Next to the shopping centres, the second most popular place to be on the Border yesterday was at the cinema.

Four new movies were released, with by far most audiences flocking to Peter Jackson’s second Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Regent Cinemas Albury-Wodonga general manager Doug Henderson said about 30 people were lining up to come inside when he opened the doors yesterday and he expected to see from 3000 to 3500 patrons come through by the day’s end.

“Boxing Day is a day for the movies,” he said.

“It seems to go hand in hand with the Myer sales; they go to the sales then they go to the movies.”

Mr Henderson said each session of The Hobbit had sold out, including Gold Class tickets for the next week.

“Everyone today wants to see The Hobbit — they are movie mad on The Hobbit,” he said.

This included the McFarlane family, Chris, Anna, Kemp, 13 and Paris, 12, of Albury, who had come to see the movie.

“We’re big fans,” Mr McFarlane said.

Mrs McFarlane said the family enjoyed going to the cinema on Boxing Day to escape the warm weather outside.

Danielle Wegener, 13, of the Gold Coast, Kodi Symons, 14, and Lecia Skrypczak, 13, both of Alburym, went to see Anchorman Two.

“We decided to see a movie because all the family was there and it was so busy, so we thought why not shop and see a movie,” Kodi said.

Shelley Byrt of Albury took her two daughters Isobel, 12, and Ruby, 9, and their cousin Abby Wise, 11, of Canberra, to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.

“It’s good to beat the heat and share in it together,” Ms Byrt said.