Hobbiton, Tourist Attraction

The Hobbiton set, nearly completion for when production begins filming in Febuary, is apparently be built with extra robustness as it will become a permanent tourist attraction for New Zealand.

Brett Hodge, owner of Matamata Post and Rails, which has supplied the timber for The Hobbit duology since construction began in February, told the Waikato Times that Sir Peter Jackson's company Three Foot Six was building the home of the Hobbits to last.

"What they did last time was build a temporary set, but now it's a permanent set," said Mr Hodge, whose business also supplied the timber for the temporary The Lord of the Rings trilogy Hobbiton set.

"It's just so right for us to do it, it's just so good for the community," Mr Hodge said. "When you look at the current economic times a lot of people are just fighting for every dollar. Something like this is just the icing on the cake," he said. "It might be time to invest in a Robert Harris cafe in Matamata."