We organized a tour from Auckland to Waitomo Caves to Hobbiton Village. Our guide was a Japanese man named Take.
In the morning, we were picked up by car at the Marriott Hotel in Auckland, which was very kind of him, even though it was early in the morning. We slept in the car, but when we were awake, he shared information and trivia about New Zealand, which was very educational and I found it very interesting to listen to. We also took a toilet break on the way, which was nice.
At Waitomo Caves, Take was following the local guide and foreign group behind and carefully explained things in Japanese. I think we probably couldn't hear the details in English, so I thought it was very good to have a Japanese guide.
On the bus to Hobbiton Village, we heard about Lord of the Rings, and as a movie lover, it was fun enough just getting there. At Hobbiton Village, we first had lunch. There were two other Japanese people, Take, and my wife and I, and we all enjoyed lunch together. The tour had many photo spots, and Take-san took lots of photos, which was very much appreciated. He also told us many behind-the-scenes stories about the filming of The Lord of the Rings, which was very interesting, and for those who have seen the movies, it was a truly memorable tour.
After visiting the two spots, we were planning to stay in Waitomo, so he took us to the bus stop in Matamata.
I forgot to take a photo with Take-san, and that's my only regret.
If you have Japanese family or friends who are going to New Zealand with a Japanese guide,
I would definitely recommend Take-san's guided tour.
Thank you for the fun memories.