Wellington, New Zealand

            Thursday, 28 Feb 2019 – We awoke to our alarm at 6:15 AM.  Since we had not visited Wellington previously, we had booked an 8:30 AM excursion, “In the Footsteps of Lord of the Rings,” for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy.  After an early breakfast, we went to the Insignia Lounge at the 8:15 AM specified meeting time.  Wellington is New Zealand’s capital and the country’s third largest city, with a population or 200,100 residents.  Wellington is also known as the culinary capital of New Zealand and is famous for its tucked-away bars, quirky cafes, award-winning restaurants and great coffee.

            The high temperature for the day was predicted to be 61 degrees Fahrenheit, so we dressed warmly.  We boarded the first of two 20-passenger buses waiting on the pier.  Our driver/tour guide was “Ray of Rivendale,” and our tour began with a picturesque drive along lovely Oriental Bay toward Mount Victoria.  Ray pointed out the numerous cable cars, many privately owned, that make the ascent to the homes built on the steep hillsides a lot easier.  Although small earthquakes of 2.5 magnitude shake Wellington every day, a recent severe earthquake buckled the harbor and damaged many of Wellington’s structures, making them uninhabitable.  Many of the damaged buildings have already been razed and many others are in the process of being razed.  All buildings are being inspected, and must be structurally upgraded to withstand 9.5 magnitude earthquakes.  This must be done at the owner’s expense; there are no insurance or government funds available to assist with the upgrades.  As a result, many companies are filing for bankruptcy.

            Ray also pointed out a few buildings from San Francisco that were disassembled and reconstructed in Wellington.  We passed the Wellington airport, where a portion of the hillside has been recently decorated in rainbow colors to show support for gay rights.

Gollum

Orc leader, Azog

            Our first stop was the Weta Workshop, co-founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Tania Rodger and Jamie Selkirk.  We first visited the souvenir shop which included photo opportunities with life-sized statues of Gandalf, Gollum, and the Orc leader, Azog.  Next, we followed a member of the talented Weta Workshop crew through the authentic-looking Middle-Earth doors for a unique behind-the-scenes glimpse into the workings of Weta Workshop using props, models and weapons they have helped make for the movies.  Exclusive video clips were displayed throughout the tour, as well as descriptive boards describing the process used for different disciplines, such as Armour & Costumes, Weapons & Props, Creatures & Make-up FX, Miniatures & Models, Conceptual Art and Merchandise.   We were also given a private screening of a 25-minute behind-the-scenes film, which tells the story and history of the film industry in Wellington and features interviews with Weta Workshop co-founders.  Sadly, no photography or filming was allowed inside the workshop.

Gandalf

            After leaving the Weta Workshop, we were given a driving tour of the suburb of Mirimar, now also known as “Wellywood.”  This is the heart of the New Zealand film industry with major projects going on at the moment such as “Avatar II.”  Ray pointed out numerous sights, including a gigantic green screen and the Wellingtonian, Peter Jackson’s residence.  We found it interesting that the film industry shares the area and streets with local residential homes.

            Our next stop was on Mount Victoria.  The dense forest undergrowth covering Mount Victoria served as one of the locations for "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy.  We took a stroll through the picturesque forest of the “Outer Shire” where Frodo and the Hobbits began their journey.  Many scenes were filmed here including the ‘Race to the Ferry’ and the famous ‘Get off the Road’ scene.  At least one of the scenes was filmed a few weeks before the cast arrived, using stunt doubles.  Frodo’s stunt double actually broke his collar bone while performing one of the stunts (when the hobbits fell down a steep incline), which was the take that was actually used in the movie.  Another interesting note is that Sean Astin was overweight when he was cast as Sam Gamgee; however, he had been working out and was much slimmer when he showed up on the set.  Director Peter Jackson gave him a few weeks to put back on the weight; otherwise, he would have to re-cast the part.  As a result, Sean put the weight back on with a diet of KFC and ice cream, with absolutely no exercise.  However, the diet took its toll because Sean was very ill during the early filming of the Trilogy.  Of course, it’s a well know fact that Peter Jackson filmed the Trilogy at the same time, which many in the industry considered extremely risky.

            Our final stop was a lookout point at the peak of Mount Victoria, where we had excellent photo opportunities and a view of Wellington and the bay below.  After returning to the ship, we had lunch, and then Sally napped.  Jesse also napped while trying to watch TV and ended up with a crook in his neck, for which he had to take Ibuprofen.  We went to dinner very late and conversed with Al and Amelia, seated at a table adjacent to ours.  Afterwards, we danced in the Insignia Lounge.  As with the previous night, we were only dancers on the dance floor!  Before retiring, we sat our clocks back by one hour.