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<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>New Zealand, home of <span>rolling hillsides, endless sheep, and film locations for "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy, has racked up a new claim to fame.</span></p><p><span>Silicon Valley billionaires are reportedly buying property on the small island nation so that they have somewhere to flee in the event of a global catastrophe. "Buying a house in New Zealand" has become a sort of code for getting "apocalypse insurance."</span></p><p><span>A<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/30/doomsday-prep-for-the-super-rich?mbid=social_facebook"> new essay in The New Yorker</a> digs into the ways some of the wealthiest people in America are preparing for doomsday. <span>Reid Hoffman, t</span><span>he cofounder of LinkedIn and a notable venture capitalist</span><span>, told the New Yorker he estimates more than 50% of Silicon Valley billionaires have bought some level of </span><span>apocalypse insurance, like an underground bunker.</span></span></p><p>Hoffman recalled a time when he thought about visiting New Zealand, and a friend asked him if he planned to buy apocalypse insurance while he was there.</p><p>"<span>Saying you're 'buying a house in New Zealand' is kind of a wink, wink, say no more," Hoffman told The New Yorker. "Once you've done the Masonic handshake, they'll be, like, 'Oh, you know, I have a broker who sells old ICBM silos, and they're nuclear-hardened, and they kind of look like they would be interesting to live in.'"</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock and Neilson Barnard/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">Peter Thiel.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal and a member of President Donald Trump's transition team, became a New Zealand citizen in 2011 and owns real estate there. <a href="http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&amp;objectid=11787741">According to The New Zealand Herald</a>, Thiel bought a mansion in the southern resort town of Queenstown in 2011 and a sprawling estate on the shores of <span>Lake Wanaka - valued around $10 million - in 2015.</span></span></p><p><span><span>A real estate listing described the 477-acre property as "a most beautiful and picturesque farm," offering "a secluded and peaceful setting." It sounds like a nice place to wait out Armageddon, though the venture capitalist <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/technology/peter-thiel-new-zealand-citizenship.html">has yet to expressly name New Zealand</a> his "backup country."</span></span></p><p><span><span>Y Combinator president Sam Altman allegedly <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/sam-altmans-manifest-destiny">wants to fly to Thiel's property</a> in the case of a pandemic.</span></span></p><p>Tech billionaires are channeling their inner Bear Grylls for a number of reasons. Hoffman <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/30/doomsday-prep-for-the-super-rich?mbid=social_facebook">told The New Yorker</a> that some rich people fear a backlash against Silicon Valley as artificial intelligence takes away an increasing number of jobs from humans. The CEO of a large tech company cited <span>Russian cyberattacks as evidence of risk that the US might fall into <span>disorder.</span></span></p><p>In response to all of this, <a href="http://www.recode.net/2017/1/30/14436502/peter-thiel-bumpy-trump-silicon-valley#94122528-tw%231485797513675">Recode's Kara Swisher shared a joke</a> she heard from a techie.</p><p>"In the event of doomsday, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is I have a bunker in New Zealand. The bad news? Peter Thiel is my neighbor," Swisher wrote.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/doomsday-shelters-rich-vivos-x-point-2017-1">These doomsday shelters for the 1% make up the largest private bunker community on earth</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZpeGswOTE6T5fnJpwL2q-iNThlSd5uhl" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Buying a house in New Zealand is Silicon Valley code for getting 'apocalypse insurance'

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<p class="source"><span>Twitter</span></p>
<p class="caption">Kogan.com founder Ruslan Kogan.</p>
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</div></div>Some of Australia's best-known tech millionaires were in New Zealand last week at a mysterious meetup where the requirement for entry was having a company valued at over $100 million.
<p>Participants in the exclusive event, held just before Australia Day, have been sworn to secrecy but we've been able to piece together what happened.</p>
<p>While the event didn't have a formal name it has been referred to as a gathering of "unicorns and centurions", with the unicorns being leaders of companies that have reached a $1 billion valuation and centurions those with a valuation over $100 million.</p>
<p>It's believed the idea came from billionaire Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes. The group met in Queenstown, the picturesque tourist retreat on New Zealand's South Island.</p>
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<p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.xero.com/blog/2013/08/xerocon-sydney-2013-developer-day/">Xero.com</a></span></p>
<p class="caption">Mike Cannon-Brookes presents as a guest speaker at Xero's developer day.</p>
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</div></div>Participants exchanged views on the future of Australia's tech startup industry and engaged in "peer support" discussions on the various challenges facing their businesses.
<p>Naturally, there was some quad biking, hiking, and fishing, too. (And, according to one source, some helicopters.)</p>
<p>Among the invitees were Seek co-founder Paul Bassat, online retail entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan, the founders of Campaign Monitor Dave Greiner and Ben Richardson, Freelancer.com CEO Matt Barrie, and Canva founder Melanie Perkins.</p>
<p>We approached all of the above for comment and while none denied attending, they all declined to comment. (Another invitee was TradeMe founder Sam Morgan, who we've asked for comment.)</p>
<p>One of the attendees, when asked about it, replied: "The first rule of Fight Club is that Fight Club doesn't exist."</p>
<p>What's remarkable is that 10 years ago the number of Australian tech entrepreneurs with companies valued at over $100 million could have been counted on one hand. While Australian startups face well-documented challenges accessing skills, mentorship and funding, the group is evidence of the growing success of some of the country's brightest entrepreneurs. Around 20 people were invited, Business Insider understands.</p>
<p>One goal was for the group to "get to know each other better" and talk about the challenges founders face growing tech companies in Australia. There were also discussions about technology, partnerships and raising capital.</p>
<p>Despite the secrecy, with a group of tech leaders in spectacular surroundings, there would inevitably be a trail. Mike Cannon-Brookes posted this photo of a tranquil valley which looks suspiciously like the South Island:</p>
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   <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cantcomplain?src=hash">#cantcomplain</a> <a href="http://t.co/mi2aReqBie">pic.twitter.com/mi2aReqBie</a>  </p>- Mike Cannon-Brookes  (@mcannonbrookes) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/558432731143499776">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p><span>And Ruslan Kogan looks like he had a great afternoon's fishing on the lake:</span></p>
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   Trifecta! First 3 catches of the day Salmon, Rainbow and Brown Trout. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/queenstown?src=hash">#queenstown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fishing?src=hash">#fishing</a> <a href="http://t.co/1ayRL9C3aO">pic.twitter.com/1ayRL9C3aO</a>  </p>- Ruslan Kogan  (@ruslankogan) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/558723675780685824">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p>The group collectively agreed nobody would comment on the trip.</p>
<p>Atlassian co-founders Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar are increasingly assuming a mentoring role for entrepreneurs in Australia.</p>
<p>The company, which is now more than 12 years old, was valued last year at $3.3 billion. It's growing fast and plans to add another 600 people to its existing 900 employees before the end of the financial year.</p>
<p>Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar built the company from scratch using a "no bullsh*t" rule as their guiding principle.</p>
<p>Both guys now work extensively to build the nation's startup community. Late last year&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/atlassians-scott-farquhar-led-a-2-million-investment-in-a-safety-startup-and-has-been-turning-up-to-work-there-2014-11">Farquhar led a $2 million investment round in Queensland-based safety startup SafetyCulture and he's even been turning up to work there.</a></p>
<p>Cannon-Brookes is also an investor in a number of tech companies and regularly speaks at some of the country's biggest startup events including SydStart.</p>

EXCLUSIVE: A Bunch Of Australian Tech Millionaires Held An Epic Secret Summit In New Zealand

<p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The <a href="http://www.hobbitontours.com/">Hobbiton Movie Set</a> in Matamata, New Zealand, will make you feel like you've just stepped into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit" films and books. </span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">First opened in 2002, Hobbiton is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in New Zealand, drawing in </span></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">more than 350,000 visitors a year.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>When you enter the 1,250-acre Alexander Farm, you'll see 37 hobbit holes waiting to be explored.</span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span>You can step inside the house of Bilbo Baggins and see where Samwise Gamgee and Rosie Cotton lived. S</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">ome of the hobbit holes are big enough to explore while others are miniature in size. </span></span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Outside the homes are everyday items from the lives of hobbits including cabbage gardens, smoked fish, honey pots, butterfly catchers, and hobbit-sized shirts and pants hung on clotheslines to dry. </span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Peter Jackson came across the farm while conducting an aerial search of the North Island. When he saw the area, he thought it was the perfect location for Hobbiton, one of the places in the Shire where Hobbits lived. </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">They began site construction in 1999, implementing incredible detail to make the set complete. The Party Tree was created with artificial leaves imported from Taiwan and individually wired onto the tree. </span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The set was rebuilt again in 2011 for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," and "The Hobbit: There and Back Again."</span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Since then, it's been a permanent attraction adorned with bridges, gardens, the Mill and other locations you might recognize from the set. </span></span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>You can <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">stop into the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/new-zealands-green-dragon-pub-2012-12">Green Dragon Inn, which opened in the park December of 2012 </a>and is featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as the local meeting places for the Hobbiton and Bywater residents.</span></span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">This was where hobbits would gather to drink, enjoy a meal, and discuss what was happening in the Shire. </span></span></span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Today, the Green Dragon Inn offers an exact replica of what is seen in the films, where you can enjoy a cold cup of beer or cider and sample traditional Hobbit fare like beef and ale pie. </span></span></span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">You can tour the Hobbiton Movie Set year-round for $75, which includes transport to and from the set, a complimentary drink at the Green Dragon Inn, and a guide who will explain how the set was created.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">You can also embark on the Evening Dinner Tour at $190, where you'll be treated to a banquet feast with Hobbit fare, and a nighttime tour where you'll be given an authentic handheld lantern as you walk through an illuminated Hobbiton.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">While you're in the area, be sure to see some of New Zealand's other locations that inspired the movie including </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Mount Ruapehu, which became Mt. Doom, and Queenstown, which was the setting for several scenes including the Eregion Hills and the Pillars of Argonath. </span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/disney-world-hacks-adults-2014-5">7 Disney World Hacks Just For Adults</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1xczN1bTrnY4duYU1s2DpUToOph9w4Ys" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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