It is not easy to find and study fossils. Fossils are sometimes found in exposed surfaces (like cliffs and mountainsides) and places where the ground surface was exposed such as mining sites, river beds, quarries and road cuts - places that are unsafe to people. Understanding some fossils are also a challenge, especially on potentially new species. The Hobbit fossil took quite some from discovery to being unveiled to the public because the comprised a nearly complete skeletons of a distinct human species.
