HOBBIT hoppin g Have a Hobbity Wellington weekend with our 48-hour guide to living like a Lord of the Rings WORDS ADAM BRAY HOBBITONSET MOVIE IN ADAM BRAY; MT MT DOOM: RST/IAN BRODIE WELLINGTON MOVIE TOURS; The swing-bridge across " C the Hutt River, where ! ‘Rivendell’ was fi lmed TOP RIGHT/BOTTOM: Mt MATAMATA: MATAMATA: Doom; Hobbiton movie set MAIN PHOTO: 066 066-070 48 HRS WELLINGTON RFAL.indd 066 3/8/12 5:55 PM 48 HOURS // DAY # elease of the fi rst trailer $AM I head for a leisurely breakfast at Vista Café. to Peter Jackson’s Serving breakfast until 4pm, it’s perfect for return The Hobbit: An visits for a Hobbit’s second breakfast. Unexpected Journey #%AM Ted from Wellington Movie Tours picks has reignited Lord me up for a Lord of the Rings fi lm location tour of of the Rings fervour and the greater Wellington area. It’s possible to visit RNew Zealand is switching gears many shoot locations with a car and a copy of Ian to benefi t from it. The capital, Brodie’s Lord of the Rings Locations Guidebook Wellington, is the headquarters (2005). However, since most are spread across the of Peter Jackson’s movie-making countryside without any signage, it makes sense to empire. Follow me, a devoted fan, join a tour. In the next hour, visits include Dry Creek as I visit nearby locations used in Quarry where scenes of both Helms Deep and Minas Jackson’s movies, then eat, shop Tirith were fi lmed. and hang out where the actors do, ##AM We arrive at the serene Harcourt Park. “Sir Ian and more. McKellen and Christopher Lee strolled through the grounds of Isengard, right over there,” Ted tells us. From there, we visit the spots along the Hutt River (River Anduin in the fi lms) where Aragon washed up and was rescued by his steed; and then the location where Faramir fi nds the boat carrying Boromir’s body. #&PM We stop for lunch just outside Rivendell, in Kaitoke Park. #PM I’m re-enacting a movie photo-shoot dressed as Legolas, and almost as pretty as Orlando Bloom in my artifi cial golden locks and pointy ears. &PM We drive east of downtown Wellington to Mount Victoria. Many scenes were fi lmed here, including the Nazgul approaching Weathertop; Sam and Frodo watching the elves leave for the Grey Havens; the race to Buckleberry Ferry; and the “Get T IN T E S VIE ON MO ON HOBBIT Y; AM BRA AM AD : M O O D T M OURS; T VIE N MO N O T T/IAN BRODIE T/IAN RS WELLING " C : ! O : T A T AMA T MA MAIN PHO MAIN 067 066-070 48 HRS WELLINGTON RFAL.indd 067 3/6/12 7:07 PM 48 HOURS // #.$%PM I head for steak and seafood at The Green Parrot, where Viggo Mortensen (Aragon) launched two of his own books in 2002. “What was good about the Green Parrot [wasn’t] just the atmosphere, the any of the LOTR and people and the food, but the fact that you can go there M as late as 1am after long, long days, ” Mortensen told Hobbit cast stayed at the Evening Post. Seatoun during filming &.$%PM Walking to the south-eastern end of Courtenay Place, I fi nd the “Tripod”, a sculpture o! the road!” scene when the four created by Weta Workshop in 2005. “We wanted to hobbits hid from the black rider pay tribute to the New Zealand screen industry’s under tree roots. ‘number-eight wire’ attitude and ability to create (PM The bus continues east to with whatever is at hand,” explains Richard Taylor of Miramar Peninsula, otherwise Weta Workshop. known as “Wellywood”, the centre Across the street is the Embassy Theatre. It was of New Zealand’s movie industry. here that Return of the King premiered in 2003, We pass fi lm studios along the and The Hobbit will premiere on 14 December 2012. way and I’m determined to I have a latte at the theatre’s cosy café Blondini’s, return later to explore on foot. We taking advantage of the WiFi under photos of Elijah stop at the only portion of Weta Wood and Peter Jackson from the premiere. Workshop open to the public: the '%:$%PM I end the evening with a late show down Weta Cave. Upon entering, I’m the hall. Built in 1924 to showcase silent fi lms immediately greeted by a life- sized Gollum and orcs hanging Re-enact your from above. The shop boasts favourite scenes with Wellington a mini-museum of movie props, Movie Tours replicas and out-of-print Weta collectibles, books and artwork. ).$%PM Our tour swings through Seatoun, a seaside suburb. “Many of the cast from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit stayed here during fi lming, including Cate Blanchett and the hobbits,” Ted reveals. EXPLORE MORE OF NEW ZEALAND The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit movies were ! lmed all over the country. Besides Wellington, some of the best sites to visit include Matamata (Hobbiton), Tongariro National Park (Mt Doom) and Queenstown. At Waitomo Caves, cast and crew tried black-water ra" ing. 069 066-070 48 HRS WELLINGTON RFAL.indd 069 3/6/12 12:45 PM // 48 HOURS purchased and renovated by Weta founder Richard TAKE ME THERE Taylor. Special touches from Weta Workshop include a life-size bronzed Gollum. $!PM I hop on bus number 2 for Te Papa, the national EMBASSY THEATRE museum. Te Papa’s collections include art, natural 10 Kent Tce, Wellington, history, and both Maori and Pacifi c cultural treasures. tel: +64 (4) 384 7657 %PM While fashion is not really my thing, this is the GREEN PARROT accompanied by orchestra, the point where discerning connoisseurs would enjoy 16 Taranaki St, Wellington, Embassy Theatre still maintains visiting local designers Starfi sh, Zambesi and Robyn tel: +64 (4) 384 6080 its original marble staircases, tiled Mathieson — all favoured by Liv Tyler (Arwen). MATTERHORN foyers and plaster ceilings. &PM Dinner is at the fashionable Matterhorn. “I RESTAURANT loved the Matterhorn Bar,” Elijah Wood (Frodo) told 106 Cuba St, Wellington, DAY ! TheOneRing.net, “…a great local bar we went to. tel: +64 (4) 384 3359 "AM I take Metlink bus 30 to They make some of the best eggs Benedict by MOLLY MALONES Scorching Bay for breakfast. The the way.” Cnr Taranaki St & Chocolate Fish was a favourite "PM Next, I enjoy live music at Molly Malones. Courtenay Plc, Wellington, beachside café for Peter Jackson Wellington’s original Irish pub was a favourite haunt tel: +64 (4) 384 2896 and Elijah Wood during fi lming. of British actor Sean Bean (Boromir). MOTEL BAR It has since moved and the new $'PM I’m o! to enjoy the nightlife of Courtenay Place, 4 Forresters Ln, cafe is now Scorch O Rama, where beginning with Motel Bar, a place so exclusive it’s Te Aro, Wellington, I fi nd fantastic views, great co! ee rumoured they turned Liv Tyler away. tel: +64 (4) 384 9084 and tantalising bakery items. ROBYN MATHIESON #AM In Miramar, I stroll through 97 Willis St, Wellington, Wellywood. Beginning at Stone Jetstar has great low fares to Wellington. Visit Jetstar.com tel: +64 (4) 499 0409 Street Studios, I peer past a gate to book. ROXY CINEMA at a massive set for The Hobbit’s 5 Park Rd, Miramar, Lake Town. Turning north along tel: +64 (4) 388 5555 Park Road is the Park Road Post- SCORCH O RAMA Production Studios. Finally, at 497 Karaka Bay Rd, Camperdown Road, I come to Scorching Bay, Seatoun, Weta Workshop where maquettes tel: +64 (4) 388 4970 sit on o" ce windowsills. STARFISH $$AM I walk to the nearby Roxy 128 Willis St, Wellington, Cinema for an early lunch at the tel: +64 (4) 385 3722 in-house restaurant, Coco on the TE PAPA MUSEUM Roxy. The old movie theatre was 55 Cable St, Wellington, tel: +64 (4) 381 7000 VISTA CAFÉ 106 Oriental Pde, Wellington, tel: +64 (4) 385 7724 WELLINGTON MOVIE TOURS Tel: +64 (27) 419 3077 WETA CAVE Cnr Camperdown Rd and Weka St, tel: +64 (4) 380 9361 ZAMBESI 107 Customhouse Quay, Movie collectibles at Weta Cave Wellington, tel: + 64 (4) 472 3638 070 066-070 48 HRS WELLINGTON RFAL.indd 070 3/6/12 12:46 PM.