Wellington, New Zealand: A Lord of the Rings Focus

Location:
New Zealand

By Wendy Ng

Wellington, the small and perhaps unremarkable capital city of New Zealand blazed with the borrowed glory of the famous "Lord of the Rings" movie stars as they marched victoriously along the red carpet for the "Return of the King" world premiere at the Embassy Theatre. Thousands of fans flanked the sides of the red carpet, the females screamed and thrusted autograph books at the stars, hoping to be the lucky few receivers of the coveted autographs. Photographers had a field day as they flashed their cameras faster than lightning. Some fans even clambered onto lamp posts and roadside electric boxes to get the best vantage point of the stars and, of course, the best camera angle. Unfortunately, the hobbit-size me had come too late to reserve a good spot right beside the carpet. Some of the more ardent fans even camped out beside the red carpet the previous night. Those in front towered over me. It was only with the aid of a kind-hearted, tall man that I managed to secure my sole autograph and one precious photograph.

Tired of my inability to catch a good view, I finally wandered off to visit the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. It was not to be —yet. I was nearing the museum when I spotted some teenage girls who were giggling and almost hyperventilating. They had apparently just seen Orlando Bloom. I practically worshiped the ground he walked on, so I hastened forward toward the direction they had gestured. Sadly, there was no sign of the star, so I headed toward the museum again.

I finally got into the museum, a remarkable museum showcasing the history of New Zealand (the Land of the Long White Cloud) and its people. It proved to be an excellent geology and natural environment lesson as well. More remarkable (for me), there was a temporary exhibition of the props used in the "Lord of the Rings" movies and explanations about filming techniques and digital effects. The museum visit doubled as a film making lesson.

The next day I took a Rover Ring Tour that featured some of the "Lord of the Rings" filming locations in and around Wellington. The tour took the group to the quiet, riverside park where Rivendell scenes were filmed. Everything, sadly, had been dismantled, which made it slightly difficult to connect the place with the movie images. Although, the knowledgeable guide explained which parts of the park had been used, some of the logistical issues during the shooting and so on. 

A few more other sites were identified from various scenes and we dropped by the exterior of the Weta Studio, where a lot of the special effects had been set up. We were lucky enough to spot the crumbling remains of a monstrous Oliphaunt model. The guide also took us the quaint seaside suburb of Seatoun, pointing out the unremarkable house that the movie trilogy’s director, Peter Jackson, lived in while filming. Then, the final stop on the tour was a small café where the stars liked to frequent during the filming.

While the tour was not completely what I expected, since the film sets had been dismantled, it proved to be unique and deviated from the typical itineraries and must-dos listed in my guide book. For any serious "Lord of the Rings" fan tours like these can be a breath of fresh air.

I left Wellington the next day to embark on the remainder of my adrenaline-seeking trip in New Zealand. Having slaked my "Lord of the Rings" thirst, I was ready to splurge on all the adventurous activities that New Zealand had to offer.

Further Information

Travel tips: Research, research,research, and a healthy bank account if you're an adrenaline junkie.

Must see/do at this place: The museum, sailing,walks.