Category: New Zealand and Australia

Queenstown and the Weta Cave

Our drive down to Queenstown was uneventful. Much of the same landscape we’ve been seeing – lots of hills, sheep and cattle. I had been checking availability for a tour I had read about that would supplement what we had seen at Hobbiton.

As we got closer to Queenstown, I made a booking for us at the Wētā Workshop. Founded in 1987, it is an award winning creative services company, taking on projects of all sizes. This 58,000 square foot building makes physical effects. These include things like costumes, weapons, armour, vehicles, models and miniatures, special makeup effects and much more. 

They are known for contributing props, weapons, costumes, vehicles, armour, miniatures and much more to a variety of wonderful projects including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, Avatar, Alien: Romulus, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Blade Runner 2049, 

Entrance to the Wētā Cave, the gift shop.

Much of the tour we could not take pictures. We learned how they took moulds of faces in order to make special effects. We saw props that were used in films. We saw hobbit hands and feet.

A hobbit foot.
The monster on the right could have its mouth manipulated by the electronic control on the left.
All made from aluminum foil!

We learned how they used plastics, foil and other materials in making props. We even had a chance to try making something using aluminum foil.

And then it was photo time….complete with props!

And then the tour was done and we said goodbye to another troll outside the cave.

And the rain came…

Tuesday morning we headed south. We were heading to the coastal town of Napier via what is supposed to be a lovely lake called Lake Taupo. We decided we could take a slightly longer, more scenic route but unfortunately, the skies clouded over and the mists came and by the time we got to the lake, it was raining a fair bit.

Lots of hills and as we got close to the lake we could see occasional areas of thermal activity.

After eating lunch at the lake, we carried on to Napier, which is a lovely Art Deco town, but the weather wasn’t conducive to sight seeing. We checked in to our hotel and picked up some more groceries.

We’re thankful for our location this week. There is a cyclone off the coast of north New Zealand that is forecast to arrive in some of the areas we’ve been travelling in.

It is expected not only in the Northland but also Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula, all of which we have just travelled through.

Tomorrow we continue south to Wellington and see more of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit displays.