Matamata

Matamata is a town in the shadow of the Kaimai Range Mountains, on New Zealand's North Island. Southwest of town, the Hobbiton Movie Set was 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 has heritage buildings, including a school and a jail, that chronicle the region's settler history.