker Peter Jackson, skimming the countryside in an aerial location hunt for his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, to light upon the Alexander Farm.

It is now more than a decade since Jackson spectacularly brought JRR Tolkien’s mythical people to life.  To do so the film-makers needed a home for the Hobbits so the New Zealand army laid a new road, 1.5km long, to the site. An oak tree from nearby Matamata was sawn into a giant jigsaw and reconstructed on site, where tens of thousands of artificial leaves from Taiwan were wired to the tree. A Hobbit village, comprising 37 hobbit holes, was painstakingly constructed from timber and polystyrene.  And in every year since as many as 60,000 people have visited the set.

In 2011 the carpenters, painters and designers returned to refurbish the old hobbit holes and complement them with new, grander ones and for over a year the set rang to the sound of craftsmen at work.  Then, shrouded in secrecy, the set was closed for 6 weeks as Bilbo, Gandalf and a host of other well-loved characters returned for the filming of the trilogy’s 2-movie prequel, The Hobbit.

Today the expanded set is a remarkable testament to the film-makers art, transporting visitors right to the very heart of The Shire.  Although many of the site’s guests are diehard Lord of the Rings enthusiasts, including at least one 6’6” German devotee who arrived dressed as a Hobbit and announced he wouldn’t be leaving as he was ‘at last’ home, just as many have little more than a passing interest in the story and some even refute having seen the movies.  What is undeniable though is that a visit to Hobbiton, even if you have only the most passing interest in movie-making, is hugely enjoyable.

With the first of the new movies due to go on general release by Christmas it seems almost inevitable that there will be a significant resurgence in interest in Tolkien’s stories; a supposition that seems to be borne out by the increasing number of people asking us for private tours to Hobbiton.

Although I’ve never really been ‘in to’ any movie sufficiently to make me want to attend a conference, for example like the Trekkies do; if anything I’d always seen myself as a bit of a Star Wars fan. But Hobbiton and the hobbits are undoubtedly growing on me. Nonetheless, I leave the final word on Hobbiton to another wise-one of diminutive stature,

Hobbiton,

enjoy yourself you will,

hmmm

The cafe and courtyard

Standing at the end of an impressive tree lined driveway, its entrance guarded by a faux-palisade and gate, lies the remarkable Morris & James Pottery.

The gateway lets on to an informal courtyard garden set with café tables, sculptures and a seemingly omnipresent penny-farthing bicycle. In turn the café and courtyard gives way to the showrooms and thence the heart of business, the factory.  In one dusty corner of the showroom, where the factory’s bargain ‘seconds’ are displayed, is a small montage. The faded photographs and newspaper clippings chart the company’s humble origins, in 1977, at the hands of Anthony Morris and his then partner Sue James to its position today as one of New Zealand’s most innovative and elegant potteries.

But the course set by Morris & James did not always run fair or true en route to the preeminent position the company occupies today. At one time or another the business was forced to confront death, fire and near financial ruin, in addition to a serious and temporarily debilitating stroke for its founder, Anthony, in 2004.

Today it is difficult to perceive those growing pains amongst the elaborate and vibrant hand-made pottery and object d’art that have become hugely desirable pieces of ‘kiwiana’; both here and overseas. The founders’ original vision to combine traditional craftsmanship

Kiwi icons, like this pohutakawa, provide design inspiration

with the very latest techniques continues today and is evidenced in a range of pottery and sculptural ceramics which, whilst sometimes quirky, are always beautifully distinctive. Another of Ant Morris’s visions was for the pottery to become a creative community, in much the same way as has been achieved by another notable New Zealand potter Barry Brickell, of the Driving Creek Pottery in Coromandel.

Around 40 local people are employed in the business nowadays, many of whom are encountered during the daily 11.30am factory tour.

Outdoor planters provide a kaleidoscope of colour

From harvesting the clay in the neighbouring paddock to throwing, drying and glazing is a enthralling process and one which ensures that as many a dozen pairs of hands have a part to play in producing each finished pot, planter, tile or one of the myriad other pieces on display.  Each piece is decorated and glazed by hand by a small team of skilled artisans whose designs frequently incorporate the unmistakable iconography of New Zealand.

Morris & James attribute the success that the business today enjoys, at least in part, to that ‘community’ ethos, wherein each finished piece displays the collective skills of all of those that have contributed. Thus the pottery’s work exposes a collective imagination and one which, in turn, reflects the vibrancy and diversity of the modern pottery.

Showroom interior

The Morris & James Pottery is visited on our daily Matakana Escape tour or can be visited, independently, at:

Tongue Farm Rd, Matakana,

tel +64 (0) 9 422 7116

www.morrisandjames.co.nz

Sir Ed, 'knocked the bugger off'

As any tour guide will tell you, before long they find themselves becoming a repository of dates, places, names and myriad facts that are, outside the confines of their day-job, largely useless. True, knowing the name of the only living New Zealander to appear on a banknote (Sir Edmund Hillary) or the English-translation of the place name Remuera (burnt buttocks) or even the identity of the infamously-moustached cricket umpire who died during a bondage session and whose body was found floating in Huka Falls (Peter Plumley-Walker) can prove a round-winning boon at a school-fundraising quiz; but aside from this it is, sadly, quite useless.

However, woven seamlessly and professionally in to a narrative on a tour these titbits can serve to illustrate, illuminate and, hopefully, amuse; well that’s the plan. But what if there’s a budding tour guide in you, demanding more? What if you want to build up your own fund of odds and ends to impress your friends and, dare to dream, win year-7’s most brainy parent prize? Well now, dear reader, you can.

Starting soon we’ll be adding a new category to this blog under the category The Inside Track, which is shorthand for ‘stuff you might be mildly interested in knowing before your tour.’  Every couple of weeks we’ll be adding a new article to this blog covering something, somewhere or someone that features in our tours. This will allow you to a) bone up before your tour with us, b) catch us out when we don’t mention something you’ve read and c) astonish your fellow tour guests^* with your knowledge. We’ll be starting the series with The Inside Track on a wonderful spot featured in our Matakana Escape tour.

If you’ve already booked to join one of our tours, or are thinking about booking, and have a yearning to find out about somewhere you’ll be visiting drop us an email (to blog@milestonetours.co.nz) and we’ll see if we can feature it before your tour.

Keep an eye out for The Inside Track, coming to a pc near you soon.

* Many of whom will have shelled out a fair whack o n a weighty travel guide to New Zealand but so far got no further than finding it a helpful press for wild flowers or a handy step useful for exploring the back the baking cupboard (unless used immediately the candied fruit with a 1997 sell-by date will probably not hold out for inclusion in next year’s Christmas cake).

Aerial view of Mt. Eden's crater and terraces

Since news broke several weeks ago that a ban was to be introduced on buses accessing the summit of Auckland’s highest volcanic peak, Mt. Eden, we’ve received many queries from existing and prospective clients seeking to ascertain if the ban will apply to their tour.

We therefore thought it would be useful to set out here just what’s happening or, in fact, has happened.

From 12^th December 2011 a prohibition came in to force banning heavy coaches from the summit of Mt Eden, or Maungawhau. Mt. Eden-Maungawhau is classified as a Historic Reserve, a designation designed to perpetually protect and preserve places, objects and natural features of historic, archaeological or cultural significance.

Mt. Eden affords wonderful views over Auckland

The ban affects all coaches over 3.5 tonnes in weight or with more than 12-seats. By banning such heavy vehicles the Council, Iwi and other interest groups are seeking to prevent damage to this site of significant archaeological importance. Crucially for Milestone’s clients this ban does not apply to our vehicles and we are continuing to drive our guests right to the very summit of the mountain.

For visitors arriving in large coaches, outside the weight or seating limit, a parking area has been established at the foot of the mountain; allowing clients to walk up the 297-metre mountain track. For passengers with limited mobility an electric shuttle vehicle is available. We understand that the shuttle is, for now, only available to people with limited mobility and is not for the general use of the public.

At the time of writing the ban has only been in force for a couple of weeks. No official figures are yet available for the ban’s influence on visitor numbers however, from the perspective of our guides, it certainly appears to have had a significant impact. With considerably fewer vehicles, and notably less people, the summit is now a much more peaceful place to take a wander and to survey the fantastic 360-degree views.

Naturally we’re delighted that we can still drive our guests on our right to the top of this important Auckland landmark – though anyone on our tours wanting to be dropped-off at the bottom of the mountain is, of course, entirely welcome to walk up.

Fore more information on both the ban and Mt. Eden take a look at the Parks pages of the Auckland Council website.

And staying with the theme of renewal this spring sees more tour content changes coming in to effect, this time affecting our Matakana Escape full-day tour. From November this tour will now feature the SheepWorld farm and nature park situated in Warkworth; a stone’s throw from Matakana.

Yes, they really are that pink

SheepWorld is home to the famous pink sheep that seem to be popping up regularly in NZ travel guides and on photo-sharing sites.

It is also home to an excellent twice-daily live action sheepdog display. In addition to watching a professional shearer and his dogs at work our guests will also be able to try their hand at drafting (sorting) and sheering mature adult sheep and bottle-feeding the new born lambs.

This is a posed shot. Shearers always watch that handpiece - its sharp

Unlike some of the large-scale sheep experiences elsewhere in New Zealand SheepWorld tends to count its audience in dozens, rather than hundreds. The intimate and very humorous nature of the show, where visitors are encouraged to ask questions and get involved, has resulted in such excellent feedback from our guests that we felt compelled to make SheepWorld a permanent feature of the tour.

In addition to the show the visit to SheepWorld also offers our guests a chance to wander through the eco-discovery trail, pet the animals in the NZ mini-farm or perhaps indulge in some ‘retail therapy’ in the EcoWool store.

...'not another human'...

Perhaps the only thing you won’t find or hear at SheepWorld are any of those scurrilous kiwi sheep jokes (none of which are true!), but if you ask your Milestone guide they’ll probably know a couple…

And that ‘pinkness’ is achieved using a harmless food-colouring that washes out after rain; the sheep don’t seem to mind it at all.

In the first cave visited you glide silently below millions of tiny glow-worms

A major change for Spring 2011, instituted in response to exceptional customer feedback, is the introduction of Spellbound as our primary partner for cave tours at Waitomo.

After a highly successful trial period we made the easy decision to partner with Spellbound long-term. Spellbound’s excellent cave tour fits completely seamlessly in to our broader itineraries; helped to no small measure because Spellbound’s business ethos so closely reflects ours — a desire to help guests get off the beaten track and away from busier, more ‘touristy’ experiences.

Spellbound gets you closer to the glow worms

Spellbound’s standard 3-hour tour, which visits two caves and includes an excellent morning tea stop, is now a permanent feature of our hugely popular, two-day Rotorua and Waitomo Voyager tour and will also be incorporated in to many of our tailor-made tours.

Spellbound’s tour is suitable for people of all ages and average fitness and their scenic walk element is entirely optional. Crucially, and unlike other operators in the Waitomo valley, Spellbound allow visitors to use a camera within their caves.

Te Ana o te Atua or the Cave of the Spirit is accessed on an easy boardwalk

Spellbound are Trip Advisor’s No. 1 rated attraction in Waitomo; a position that looks likely to be continually reinforced when you read Spellbound’s glowing (pardon the pun!) reviews.

Of course we’ll continue to work with Waitomo’s other cave operators for clients keen to experience black-water-rafting, abseiling or other more ‘hands-on’ caving pursuits.

Plus the Ruakuri cave remains the ideal choice for clients in wheelchairs.

Guides Daniel, Gavin and Terry prepare to be 'Spellbound' in Waitomo

Our small, yet perfectly formed, team continues to grow with the addition of the first of a couple of new faces. Joining us recently as a new guide and in time for the start of Rugby World Cup was Daniel Andrews.

Daniel is a resident of the pretty bohemian village of Puhoi, famed for its capacious pub and tiny library. Born and raised in NZ Daniel has also worked overseas; most recently in Australia.

Daniel has completed his induction training and is already guiding tours, to raves reviews.   Daniel will add a new dimension to our tour capabilities as he is a proficient Japanese speaker. His English isn’t bad either.

Pictured here three of us prepare to join a cave tour operated by Waitomo Caves specialist Spellbound, of which more news soon.

The sort of people that laugh at the word 'vertigo'

Around this time last year I commented that the weather had the habit of reaching out and giving us a bit of a shake as winter slowly gives way to spring. And nothing could have been truer in the past couple of weeks.

On one hand we’ve been enjoying beautifully cloudless winter days; the kind that allowed our fearless clients Katinka and Bert to see for miles from the top of Sky Tower.

On the other hand we’ve had some rain. And plenty of it. And cloud.

Through the peasouper I heard the cry 'has anyone seen Mary Poppins?'

Like the day at Wai-O-Tapu, on our Rotorua & Waitomo Voyager tour, when we nearly lost Canadians Albert and Aaron in the gloom.  Not that this daunted this pair of intrepid travellers, who continued in the spirit of our former clients, and fellow Canadians, the Silverbergs.

Regular readers will remember that in September 2010 we instituted the Silverberg Medal (qv), an award recognising an unshakeable commitment to getting out and about, despite the worst that the weather can produce.

But the Met Service has now decreed the worst of winter to be over and its all downhill to spring, just in time for the rugby. Still, I won’t be digging the shorts and jandals out just yet.

'Climb the Sky Tower!'

Returning to the subject of intrepidness it’s interesting to muse on the question or challenge Katinka had just posed to our guide Terry in this photo.

The best caption scores a Milestone Tours polo shirt. Just send your ideas to blog@milestonetours.co.nz The winner will be notified some time in the next couple of weeks and entries might even get published.

Now every sane person knows that the All Blacks are in pole position to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy on 23^rd October; even former-Springbok paladin Jake White said so; sort of.

Tottering and uncertain, McCow emerges for the press

Yet just as the All Blacks are about to launch their new design jersey (my money is on black with a silver fern) it’s the appearance of a jet black calf with remarkably fern-like white blaze on its head has been the improbable cause of fevered mutterings about omens of Rugby World Cup glory; albeit mainly from Kiwi hacks looking to fill column inches with stories possessed of a world cup angle.

So is the arrival of Richie, namesake of All Black skipper Richie McCaw, simply a coincidence or does it foreshadow glory for the men in black? Or is it simply a sign of the madness beginning to grip the country that this is even being discussed? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But the pressure is on for McCow.

Richie McCaw, 94 test caps and IRB player of the year 3 times

Following on from Paul the Octopus, who correctly (and to death threats) forecast match results in the other, lesser, world cup (round ball, vuvuzelas, etc), The New Zealand Herald intends testing the psychic, match-predicting, powers of the calf. We’ll have to wait and see how the bovine pundit holds up.

What is certain is that McCow’s owner has confirmed he’ll be enjoying an early bath, or more accurately a one-way trip to the freezing works, if the sticky stuff from the milking-shed floor hits the ventilation system and All Blacks exit the tournament prematurely.

But it would be madness to think that could happen. Wouldn’t it?

For the uninitiated Qualmark is Tourism New Zealand’s official quality agency. Since 1993 Qualmark has reviewed and audited New Zealand tourism businesses; those that pass its stringent criteria are entitled to display the Qualmark logo, or logos, appropriate to their endorsements. The objective behind this not-for-profit scheme is to assist international and domestic travellers in selecting ‘professional and trustworthy’ places to stay, things to do and ways to get around.

Qualmark's Enviro-Bronze Award

We had previously been awarded endorsement in two categories, as an Endorsed Visitor Service and as Endorsed Visitor Transport; both of which were reconferred upon us at our latest review.

We were delighted to also be rewarded with recognition of our environmental efforts with the prestigious Enviro-Bronze award; which acknowledges the steps we’re taking to reduce our environmental footprint.

the 1960’s saw a huge rise in psychedelic tourism

For some the word ‘environmentalism’ immediately conjures up images of middle-aged bohemians, hugging trees and living in yurts. But for the team at Milestone, who don’t own a tie-dyed kaftan between us, it’s about more practical things.

In part this is the ‘big picture’ stuff – like offsetting all our carbon emissions through GreenFleet; in 2010 we offset 7.95 tonnes of CO₂ with native tree planting.

But just as important is the small stuff, like being a responsible local business. We do this by supporting grassroots initiatives, like surf lifesaving and native forest restoration – things that make a difference both to our visitors and the community

As our guests discover New Zealand is blessed with clear waters, green landscapes and clean air and we’re determined to our bit to keep it that way;  it’s not just good for tourism, it’s vital for our kids and their futures too.  We also find that some of our guests like knowing they can take a tour and, by doing so, be part of planting a native tree or two – without actually raising a shovel, or a sweat. Which just proves you don’t need to be a greenie to green.