Of all the days, weather wise, to be in Wellington, my full day there was certainly a good one. There were two main things I wanted to do in Wellington, go to the Weta Cave and Workshop in Miramar, and to Zealandia.
After a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, I caught the bus down to Miramar. Quick note: the bus system in Wellington is fantastic. It’s well priced, extensive, buses are clean, regular and new. Excellent system. Back to the story. I arrived at the Weta Cave, which I have visited before, but it was good to have another look around, see what’s new (all The Hobbit stuff), etc. Then I went for a tour of the Window into Workshop, which actually shows you inside Weta Workshop, where they make/have made all the armour, costumes, weapons, etc for the Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, etc films. I got to handle the Witch King of Angmar’s Morning Star (not quite as heavy as it looks, but I still wouldn’t want to be carrying it around all day!), plus you get to see heaps of other props, etc used in the films. Understandably, they have a very strict “no photos” policy, as you are getting a window in their workshop where the artists are actually making things for upcoming films, etc. On my way back I visited the Roxy Theatre, which is a brilliant Art-Deco cinema.
After lunch back in central Wellington, I caught the shuttle bus up to Zealandia. Here I teamed up with a few other backpackers/travellers, and had a great time wandering around the reservation, seeing the different native New Zealand birds and lizards. Zealandia was one of those attractions that I thought might be a nice way to pass the afternoon, but actually ended up being really, really good. I would highly recommend it as a half-day activity in Wellington, being only 10 minutes from the CBD.
(Click for larger)
The Weta Cave
Rivendell
Scale models
Weaponry
Trolls out front
The Roxy Theatre, Miramar
Zealandia
Takahē
Geko
St John’s Church, outside my hotelroom window
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