Wellington and Weta Workshop

We sailed into Wellington and had a few hours before our Weta Workshop tour. Larkin and I met up with Sun and Jeong from Wisconsin to take a bus ride in to Wellington prior to our afternoon tour. The four of us mostly walked and enjoyed the beautiful day before we had to take the bus back to the boat for our tour of the workshop. As we waited the only shade was a tree that was adorned with beautiful orange flowers. It was incredible to watch the bees and bumblebees zoom in and out. Live capture on Apple photos made finding the best shot easier! Love the bumblebees tiny wings – now how can he fly?

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Michael and I did our very first cruise in 1994 on the Holland America Maasdam. Michael lectured on wine as we sailed from Papette, Tahiti to Los Angeles. We still have wonderful friends Bill and Val that we met on the ship. We learned after 6 days at sea you CAN smell land – or at least LA. For the Maasdam it was the end of a world cruise. We knew over 25 years ago we wanted to take this World adventure. Having Larkin in the intervening years and having her join us after graduating from college is just a wonderful bonus.

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As we drove around Wellington on our way to Weta Workshop in Miramar, we passed a few unique painted walls. The one on the left is called the Shark wall that is famous enough it could be the Shark Selfie wall. The middle is a “lift” and it is how many people on this steep part of the city get to their homes. No garage…no stairs..just a lift. I answered the questions correctly when he asked how do you think people get their couches and refrigerators up…helicoptered in on a nice day like the day we were there. This little area reminds me of Sausalito near us north of San Francisco. Normally the wind screams at about 30 miles an hour. They have a fountain in the Bay that only works at under 20 miles an hour – so we saw it running! It was yet another amazing day of weather off the ship!

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If you look at the photo on the left at the bottom you can just make out the Wellington sign. The bus drove right by the sign into the little split between the hills to reach Miramar. This community can create a movie from start to finish. Amazing what a few creative locals can do to create a needed industry. New Zealand is now famous for its Hobbit and Lord of the Rings (LOTR) movies. We were able to see filming sites in 2018 on our trip to Queenstown and the south island and now we have been able to see Weta Workshop where they created so many feet, hands, noses, helmets, arms, swords, you name it, they can create it. We were not able to take photos of the great props as they don’t own the license to many of the items.

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Double Vision Brewery is owned by the studio and it must keep the minions on Miramar very happy! After we finished touring the Weta Workshop in Miramar we headed to Mt. Victoria to hike to the sites of filming and then the gorgeous view from the top. Larkin was one of the brave ones to go down to the almost cave and have her photo taken. Our guide would show us photo from the film and the Monterrey Pines in the backdrop to the film that are still in the forest. When they needed leaves they realized pine tree only have needles so they went to the Wellington Botanic garden and picked up oak tree leaves. The forest photo on the left is fairly flat with Wellington in the background. The forest photo on the right is actually very steep. When we watched the film that night we saw the trees and it made it personal. The black rider was near where our bus was parked. The director couldn’t figure out how to get the horses exhaling and be able see it but not the rider who is suppose to be dead…one of the extras had a snorkle in his car and suggested it would work – voila he gave it to the rider who put it in his mouth and back down his back. Problem Solved.

Samwise’s character decided to get in shape before filming. OOPS. He was suppose to be the fat hobbit yet he came to New Zealand in shape. He spent six weeks eating KFC and donuts to gain about 30 pounds. By the time they had to run up the hill on the right he couldn’t do it so the other three hobbits ran up and down over at least a dozen takes and Samwise would join popping out from behind a tree near the top. Whatever works! It helped that he knew someone so they didn’t have to find another man to play his hobbit part.

Originally the powers that be did not want a premier for The Lord of the Rings to be held in Wellington even though it was filmed in New Zealand. They thought the city was way to small. However by the time third segment in the trilogy came around in 2003, The Return of the King, they brought it to Wellington. There were only 250,000 people at the premier!!! The country turned out to see this premier and the New Zealanders were so proud of their countrymen for producing it.

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Executive chef Roland showed us around the kitchen with a couple of dozen fellow travelers. There are 63 chefs…and 24 hours of chefs doing pastries..From Canapes to trays of petit fours they know how to create, prepare and serve seemlessly in four different restaurants.

We had a wonderful Mexican meal created by our chefs. We had no clue our chefs could create such a scrumptious meal. We were all impressed – and the reposado margaritas were delicious! Ole!

On the two days across the Tasman Sea we enjoyed the high seas and higher waves! Interesting crashes as items slid off dressers or tables…glad it was in the middle of the night. At least by the time we cruised into Sydney Harbor the seas had calmed.

Its filling up next to our door…They make us smile!