Domovina uredništvo
Zbog lockdowna, ni Hrvatska ženska liga Novog Zelanda, niti cijeli Hrvatsko društvo ne mogu organizirati puno aktivnosti. Kako bi ostale u kontaktu i vedrog duha – organizirale su zajednički putovanje u Popularni ‘Hobbiton’, mjesto gdje se snimao film ‘Gospodar prstenova’, otkud donosimo nekoliko fotografija.
…”As you are probably well aware, by the non activities in your own city clubs, there hasn’t been very much happening in our Croatian Society. Coronavirus lockdowns unfortunately kept the doors of our Croatian Cultural Society closed and our Croatian Women’s League immobilised.
And during that time Florida ended up in hospital with a hip replacement after an unfortunate accident in a carpark. However Florida recovered – and we had more freedom from the lockdowns – which gave us the chance for a long awaited trip by our women’s league.
In late October twenty eight ladies travelled by bus to Matamata, approximately a three hour drive south of Auckland. We visited ‘Hobbiton.’ You may wonder what on earth is ‘Hobbiton’?
Well, slightly ethereal, slightly magical, slightly not of this world, though in the middle of more than two thousand acres of a very green New Zealand sheep and dairy farm.
Some of you may have read The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit books and seen the very popular movies. If not, the knowledgeable guide on our bus provided all the information needed to be able to enjoy the tour.
Apparently when looking for a location for the Hobbit movies, the producers flew over much of New Zealand and from their helicopter spotted this beautifully landscaped farm in the middle of the North Island. The owners agreed to have a film set of little goblin houses scattered around a specific area amidst the grazing cattle and sheep. This is the set for the ‘shire’ or main village in the movies.
When the movie was finished the set was dismantled as all the buildings were made of make-shift materials. Then several Germans, on a tour of New Zealand, asked to be taken to where the movies were filmed. And so the idea of building a permanent Hobbiton was born. Hobbiton has become a great tourist attraction, which now has its own buses to drive people through the farm gates to the ‘shire.’ It has a pub, restaurant and gift shop as well as a golf cart to transport ‘hobblers’ like me up close to each cottage.
They are so charming with the trade of each of the inhabitants plied outside the door, from bakers with loaves of bread on the table, cobblers with boots, to cheese makers and their cheeses.
We oohed and aahed at the georgeous display of wildflowers around the cottages and scattered randomly throughout the shire though the guide informed us that three gardeners worked full time to keep it all looking as though they grew wild. They reminded me of my childhood in Croatia when, with a group of friends, we would be sent by the elders of the village to take the two or three sheep or goats each of us had,to pasture. How we delighted in picking the wildflowers, mostly violets, which we would bundle together in little bunches and take home to our mothers. They smelt devine in those days, though the ones scattered in my garden now seem to have no scent.
And as always my childhood memories are interlaced with the poems I learnt then, ‘Ljubica je svijetu rekla…da je prvi cvijet od ljeta.’
A lovely day was had by all and the rain held off right up to the very end of our two hour tour. A great place for our Aussie cousins to visit, once this world of ours goes back to normal.
The very next day, Sunday the first of November, was our Croatian Cultural Society Ladies’ Lunch at our club. We enjoyed the music of our own tamburica band, and our adult folklore choir, while our youngest littlest ones’ again charmed with their singing in Croatian. All taught by our maestro Goran Kacurov. Our guest speaker was Paula Bennett. A very charismatic lady, who began her adult life as a solo mum on social welfare and became New Zealand’s deputy prime minister in John Key’s National Government.
The hall was tastefully decorated, the tables set, and the ladies dressed in their finery. And our ladies are alway in the forefront of fashion and elegance as the occasion demands. And again memories come flooding back. From gum boots and picking-bag, all day picking apples in the orchard to a chameleon change at night with halter-neck blue velvet ball gown and sky high stilettos. Ah…those were the days…how many years ago?
The lunch was delicious as always and the catch-up with friends and acquaintances we don’t see from one lunch to the next, is the cherry on the cake.I hope that you too have been able to enjoy a get-together since your lockdowns have eased.”
