Hobbiton’s Green Dragon Pub Opens Its Doors In New Zealand

Hobbit fever. The air’s thick with it, no place more so than New Zealand. The country is preparing for the inevitable influx of tourists — spurned by Peter Jackson’s upcoming interpretation of The Hobbit — and what better way to cater to the thirsty, international masses than with the Green Dragon Inn itself?

Despite being rased to the ground in the first Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Green Dragon was rebuilt for the the latest instalment. Now, with its purpose served, it was recently transformed into a functional pub and opened to the public, as part of the Hobbiton movie set tour near Matamata, 160km south east of Auckland.

So significant an occasion, NZ prime minister John Key was on hand to cut the ribbon, though instead of scissors and a nice piece of fabric, the PM had to chomp through a chain with a pair of bolt cutters. Also present were most of the dwarves from The Hobbit — well, the actors who played them anyway — with Richard Armitage (who plays Thorin Oakenshield) the only exception, according to an article on Noosa News.

If enjoying the ambience of a high fantasy pub isn’t enough, a story over on the Daily Mail mentions that four exclusive beverages are on offer — a ginger beer, cider and two regular beers — so your taste buds can take in the atmosphere too.

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[Facebook, via My Modern Met, Daily Mail and Noosa News]

Images: Green Dragon Pub, Facebook