I deeply regret not having more time here as Wellington had such a chill vibe and right by is another Lord of the Rings filming spot I would love to see. I seriously have to come back to New Zealand, no choice at this point.
Any way, my flight landed and I got a bit perplexed at the airport. I was met with Lord of the Rings statues the second I left to find a place to store my suitcase. This proved hard and I got lost in the small airport, but then I figured it out and headed out for any SFX enthusiast dream: Weta Cave. Fine, it is also any Lord of the Ring fans dream also.
Weta Cave
Weta Cave is a wet dream for anybody interested in SFX, prosthetics and props for famous movies. Not only Lord of the Rings and The hobbit, but also movies such as Mulan, Avatar, Dune and Mad Max. It is possible to book a 90 minute tour to get a glimpse of their workshop or even join a short course to learn how to make wounds or work with leather. These tours are also very much possible to combine to get an even more immersive experience.
I only booked the 90 minute tour. This was due to a mix of lack of time and I already know how to make wounds. Leather would have been a new experience, but I wanted to see a bit of Wellington as well.
A lot of the tour does not allow you to take photographies, so you will have to visit yourself to see all the amazing costumes that are on display. At one point there is even a window into where the workers are creating new props for a possible future movie.
Later on a lady sat and demonstrated her craft and you could talk about how she got into it and learn from an even more personal angle.
Highly recommend doing this even if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan as they have worked on so many more movies and their repertoire goes all the way back to 1987.
If you are not going to Wellington, but still have some time in Auckland they do have a workshop you can visit there as well. It is right by the Sky Tower.
For more information, please visit their website.
Logistic issues
It is not hard to get back to the airport where I left my suitcase, but the problem comes in the form off do I get it or return for it? My bus was leaving from Wellington Station just a bit over 3 hours later. I did not want to drag it around. I also did not want to buy a new locker for it in Wellington.
Conclusion: It was going sightseeing with me (sigh)!
Wellington
I had such lovely weather, luckily. Though, I was dragging a 25 kg suitcase and 8 kg backpack around in warm spring weather, which was not ideal. It made for many small breaks so I would not be sweaty when I got on the bus.
Cuba Street
I went window shopping in Cuba Street and also peeked my head inside a handful of stores. It had an amazing vibe with street performers around, the odd bucket fountain and unique stores.
Wellington Waterfront Walk
This is where you can fill in as the letter I, in the Wellington sculpture. As a solo traveler I figured this was not possible, but a very nice lady asked me if I would like for her to take my photo, chich I gratefully said yes to.
While I considered going in to look at Maori Arts Gallery or Museum of New Zealand that was close to the harbour, I decided not to. I would rather enjoy dinner and take my time eating before the bus.
This led me to walking along the shore side and just enjoy the view before I stopped at The Crab Shack. I had read a few other menus, but seafood just really screamed at me.
I ordered one of their Crab pots and it was amazing, messy, but so amazing. This is one of the few dishes I would travel for just to have again.
And thus my short time ended in Wellington, a bit of wasted time in the Airport and some extra lifting with my suitcase.
Rover Saga 