Not really a job opportunity

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Recently while traveling I took this photo in a pub......care to guess where the woodworking apprentice was needed?


sign1.jpg

[Rick Potter]

Ireland...

[Dave Richards]

The Shire?

[Justin Ludwig]

5th house past the Ivy Bush on Delving Road?

Also noted, the Ivy Bush is missing it's green cloak.

[Rod Sheridan]

Green Dragon pub, Hobbiton NZ?

regards, Rod.

[Erik Loza]

The Shire?

Hahahahahaha......

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Green Dragon pub, Hobbiton NZ?

regards, Rod.

That's where the photo was taken Rod!


Justin got the address of the potential place of employment.



Here's a few more photos of the Green Dragon pub and the mill across the stream from it.

gd1.jpggd2.jpggd3.jpggd4.jpggd5.jpg

BTW....they brew an excellent ale nearby and serve it at the Green Dragon.

[Jim Matthews]

I wonder how many Kiwis had read Tolkien before they were invaded?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It's hard to say, Jim. But I will say one thing. I'll bet that sheep farmer makes more off the tourist visits to his farm than he ever did by farming! It was insane there!

The original houses for Hobbiton were tore down after the first movie was released. When they came to film the sequels, the farmer changed the contract to leave the village after it was built. IIRC, there are 42 different Hobbit houses there now plus the Green Dragon Pub and the mill. Not all of the houses are full scale. Again....IIRC....some are 20%....some are 60%, some are 80% and some 100% full scale.

This is located outside Rotorua, NZ.

While we were in NZ a few weeks ago, we also toured "the Scenes of Glenorchy" outside Queentown.

....and while in Paihia, Bay Of Islands, we got to experience the wrath of Cylcone Lusi when she came ashore and before she dissipated into a tropical storm. As a result, we got to see the generosity of a native Kiwi who gave us a ride to our hotel in his 2 seater pizza delivery van. Me on my knees in the back with the luggage and my wife and he occupying the two seats in the van. I was ever so grateful! 8:30 p.m. got off the bus....winds.....rain...... 3 couples...all from the US. When we approached this café owner on how to contact a cab company for rides to our different hotels, 1 couple at a time he delivered us......and refused any kind of payment or tip.

[Larry Whitlow]

Ken, Wife and I were there just this past Feb. We were their during the week and there wasn't much of a crowd. I really got a kick out of wandering around the place, seeing Bilbo's house, etc. The cider beer at the Green Dragon wasn't too bad either. NZ is a beautiful place, but kind of pricey.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Larry, we arrived there this trip on March 3, 2014 IIRC.

We were there 5 years ago for 10 days courtesy of our youngest son and his wife. This trip we were there for 14 days. I have friend I met in Milwaukee, WI 15 years ago at a corporate school. He's the lead engineer of my former employer on the South Island of NZ. He offered me a job at Dunedin 2 years after I met him. I seriously considered taking the job until I found out about the taxes there. It was a lot cheaper 5 years ago as the exchange rate then was about 1 NZ dollar was worth US $0.60. 5 years ago, my friend's wife served as a local shopping guide for my wife and we had dinner with them several evenings. His name is Ken, too. Ken and Anne gave us tour of Christchurch then and once again this trip. I was shocked by the devastation the earthquakes have rendered onto Christchurch. Entire city blocks are gone, leveled, missing. Not only did the earthquakes demolish old buildings but a lot of the underground utilities were destroyed. Without water and sewage, businesses in the downtown area weren't able to stay open so many were either boarded up or leveled with the older damaged buildings....a couple years later a lot of streets still torn up....the economic havoc those earthquakes caused will last for a couple generations, no doubt.

It is certainly a beautiful place which is only outshined by the friendliness of the native Kiwis!

[Larry Whitlow]

Larry, we arrived there this trip on March 3, 2014 IIRC.

We were there 5 years ago for 10 days courtesy of our youngest son and his wife. This trip we were there for 14 days. I have friend I met in Milwaukee, WI 15 years ago at a corporate school. He's the lead engineer of my former employer on the South Island of NZ. He offered me a job at Dunedin 2 years after I met him. I seriously considered taking the job until I found out about the taxes there. It was a lot cheaper 5 years ago as the exchange rate then was about 1 NZ dollar was worth US $0.60. 5 years ago, my friend's wife served as a local shopping guide for my wife and we had dinner with them several evenings. His name is Ken, too. Ken and Anne gave us tour of Christchurch then and once again this trip. I was shocked by the devastation the earthquakes have rendered onto Christchurch. Entire city blocks are gone, leveled, missing. Not only did the earthquakes demolish old buildings but a lot of the underground utilities were destroyed. Without water and sewage, businesses in the downtown area weren't able to stay open so many were either boarded up or leveled with the older damaged buildings....a couple years later a lot of streets still torn up....the economic havoc those earthquakes caused will last for a couple generations, no doubt.

It is certainly a beautiful place which is only outshined by the friendliness of the native Kiwis!

Small world. We were there abt 3 weeks earlier. We were actually on a cruise that started in Auckland then bounced down the east coasts of North and South Islands. We rounded the southern tip and cruised through a couple of the fjords, then cut across to Hobart. Ended up and came home from Sydney. Didn't get to Chirstchurch, but heard from a lot of the locals about the earthquake damage. We got to see some fantastic countryside. I couldn't agree more with your comments on the Kiwis.