What is "matamata"

Pleuroderes \Pleu*rod"e*res\, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. ? the side + ? the neck.] (Zo["o]l.) A group of fresh-water turtles in which the neck can not be retracted, but is bent to one side, for protection. The matamata is an example.

n. A species of side-necked turtle, (taxlink Chelus fimbriatus species), whose shell resembles a dead leaf.

Matamata is a rural Waikato town in New Zealand with a population of around 7,500. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which takes in the surrounding rural areas as well as Morrinsville and Te Aroha. State Highway 27 and the Kinleith Branch railway run through the town.

A nearby farm was the location for the Hobbiton Movie Set in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. The New Zealand government decided to leave the Hobbit holes built on location as tourist attractions, since they were designed to blend seamlessly into the environment. During the interim period filming The Return of the King and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey they had no furniture or props, but could be entered with vistas of the farm viewed from inside them. A "Welcome to Hobbiton" sign has been placed on the main road. In 2011 parts of Hobbiton began to close in preparation for the three new movies based on the first Tolkien novel, The Hobbit.

Matamata was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the Waikato, from 1978 to 1996. It was a rural and safe National electorate, held by Jack Luxton from 1978 to 1987, and then by his son John Luxton from 1987 to 1996.