Hobbits set to trim their hairy feet in New Zealand.

Thank God or Gandalf or whoever, that's over!( for now.) The filming of the Lord of the rings prequel, The Hobbit, looks set to be filmed on New Zealand shores, the ensuing debacle, over will it wont it, has dragged on longer than Legolas trimming his glorious elven pubes. Its interesting though after two days of "crisis" talks that the good old PM still cops it between the legs. Whether its because I'm looking through Union Jack tinted spectacles here, in that, In the UK we have been fucked over by expenses swindling politicians since the pre Cambrian era. In a way I 'm trying to say I feel a bit sorry for John Key, If (like in the UK) he had let the hobbit go and be filmed by a former porn director in Poland, in exchange for a signed copy and an international arms treaty then he deservedly would have got the flack. Instead he did a deal which kept the shoot in its rightful home...and still got a big kick in the Nazguls. Ultimately I think there is some strength to the argument that dropping the tax threshold for a film is below the belt, and in the end the NZ tax payer are the ones who will pick up the bill. But from an outside point of view it seems like a good call, the earning potential of The Hobbit in spin offs will be massive and as far as I can see will nicely fill the tourism/merchandise vacuum that next years rugby world cup will surely create. In short kiwi's, think yourself lucky that your not shelling out for EU commissioners marble baths or elaborate duck furniture, but something rather cool and hopefully another proud icon made in Aotearoa.