Matamata - Main Street - New Zealand

Matamata is a town in the shadow of the Kaimai Range Mountains, on New Zealand’s North Island. Southwest of the town, is the Hobbiton Movie Set created for Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” films.

To the northeast, a trail leads to Wairere Falls, with views over the Waikato Plains. The Firth Tower Museum ( my video:    • Firth Tower Museum, Matamata - New Ze...  ) has heritage buildings, including a school and a jail, that chronicle the region’s settler history.

An easy drive to Taupo, Rotorua, Hamilton and Tauranga.

This short video shows the road into Matamata and the main street which is not untypical of all the smaller towns in the Waikato.

In recent times Matamata and Cambridge especially have seen a rapid expansion in housing especially retirement establishments and to be honest why not, these towns have everything and none of the traffic issues and hassle of the enormous metropolis just an hour and a half north.