From Rockingham to Middle Eart
Holding a replica gold ring in the lounge room of his home is about as close as Rockingham man Michael Hudson has got to the set of The Hobbit - until now.
On Sunday he and his son, Jake, 13, began the adventure of a lifetime for any diehard Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fan.
Mr Hudson was one of five Australians who won a competition to travel to New Zealand to meet film director Peter Jackson, visit the set locations throughout the country's North and South Islands and have a private screening of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies before its release.
The five Australians are among 75 global winners of The Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest - selected amongst 140,000 entrants.
The competition invited fans to complete a series of Hobbit film-related challenges, including sending a postcard to Mr Jackson explaining why they belonged in the Fan Fellowship, a Hobbit-themed quiz and creating a video message sharing their passion for all things Hobbit-related.
A fan since he was a teen, Mr Hudson said he had to give the competition a shot and was blown away when he won.
"The fact that we entered a competition and won is just incredible," he said.
"We are massive fans and have loved seeing every movie that has come out." Mr Hudson said he began reading the book in high school and became hooked on the riddles, mystery and adventure.
"It was kind of the only book I liked because it took me on that adventure where you are thinking 'what's next'," he said.
"Ever since then it always stuck with me."
He said his favourite scene was when Bilbo Baggins met Gollum in the cave under the Misty Mountain and the riddles began.
"I remember my brother and I would play a little game and leave each other riddles, we used to make our own and send them to each other through the post," Mr Hudson said.
"Bilbo would be my favourite character, I like that he's quirky, he loves his home, but he's also keen for an adventure and keen to get out and shake things up.
"I think that is a good thing to aspire to be cause sometimes you can be in the comfort of your home, but if you never go on an adventure you never know what you're going to get."
Mr Hudson said he was "stoked" to finally have his own adventure.
"I've never been to New Zealand," he said.
"I don't really go on many holidays, we've got four kids.
"For me it is legitimately a dream come true and a big tick off the bucket list."
He said he was most excited to visit Hobbiton and have his picture taken in front of Bilbo's door.
"Hobbiton is where my heart is, that is the image that has stuck out in my mind for so long, but of course I'm excited to see all the locations in New Zealand," he said.
Mr Hudson said he had followed Mr Jackson's career since the beginning and could not wait to shake his hand and thank him for his works.
The five-day expedition includes visiting Auckland, Rotorua, the Hobbiton movie set near Matamata in the Waikato region, Queenstown in the South Island, the Pillar of Kings, home of the Kawerau Bungy and zipline, and Wellington.
