This morning we walked a short distance to the next hotel, where it would be easier for the tour bus pickup. We drove past the Embassy Theatre that hosted premieres of The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, which we saw yesterday.
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| We then were driven up Mount Victoria to a lookout point, first viewing the city of Wellington (KSS) |
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| Another viewpoint looking NW over Wellington (KSS) |
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| Then the view SE toward Miramar Peninsula that was originally an island until c 1460 CE when an earthquake caused the land between to rise and connect the island to the mainland; the flat grey area on the left side of the connecting isthmus is the Wellington Airport |
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| Mount Victoria is covered by Pinus radiata/ Monterey Pines, which were planted in the 1940s for erosion control |
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| This path was a filming location for Hobbiton Woods in The Lord of the Rings movies, where Frodo and the others ran and hid from the Black Rider who is seen as a silhouette back up the hill (KSS) |
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| I sat in the tour bus as Kent and the other travellers went to the Hobbit's Hideaway, which was to be a hike downhill, and then a return uphill, with eerie trees all around (KSS) |
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| Genista monspessulana/Cape Broom is invasive (KSS) |
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| This is the hillside where the Hobbits tumbled down after fleeing Farmer Maggot, and stopped to pick mushrooms |
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| The guide showed photos of the scenes in the movies, and behind her is the near horizontal branches in front of which Frodo stands when he hears something and yells, "Get off the road!" |
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| I think it is actually behind the guide where the Hobbits hid under the roots of a large tree, as the Ring- wraith searched for the ring, but the tree was fabricated by the Wētā Workshop and removed (KSS) |
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| We keep looking for signs of spring: Allium triquetrum /Three-cornered Leek, another invasive plant |
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| Bench with a quote from The Lord of the Rings (KSS) |
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| Is this a 1,000' chasm into which Bilbo supposedly falls in The Hobbit? (KSS) |
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| Kent spotted the Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae/ Kererū/New Zealand Wood Pigeons... (KSS) |
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| ...the same bird painted on our tour bus (KSS) |
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| We drove over to Miramar Peninsula of Wellington that is known as "Wellywood" as it has become the heart of New Zealand's film industry; Stone Street Studios was established by director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) and has four purpose-built sound stages |
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| Tamiko at the Wētā Workshop entrance; the company is known for designing and building physical effects, props, costumes, and miniatures for blockbuster films like The Lord of the Rings and Avatar, and TV shows like Hercules:The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess (KSS) |
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| Cave Troll from The Hobbit movies (KSS) |
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| The gift shop entrance mimics a Hobbit House |
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| The Wētā gift shop was having a sale on their figurines (KSS) |
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| These miniatures cost NZ$49.99, about $29 (KSS) |
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| The last one! ...Hobbiton (KSS) |
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| Tamiko holds a handmade fantastical creature crafted by Sonja Howard, who is Australian, autistic and has synesthesia (a condition where her brain interprets sounds, letters, and numbers as colours) |
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| The hands are operating joysticks that are manipulating facial expressions on this head (KSS) |
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| Hobbit feet (KSS) |
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| Development of a figurine (KSS) |
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| Paint department display (KSS) |
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| Eggheads? (KSS) |
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| All the different departments of the Wētā Workshop (KSS) |
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| The amazing Kim Beaton with her aluminium sculptures; she put on a demo for us and encouraged us to try our own sculpting (KSS) |
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| Tamiko's aluminium kiwi sculpture (KSS) |
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| A row of houses on Oriental Parade were built in 1906 and designed by Joshua Charlesworth to each be unique; an unusual example of a New Zealand interpretation of San Franciscan terrace housing (KSS) |
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| More of the "Painted Ladies" (KSS) |
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| These houses are locally known as The Seven Sisters (KSS) |
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