ContactMusic.com
December 23, 2011

The Hobbit director Peter Jackson is offering a fan the chance to visit the set of the movie in New Zealand to raise money for charity.

The filmmaker is currently shooting the Lord of the Rings prequel, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel, with stars including Martin Freeman, Hugo Weaving, Sir Ian MCKellen, Elijah Wood and Orlando Bloom.

Now Jackson is offering up the chance to visit the set of the film as part of the Stars Come Out Auction, which launched on Trademe.co.nz this week (beg19Dec11) to raise funds for scientist Sir Ray Avery's charity Medicine Mondiale.

Other offers up for auction include a chance to record songs with Crowded House's Neil Finn.

The musician says, "Ray continues his brilliant work to create innovative and low cost solutions to health problems in the developing world which attracts and intrigues me.

"He has recently developed a genius new product for infant nutrition called proteinforte and is raising money to build a factory in Nepal to produce it."

The auction will run until 9 January (12).