Dinner and a tragedy.

August 21

Thursday during the day was fairly uneventful. But Thursday evening brought with it the excitement of getting dressed up and going to a show.

Myself, Jen, Una and Denise met up around 5:30, dressed in our best and ready to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s production of “Romeo and Juliet” at the St. James Theater. We decided to go out to dinner beforehand, simply because dinner and a show sounded very fitting.

We roamed our way down Cuba Street, trying to make a decision on a place to eat. I finally suggested the Matterhorn, both because we’d just seen on TV the night before that it had been named the best restaurant in New Zealand by Cuisine magazine, and because we were basically standing right in front of it. Plus, the hobbits named it as one of their favorite spots in Wellington. And, since all of us are Lord of the Rings fans, that was just icing on the cake.

It’s a very “flash” restaurant inside, but not necessarily as expensive as we were fearing. The main dishes were, on average, about $30. Una got a main of lamb, while Jen, Denise and I opted for a mix of entrees and side dishes. I got twice-baked gorgonzola cheese (which was good if you really like cheese), and a side order of green beans in a buttery sauce with roasted almonds. The green beans were amaaaaazing! I would go back there just for the beans! The atmosphere of the place was also nice, and we all felt very sophisticated eating there. Plus, we can now say we’ve eaten at the best place in the country!

After dinner, we hurried down to the St. James to find our seats. The St. James is a quaint little theater that looks very Victorian inside. The best part is the fact that you can see the stage no matter how high up you’re sitting.

The ballet itself was pretty amazing. I think it helped that I was familiar with the story, too. Because, even though there were no words (just dancing, and music by the Wellington Vector Symphony Orchestra), you always knew what was going on and who was who. The costuming and characterization helped here, too, partly a credit to the dancers. The dancers who played Juliet and Mercutio in particular were very good at expressing their characters. Juliet was a very talented dancer, and also a good actress. I actually believed she was a young girl falling in love.


The dancing in general was impressive, and I even liked to modern, simplistic set and costume design. It was just enough to set the scene, while still putting the main focus on the dancing.

I think my favorite scenes were the Masquerade scene, where Romeo and Juliet meet; the death scene at the end; and, my favorite, a pas de deux between Romeo and Juliet soon after they first meet leading up to their first kiss. It was so… perfect! There’s no other way to describe it. It made me smile.

I wish I had more opportunities to see shows like that. It was a lot of fun, and I really like ballet, I’ve decided. (Even my experiences with L. Bell can’t change that.)

Date night with Jamie.

August 19

Since it was the last week of classes before our mid-semester break, Jamie and I didn’t really feel like doing much work. On Tuesday, we decided that dinner and a movie sounded much better than doing something as silly as homework. Actually, I don’t think either of us had any homework… but I’d rather think of us as rebels. Heh.

Andrea refused to join us, as she had a Thursday exam to study for. So Jamie and I decided to make it a date. We had dinner at Hog’s Breath (soon becoming a favorite of mine), and decided we’d go see “Charlie Bartlett” at 5:15. It was discount Tuesday, so we only paid $10 for our tickets, as opposed to the normal student price of $13.50. That $3.50 may not sound like much, but that’s totally a load in the washing machine, and then some.

In between dinner and the movie, I ran over to the St. James Theater to pick up tickets for the ballet on Thursday night. Getting the tickets was more of a fiasco than I’d anticipated. When I first tried around 4:00, the woman at the box office said I needed all 4 student IDs if I wanted to buy 4 student tickets. So Una ran around collecting IDs, and made her way down to Courtenay Place to meet me at the theater before the movie started. But, naturally, since we’d gone to all that trouble, the guy working at the box office at 5:00 didn’t really care if we had all the IDs or not. Go figure.

Jamie and I made it to the movie just in time, and enjoyed a slightly cliché, yet entertaining film. Robert Downey Jr. was good in it (as seems to be the trend with him lately), and the kid playing Charlie reminded me a bit of Peter, who I interned with last summer.

Back in my flat, it was Outrageous Fortune with the girls, and an early night.

Through the wardrobe and into many parks.

A Red Carpet Weekend:
August 16 – Saturday

Saturday dawned even earlier than Friday had, because I was meant to meet the group at their hotel at 8:30 a.m. And, since it takes at least 20 minutes to get down to Oriental Bay… well, you do the math – I had to be up extra early on my Saturday! But it was worth it. The weather, predicted to be rainy and wet all weekend, cleared up for us as we set out.

Our first stop was Mount Victoria and the filming location where the hobbits hid under a tree root from a black rider. Josephine wore her elven cloak, Susi played the black rider with her scarf pulled over her head, and we spent a ridiculous amount of time taking pictures in the chilly morning air. Anthony even coaxed Dulce into re-enacting the scene where the hobbits fall down the hill. And when I say “coaxed,” I mean he dragged her down into the dirt. Haha.

After taking our fill of photos, we made our way back into the van. I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t head all the way up Mt. Vic, as the view of Wellington would have been impressive on such a clear morning. But oh well – I wasn’t the one behind the wheel.

Next stop was Stansborough in Petone. Stansborough is responsible for a lot of the woolen costumes (mainly cloaks) in the Lord of the Rings and Narnia films. Cheryl, the owner and director of the Stansborough farm and factory, let slip that they’re already at work on designs for the Hobbit – namely some Gandalf cloaks. (But shhh, you didn’t hear that from me!)

Cheryl talked to us about Stansborough, and then led us “through the wardrobe” into the informational portion of the Stansborough factory. I really suggest visiting it if you can, as it has such a great story. Cheryl and her husband bought a flock of grey sheep 16 years ago, and have since been selectively breeding them so that they produce a wooly fleece now – the only such flock to do so in the world.

Once we went through the wardrobe – quite literally! – we watched a DVD about the farm and the work they do. Then it was into the weaving room, where there are old looms and machinery from the 1890s. It really is like stepping back in time! Cheryl learned to use all the equipment, and Stansborough does all of their production the old-fashioned way. They are, in fact, the only place in the world to still have these sorts of looms up and running. Cheryl and her husband, Barry, gave us a quick demonstration of how everything works, which was both very cool and very loud.

Lastly, it was into the Stansborough shop, where they have heaps of wool products for sale. You can buy everything from baby wear to hats to scarves to blankets to replicas of Lord of the Rings and Narnia cloaks. Almost everyone bought something, with both Charlotte and Echo buying elven cloaks (which have a whopping price tag of $700NZ each!). Echo, it seemed, bought one of everything in the store, including at least 6 scarves and 2 cloaks. But hey, whatever floats her boat! As Josephine said, she wasn’t spoiling herself, she was “cherishing” herself. I suppose that’s not a bad way to look at it.

After Stansborough, it was a quick stop at Dry Creek Quarry (where Helm’s Deep and part of Minas Tirith was filmed) for a group photo, and then on to the Hutt Valley. Lunch was next on the docket, and we ate at a lovely little café in Kaitoke. The food was absolutely delicious, and the views were just as good, even as the clouds started rolling in. They even had cats lounging around the café, which made me feel right at home.

After filling our bellies, we went to Kaitoke Park. The park has signs directing you to Rivendell, even though the Rivendell scenes filmed there didn’t actually make it into the final cut of any movie. However, it’s still a park worth going to. We poked around the filming site, and then went over Kaitoke’s swing bridge just for kicks. Anthony got a kick out of making the bridge swing as much as possible, much to the chagrin of those trying to take pictures of the water below them. I just found it funny myself.

Our last stop of the day was at Harcourt Park, where several Isengard scenes were filmed, including where the wizards walked through the gardens, and when Gandalf galloped up to Orthanc in Fellowship of the Ring. Anthony and Dulce acted out this last scene, with Anthony starring in the role of Gandalf’s horse.

Finally, we all did an “Orc run” down the hill, brandishing sticks and branches as Susi filmed it all. It turned out to be quite an amusing video.

Vic dropped me off at my flat before the group headed off to the airport, bound for the South Island that night. I was sad to see them go; I had been part of their fellowship for the weekend, but I had to come back to reality once they were gone. Granted, my current “reality” is that I’m in New Zealand until November… so I guess I can’t really complain!

A short-lived affair with Oscar.

A Red Carpet Weekend:
August 15 – Friday

I woke up bright and early Friday morning, and headed down to the Copthorne Hotel at Oriental Bay, where I was to join up with the group at the end of their session with calligrapher/cartographer Daniel Reeve. Daniel was responsible for a lot of artwork in Lord of the Rings and King Kong, and has also done work for the Narnia and Pirates films. He’s a really nice guy, and he even designed the tattoo that I have on my wrist.

I got to the hotel around 10 a.m., and made my way to the Pencarrow room, where Daniel was finishing up his session. The long conference table was covered with maps, sketches, and various pieces of calligraphy from various films, and everyone seated around the table had their names written out in elvish and a camera in their hands. When Daniel was finished with his presentation, the photos continued, and everyone began commissioning him for quotes, sketches, etc. I bought a Bilbo quote from him, simply because I think he’s a local NZ artist definitely worth supporting. I also got a picture with him, showing off my tattoo. He doesn’t mess around with photos – he’s a hugger, that one! We joked that it came out looking like a prom photo. You be the judge.

We left the hotel shortly after 11, and headed for Miramar and Weta Workshop. We stopped at the Weta Cave first to view their DVD. I’d already seen it once with the international students at the beginning of term, but it was worth seeing it again. After the video, the real Weta adventure began.

We were led as a group into the actual workshop, stopping at reception first to sign confidentiality agreements. I’m not really supposed to talk about anything I saw inside. But, seeing as they weren’t working on any new projects that I could give away, I think it’s safe for me to sum up the tour briefly. We were led to the basement, where we saw props, armor, and lots of conceptual artwork, including some neat King Kong stuff. The best part was the “Wall of Weapons,” which is a hallway lined on both sides with (I’ll bet you’ll never guess!) weapons. One side was Lord of the Rings weapons, and the other was covered with Narnia weapons. It was cool to see everything up close. I only wish we could have taken photos!

After our tour, we were led back upstairs into the board room, where they showed us Weta’s show reel. I’d seen it when Matt and Emily did their presentation at Massey, but, again, it was cool to see it for a second time. We didn’t have much time after the show reel, as a meeting was set to take place in the board room. But we did have enough time to hold some Oscars! The cabinet was unlocked (with help from Anthony and his height) and we passed around the golden statues. They’re quite heavy! I held four out of the five that Weta has won. It was pretty amazing. I still can’t really believe that it happened!

Just as Josephine and I were snapping a photo with one of the Oscars, the door to the board room opened and in walked none other than Richard Taylor! He didn’t have time for photos, as he was waiting on a conference call with someone in America. But he did take time to say hello, pose with Lurtz, and sign a book for Dulce and Anthony as a honeymoon gift. It was very cool, and he was so nice. Raewyn says he makes it a point to at least say hi to all the Red Carpet groups, because he recognizes how dedicated they are to go on (and pay for) such an extensive tour.

We left Weta slightly dumbfounded, stopped back in the Cave for some quick shopping, and then headed to the (new) Chocolate Fish Café for a quick lunch. They’ve moved from their original location, but the food and atmosphere was much the same.

After lunch, Echo and Mary had appointments to get tattoos at Roger’s Tattoo Parlor on Cuba Street. Both had tattoos designed by Daniel, and most of us decided to go with them for moral support. It ended up taking a lot longer than expected, however, since Echo’s tattoo was fairly intricate, and Lisa, Charlotte, Josephine and myself eventually decided to head out on our own.

I led them down Cuba Street, onto Willis and down to Lambton Quay and Queen’s Wharf. I took them to a few spots that I consider must-sees in Wellington: Cuba Street itself, Frank Kitt’s Park, the harbor, Oriental Bay, etc. On our way back to their hotel, we spotted an amusing sign outside a beauty parlor: it was advertising waxes, and said “We wax everything! Even hobbits.” We were amused.


After I dropped them off at their hotel, I headed up to campus for an informal movie night hosted by Jayne and Ash. What they had failed to mention was that it was supposed to be a horror film marathon… which meant that Jamie and Andrea both left 15 minutes into the first movie, and I was left sitting alone until I convinced Una to come and sit with me.

After “Diary of the Dead” finished, we convinced Ash that we needed something a little more light-hearted. After sifting through various bits and bobs, we settled on “Smoke Signals.” I couldn’t believe that Ash had it on his computer, or that Jen had seen it before. We began quoting it (“Hey, hey Victor!”) before it even started, and Una said we had to watch it. I don’t think she was disappointed.

I need to figure out how to contact Molnar and tell her. I think she’d be amused.

A Green Parrot and old friends.

A Red Carpet Weekend:
August 14 – Thursday

Thursday evening began my adventure with a Red Carpet tour group making their way through Wellington for the weekend. Vic James (who took me and the others to Hobbiton when we were in Auckland) and his wife Raewyn run Red Carpet Tours. They run monthly 12-day Lord of the Rings tours, covering New Zealand top to bottom. Since I’m working on a senior capstone project back home dealing with Lord of the Rings tourism in NZ, it only seemed fitting that I should try to hook up with RCT at some point during my stay. Luckily, since I’ve done one of their tours before and have kept in touch, Vic and Raewyn were very accommodating, and told me I was welcome to tag along with their August tour group as they made their way around Wellington.

I met up with the group at the Green Parrot, a restaurant right down at the end of Taranaki Street. It apparently was one of Viggo Mortensen’s favorite places to eat in Wellington (perhaps even in New Zealand), and his face graces two walls inside – he appears in photos on one wall, and in a giant mural on another. (Peter Jackson, Liv Tyler, and Samwise Gamgee join him as the LotR contingent in the mural, along with other famous New Zealanders I don’t recognize.)

It was (of course) pouring on my walk down, but luckily my skimpy umbrella and various awnings kept me relatively dry. I spotted Josephine through the window, and we embraced, jumping up and down, as soon as I got inside. Josephine, a Taiwanese woman, was part of my “fellowship” back in July 2005, when we did our first RCT together. Hugs from Raewyn followed, as well as introductions to the rest of the tour group.

The group consisted of 8 tourists, along with Vic and Raewyn. Josephine was one, and I can say she hasn’t changed at all since I last saw her three years ago. There was Charlotte, from Hamburg, Germany, who is here in New Zealand for a year on a working holiday. There was Lisa, from L.A., who had been in NZ for a couple of weeks already, and joined the tour only the day before it left Auckland. There was Echo, a young girl from California who works at Disneyland for a living. There was Mary, who currently resides in Dusseldorf, Germany, and was on her third tour with Red Carpet. There was Susi, currently of Italy, who also is on her third tour with RCT. Lastly there were Anthony and Dulce. Anthony, from England, and Dulce, from Portugal, met on a Red Carpet tour in 2006, fell in love, and just got married in July. They were on this second tour for their honeymoon. How cute!

I had a great time getting to know people over dinner (I had a yummy omlette), and catching up with Josephine and Raewyn.

Erica Challis, who I met briefly on my last tour, and her husband joined us for dinner. Erica played a large role in theOneRing.net, as well as all the early fan stuff regarding Lord of the Rings (see my Hobbiton entry further back). Turns out she has a journalism degree from Massey, and knows most of the teachers I have up there now. Very cool. We chatted for a bit about journalism, and about various jobs she’s had over the years. It was fun.

After having our feed, chatting for a bit, and being entertained by the Maori party one table over who serenaded us with a ukulele and traditional songs all evening, we decided to call it a night. We all piled into Vic’s Mercedes Sprinter, and he dropped me off at the Cube before they all headed back to their hotel.

I was to meet them the next morning for a fun-filled day in Wellington.

Ramble on.

Once again, I’ve let some time go by without an update. I do have a good reason, however: last week wasn’t all that exciting, until I got to the weekend. But I’ll touch on a few things anyway, for the sake of the blog. ;^)

I had a paper due last Thursday, which meant I spent most of my free time at least pretending to work on it. In reality, I spent the majority of that time online or watching TV… oops. But I did at least get the paper done, so have no fear.

I also watched a lot of the Olympics. It’s interesting to see how the coverage differs over here. Obviously, they focus more on events that New Zealanders are competing in. If a New Zealander has a chance at a medal, well, ho! watch out! The coverage never stops. Unfortunately for me, this means my favorite event – gymnastics – got very little coverage. The team finals were given an hour each, as were the all-around finals. The event finals have just been sort of glossed over. With such little coverage, it pretty much means you see the routines of the top few competitors, and that’s all. And I can’t even go and watch the good coverage on NBC’s Web site, because I’m in a different country. Poo.

I will just say that I’m glad the men won bronze, but was very sad that neither Hamm brother made it to the competition. Men’s gymnastics simply isn’t the same without the twins. I was also glad the women won a medal, but I wasn’t so happy with the color of that medal. I’ll give it to the Chinese that they performed well, and that they performed some impressive routines (especially on bars). However, there’s no way in hell that they were all 16. Most didn’t look a day over 8. I’m just glad Nastia and Shawn won out in the all-around! Good on you, girls!

The New Zealanders are, however, obsessed with Michael Phelps. With the amount of coverage he’s gotten, it seems as if he’s been made an honorary kiwi or something.

But New Zealand has 6 medals now, 2 of them gold. Yay!


The weather here has actually been decent lately. (Now that I’ve said that, of course, we’ll probably get a hurricane or something.) Last week brought with it a few sunny, mild days. It’s finally starting to feel like spring is on the way.

I took advantage of the weather on Wednesday, and took a stroll down Cuba Street all the way down to Lambton Quay. Then I just caught a bus back up to Taranaki. I love how I can do that – walk as far as I want, and then just hop on a bus. I think I could get used to city life.

Since this has been an utterly boring entry, I’ll leave you with something I saw last week that I found amusing: I was walking down Courtenay Place, and there were several buses lined up at a bus stop. The first bus in line was heading to Happy Valley. The one directly behind it was heading to Scorching Bay. Something for everyone, eh?

Sunshine and seals.

August 10

Despite some heavy storms that made their way through during the night, Sunday dawned bright and beautiful. A crisp wind blew constantly through the city, but I couldn’t really pay it much attention with such a blue sky overhead.

The girls and I had talked about using Sunday to go hiking if the weather cooperated. We had been wanting to catch a bus down to Island Bay and do a hike out to a fur seal colony. The weather was clearly cooperating, but, after our late night, it was up in the air whether we wanted to take advantage of it or not.

Jamie decided to decline, as she still wasn’t feeling 100 percent. Andrea seemed a little iffy, but I decided that I didn’t want to waste a gorgeous day if I could help it. When I put it that way, and since we had to take a bus back to the city anyway and could easily buy a day tripper bus pass, Andrea agreed that a trip out to Island Bay sounded good. We stopped at our flats quickly to drop stuff off, change, and grab a bite to eat, and then it was out to Island Bay.

Island Bay is still technically in Wellington. It’s directly south of the main city, close to the airport. We got dropped off near a park with a big slide, a gazebo, and a jungle gym shaped like a ship, and from there it was only a short walk to the beach.

The beach down at Island Bay is definitely a sight to see, especially under clear skies. Andrea and I stood in the packed sand, watching a few sail boats bobbing along in the blue-green water as the waves crashed in over copper-colored rocks.

Our cameras were constantly at work as we made our way down the beach. We picked our way through seaweed remnants, deep sand and rugged rocks, making our way steadily along the shoreline. We passed three or four fisherpeople, two of them women. We passed kids digging in the sand as parents sat nearby. And we passed countless kiwis walking and jogging along the beach, dogs of all shapes and sizes in tow.

We picked our way along the rocks, moving slowly both to watch our footing and to constantly snap photos. As we passed out of Island Bay and into Owhiro Bay, the scenery got even better, if you can believe it. Not only we were greeted with crashing waves and bright sun, but, because it was such a clear day, we could see all the way across the Cook Straight. The Southern Alps could easily be seen, piercing the sky in the distance.

Andrea and I made our way around Owhiro Bay, and eventually came to the entrance to the Te Kopahou Reserve. The Reserve is a conservation area riddled with various hiking tracks. Since Andrea and I wanted to get out to the seals, we chose the easy Coastal Track that (not surprisingly) continued along the coast. Our final destination was Devil’s Gate at Sinclair Head.

The Coastal Track, while relatively flat, took more out of us than we anticipated. The track, suitable for 4-wheel vehicles as well as hikers and bikers, varied between deep sand and rough gravel. When tramping over the rocks, I had to make a conscious effort not to let my ankles roll as the stones shifted under my feet.

We stopped here and there along the way to snap a photo or climb a rock. But we kept moving for the most part, both to be sure we could finish the 8 km hike before dark, and because the sun had already become hidden behind the large hill beside us. Without the sun and with the cold breeze still blowing, keeping on the move just made sense.

We made it out to Sinclair Head about an hour after starting in on the track. We glimpsed our first seal snoozing in some underbrush, and Andrea thought at first that he was dead. He wasn’t, however. All the seals were snoozing at the point in the day.

Sinclair Head serves as a “haul out” area for male fur seals during the winter months (May to October), and about 80 of them can be seen there during that time every year. Once we passed through Devil’s Gate, it seemed that nearly every rock protruding out of the sea had a dozing seal atop it.

Andrea found the seals very cute, and decided to get closer to a few sunning themselves in between a few rocks. I climbed up a rock with her, and we were greeted by a large seal who did not appreciate us invading his personal space. He let out a blubbering bellow, and we both squealed and scurried away. Thinking back on it, I highly doubt he would have been able to scale the rock to get us, but he didn’t sound very friendly, and we weren’t taking any chances.


Sinclair Head was a beautiful place. There were only a handful of people there on that particular Sunday, and the whole scene was slightly surreal. There I was, with the Southern Alps off in the distance, waves crashing in the mid-ground, and seals lolling about right at my feet. Add in the sun sparkling off the water and the calls of sea birds overhead, and it was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve seen in Wellington yet.

After getting our fill of seal photos (and more than our fill of seal stench), we began the arduous hike back to Island Bay. The hour and a half it took us to get back was rather uneventful. By then, our feet were sore and our camera batteries low, and the thought of a hot meal when we returned was the main thing on our minds.

We caught the bus back into town, and stopped at McDonalds for dinner, followed by Subway to get cookies for dessert. It was a great end to and even better day. I’d love to go back sometime when the weather warms up, even if there aren’t any seals to see. The views alone were totally worth the more than 12 kilometers we walked that day.

I am emotionally invested in Jim and Pam's relationship.

August 9

I ended up staying up until 3 a.m. on Friday night (or, I suppose more correctly, Saturday morning) watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. They didn’t start until midnight NZ time, but I wanted to see them anyway. They were interesting, I thought, and really impressive in the sheer number of people involved and the detail focused on. The light elements and tricks were especially impressive (though, we’ve now since learned some of them were fake. Booooo.). The drummers that opened the ceremony (thousands of them, all perfectly in time) were pretty amazing. I could have really gone to bed around 1:30, but it was around that time that James and I started talking politics and foreign affairs. Which was both interesting and strange, but apparently not too strange, because it continued for over an hour. So I rationalized that I would stay up until I saw team USA march in, because I was curious to see who was our flag bearer. But between talking about Bush and Somalia, I must have missed it.

I woke up Saturday and packed my bags before meeting Andrea at 1 so we could head out to Jamie’s place in Ngaio (pronounced Nai(with a long i)-o, for those who aren’t familiar with the silent g’s New Zealand is so fond of). Our plan was to hole up in Jamie’s house (since her host family was out of town for the weekend) and watch as many episodes of “The Office” as we could and stuff ourselves with as much junk food as possible. We were very successful on both fronts.

Andrea and I made our way to the train station without incident on Saturday afternoon. I was pretty excited, because I’ve never ridden a proper train in daylight before. Only one to Eden Park at night for the All Blacks game in Auckland, and that overnighter train we took in between Shanghai and Beijing in China last year. But it seems I’m just not meant for daytime train travel, because the Johnsonville line (which would have delivered up to Ngaio) was out of service for the weekend for track maintenance.

So we caught a bus instead. But this was problematic, because I’ve never been to Jamie’s before, and Andrea has only been there taking the train, and neither one of us paid much attention to the directions Jamie had given us in the event we had to take the bus because we didn’t expect to have to. Phew. Luckily, I had skimmed them over well enough to know we needed to take a bus going in the direction of Khandallah, and Andrea remembered enough of the street names to figure out where we needed to get off.

Once we got off the bus and convinced ourselves we were lost, we found Jamie’s house. Turns out we just walked in a big loop a lot further than we actually had to. Oh well. It was a nice day at that point, and we got some good views out over Ngaio Gorge.

Upon arriving at Jamie’s, we laid out all our junk food, changed into sweats, rearranged the living room for optimal viewing pleasure, and started in on Season One of “The Office.”

I’d never really seen a full episode before, and I’m not sure why. The show never really appealed to me, and I have a feeling I always held some mysterious grudge against it for being a rip-off of a perfectly good British comedy. In my mind, it wasn’t far from trying to pull off an American version of Monty Python’s Flying Circus; I didn’t think it would work.

But I have been proven wrong. After a 13-hour marathon with only a short break in which I made some phone calls to Mom, Baba and Dave, I have to say that I quite enjoyed what I saw of “The Office.” We didn’t even make it all the way through Season Two, but I can say a few things for sure so far: Dwight is hilarious. Jim is adorable. And I’m certainly emotionally involved in the relationship between him and Pam. Yes, I know it continues on for a while, but remember I’m still on Season Two! Please don’t ruin it for me. Just let me be invested.

We finally called it quits around 3 a.m. I think the sugar and dancing to the theme song every episode helped us stay up so long, but, once 2:30 hit, I think it’s safe to say we were all starting to crash. (Seriously… we filled up a whole coffee table with junk food, most of it sugar-based, and didn’t stop eating all day and night. It was bound to hit us eventually.)

Once we couldn’t possibly keep our eyes open for another episode, Andrea and I each claimed a sleeping bag and a couch (though we’d both come prepared with pillows, blankets, and, in Andrea’s case, stuffed animals), nudged our way closer to the heater, and were out before long.


I’m really looking forward to our follow-up marathon. Hopefully it will come soon. I don’t know how long I can live in such suspense!

Playing catch-up.

I realize that, since my last outpouring of blog posts, I’ve been quite lax on keeping up-to-date with things. I guess all that writing all at once takes more of a toll on a person than you realize. But I know if I don’t keep up with this, I’ll fall behind and then eventually give up on it. So are you ready for the past week in under 1500 words?? Here we go.

Monday:
After passing out after getting home Sunday night, my alarm (naturally) didn’t go off Monday morning. Luckily, I woke up at 8:37, with just enough time to throw clothes on and get up to campus just in time for class. Then I came home, took a shower, did the dishes, and found a spare moment to unpack from the weekend.

After class that evening, I managed to drag myself to New World in the rain. I didn’t want to go, but I had nothing to eat for dinner; not even any bread. So I spent $70 on yummy food, and stopped for a sub at Subway on the way home. But my favorite purchase of the night? Starburst “Babies.” They are just what they sound like – Starburst gummy candies in the shape of babies. And we’re not talking Sour Patch Kids that vaguely resemble humans… no, these are smiling, diapered babies that you eat. Brilliant.

Tuesday:
I had my first essay due – a critical analysis for Travel Writing. I was quite happy with the final product, and hope that my lecturer likes it, too. If not though, oh well. Who actually studies during study abroad? ;^) (Just kidding, Dad!)

After class, I had volunteered to help out with a local Amazing Race game. A PR firm downtown (at least, I gather that they’re a PR firm) was hosting the game for its employees. One of the girls who was in charge of setting it up is in my Pop Culture class, so she asked me to help out. I’m supposed to get paid for it ($15 an hour under the table), so I figured why not.

I ended up having to sit by the bucket fountain on Cuba Street for 3 ½ hours, waiting to hand teams clues after they counted how many times the buckets dumped water in a minute. It certainly wasn’t hard work, and I enjoyed the people watching, but it was so cooooold. It was a nice sunny day, but, because of the configuration of Cuba Street, none of the warmth from the sun actually made it down to me. By 6:30, I was so glad to get out of there!

That, and an old drunk Maori man called Pete was trying to convince me to go to a bar with him, so I was really happy to have an excuse to leave my post. Earlier, Pete had been bothering a kid playing Bob Dylan songs a bit further down the street. The kid was good – he looked and sounded just like Dylan, and was at least mildly entertaining, so I felt bad for him. But he made quite a few bucks playing, so I could only summon so much sympathy.

The people of Wellington are interesting to watch. I saw everything from a little Asian boy falling on his bum, to loads of skateboarders trying to pull “cool” tricks, to little girls carrying orange smiley face balloons that Mom got for them at the “Register to Vote” van, to teens sporting ripped tights and Chucks, to many guys in skinny jeans and button-up sweaters, al la Mr. Rogers. I suppose there are worse ways I could have spent an evening.

Wednesday:
When I wasn’t in Pop Culture class talking about (and watching) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I began to arduous task of posting blog entries and uploading pictures. As you can tell, I have finally (now that’s it’s Friday) finished. Thanks God.

After I couldn’t stand to stare at my computer screen any longer (i.e. around dinner time), Jamie, Andrea, Jess and I sought out dinner together. We all were headed to an amateur comedy night a bit later on, so we decided to do dinner first. We ended up at a Malaysian place, and I had some sort of chicken and crunchy noodles. The noodles weirded me out, because they were cooked, but still crunchy. Oh those Malaysians.

After dinner, we made our way to the Wellington Comedy Club. Which actually moonlights as about six other things, under the official name of the San Francisco Bath House down on Cuba Street. We got there early, paid our $5 cover, and listened to the end of an acoustic set by a duo called Soulja. It was a guy and a girl who did covers of really sad and depressing songs. Perhaps not the best right before comedians!

At 8 p.m., the comedy started. The MC was a local comedian, who has apparently won some prestigious NZ comedy award, and who also apparently had a viral infection in his lungs (he kept mentioning both of these things, so I just have to assume they are both true). He was funny, and began his little bit by engaging in some banter with a couple of girls who were on their cell phones. He also made fun of Ohio (once he found out our group, sitting front-row, was from there), and also made fun of Lord of the Rings. Apparently he played an extra orc in the Battle of the Pelennor fields, though, so I suppose he can make fun if he wants. It is interesting, though, how many random LotR references I come across in day-to-day life.

The 10 rookie comedians ranged from bad to mediocre. The MC (I’ve forgotten his name!) made the show. The only rookie I really liked was the very last one. He was a young, tall, moustached man who was clearly shaking with nerves. But he was hilarious. He told his jokes one after another in a monotone while sitting in a chair. But they were great. My favorite was his observation about the people who say that living by the saying “An eye for an eye” will leave the whole world blind. This guy doesn’t agree. He asked Jess to help him out with his joke. “Okay, I take your eye,” he started. “Go ahead, close your eye. Now you take my eye.” He closed his eye. “Now I take your other eye.” Jess closed her other eye. “And now you’re blind, and I win.” Ha! It was probably funnier if you’d been there…

I don’t remember all the other comedians as well… there were two women, and Irishman, a Maori guy, and some other oddballs, but none of them really stood out. But it was still lots of fun! We may have to go there more often.

On our way home, we walked by this nearly empty karaoke bar, and Jamie and I decided we needed to sing a cheesy boyband song. But we probably picked the wrong bar. The few people in the place were clearly regulars, and all Maori. We got carded the moment we walked in, and got yelled at for putting our feet up on the coffee tables. Jamie and I were going to sing “Summer Girls” by LFO, but our names didn’t come up before 11:30, and so we decided to call it a night. We’ve found another karaoke place on Courtenay Place, and will have to try that out, instead.

Thursday:
I spent the whole day writing another essay. It was not exciting.

I took a walk down Cuba Street, and bought some boots. I know I shouldn’t have, but they were on sale, and everyone wears them here. They called to me.

At night, I watched TV with the girls (like every night). This included watching 20/20, which this week featured a segment on Lisa Lewis, a famous single mom and stripper. They showed clips of her stripping, as well as her being a news anchor on “Naked News.” Once again, lots and lots of boobs (and more!) on primetime TV. Ah, New Zealand.

Friday:
That’s today! I’m all caught up! Today I went up to campus (once again in the rain – yuck) to turn in my second essay. I am a writing machine, I tell you! I then hung out in the lounge, putting up the last of my Auckland pictures on Facebook and basically just puttering around online.

I was supposed to meet Jamie there at 4 or 5 so we could go out, but she ended up getting sick. We were supposed to go to a party at the Marine house that the people from the NZ Embassy (whom we met a week or so back at the New Zealand-American networking shindig) clued us in on, but that didn’t quite pan out.

So then I was going to try and do something with Andrea. But she disappeared, so I played around with Skype instead. I got it working, and called my sister, parents, and Dave. That was nice. Then I simply headed back to my flat around 6. So here I am, eagerly awaiting midnight, when I can see the opening ceremonies of the Olympics (if I can stay awake that long, that is!).

Tomorrow, if Jamie is feeling up to it, Andrea and I are going up to her place in Ngaio for an Office/Olympics party/sleepover! Also, junk food extravaganza. I hope it works out and we can go!

Beaches and being behind the wheel.

An Auckland Adventure:
August 3 – Sunday

We had to get up early on Sunday to make sure we gave ourselves ample time to get lost on the way to Pakiri. We knew the drive would take at least an hour and a half, and we had made a booking for 10 a.m., so we left the hostel at 7:30. I’m sure we woke Una and Melinda up with our scuffling and packing, but it really couldn’t be helped. Since we were flying out later that night, we had to take all of our things with us. This included, for Jamie and Andrea, giant bags of guide books and brochures they’d acquired on Friday and now didn’t have anywhere to put except in large, crinkly plastic bags.

We hit the road with Jamie driving once again and me navigating. It wasn’t too bad, though it would have perhaps been less stressful had it not been raining.

We managed to make our way to Highway 1 and get over the harbor bridge. (Though, when we were on the bridge, Jamie and Andrea kept insisting we weren’t because we were to the side of the metal bits of the bridge and not under them, so I had to tell them we were “on the fucking bridge!”) From there, it was highway driving for a bit, and we all settled down.

Jamie pulled over at a rest stop so we could grab breakfast and so I could take over the wheel. I ended up driving us all the way to Pakiri. Driving wasn’t as difficult as I’d feared. The hardest part was not getting the windshield wipers and turn signals confused, since they’re opposite where I’m used to them being. We all had a problem with this, and I’m sure other cars really appreciated us signaling our turns with a flick of our wipers.. heh.

But really, things went well. The roads got more and more windy the further north we went, but the landscape was worth it. We were back into rolling green hills and mountains, and awesome forestscapes. When we got far enough up north, we even got peeks of ocean every now and then between the trees.

We only made a wrong turn once, and it was – of course – not five minutes after Andrea noted how we hadn’t gotten lost yet. We amended our mistake quickly, however, and I pulled a U-turn right after a one-lane bridge (a New Zealand favorite). We were out in farmland by that point, and there were cows watching us by the side of the road. We’d gotten a bit silly by that point, having just finished driving up and down a narrow, twisting mountain road with no shoulder and certainly no guard rails. Our car, a Mazda Familia which we christened Guadalupe – had started making random squealing sounds, and we were beside ourselves trying not to dissolve into giggles.

As a certain white-faced brown cow stared our car down as I made the U-turn, Andrea looked at him and said, very matter-of-fact, “Byron.” Jamie and I were confused, as asked how she knew his name was Byron. “I read his nametag,” she said. Jamie and I didn’t think anything of this, until Andrea started cracking up. Then we realized how stupid it was – “Cows don’t wear nametags!” Andrea finally howled. She wanted a picture of Byron, but we decided we didn’t have enough time to turn around again, and I said we could stop on the way back. “Byron will be beef by then,” Andrea said, again very matter-of-fact. That was pretty much it – we were all laughs until we made it to Pakiri Beach Stables.

Once arriving, we got geared up in rain coats and helmets, and played with the stable’s two dogs, one of which was a dalmation that Andrea was in love with. Our horses were soon ready, and our two trail guides helped us all mount. I was on a reddish-brown horse named Cookie, Jamie got a grey named (inventively) Grey, and Andrea was on a caramel-colored horse name Bailey.

We set out from the paddock as the breeze blew away the last remnants of cloud. Yet again, the weather was in our favor, and the sun lit up the land around us. All was owned by the stable, and we could see we were in for a real treat on this ride.

First we crossed a stream, Andrea’s horse balking at going through, and Andrea helplessly kicking at his sides to try and make him move. This would persist throughout much of the ride – Bailey seemed much more concerned with grabbing a bite to eat than actually walking. Eventually we all crossed, and trekked through some woods for a time, the dogs dashing ahead of us to lead the way.

We eventually reached some sand dunes and, riding between two low ones, took in a breathtaking sight. A white sand beach stretched out before us, small waves breaking on its pristine shore, washing over shells before retreating back again. The sun reflected off the water as sea birds dived in and out of the surf. I still can’t believe I was really there.

We rode down the beach for what seemed like hours, with no other living beings, human or beast, in sight. The dogs chased each other up and down the beach, and the horses seemed to liven up once we got on the sand. Kenny, the Japanese guide with us, took pictures of all of us on horseback. We took plenty of pictures for ourselves, too.

It’s always been a dream of mine to go horseback riding on a beach. And, I must say, the reality of a Pakiri Beach ride quite lived up to my fantasy. Perhaps even surpassed it. The fact that the weather turned out to be perfect for a leisurely ride certainly didn’t hurt, either.

After riding down the beach long enough for it to sink in that we were riding horses on a remote private beach in New Zealand, we headed back up into the dunes. On the way back to the stables, the sea was still visible, glimmering right on the edge of the horizon. I was sad when it finally passed from sight, hidden by the dunes.

After we had dismounted, thanked our guides, and rubbed our sore knees, it was back into the car. Jamie got back behind the wheel, and decided that before we left Pakiri, we needed a picture of Byron the cow. We couldn’t find Byron, however, so we decided to continue driving until we hit (the official) Pakiri Beach. Along the way we came across another brown cow, this one ambling along outside of any fence, chewing grass on the side of the road. Andrea dubbed him Willard, and decided he was Byron’s son.

We arrived at Pakiri Beach along with a few guys with longboards. This beach was just as pretty as the last, and nearly just as deserted. The wind had picked up, and the sand was whipped across the beach and around our feet. We all climbed up a dune to take pictures and to take in the scene. We hunted for sea shells until the clouds started to roll in again and the wind to become chilly. Then we said goodbye to the white sand and crash of surf (for there was surf here, and a few surfers, too) and headed back to Guadalupe.

Andrea took her turn behind the wheel, and got us back to Highway 1. We stopped for lunch at a farm café and had cheese toasties and caramel slices. Andrea also pulled over a few times on the drive back to the highway so we could take some more pictures of spectacular views.

Once we were back on the highway, however, Andrea got a bit flustered. And once a car honked at her for using her wipers instead of a turn signal, she decided to give the wheel back over to Jamie.

Since it was by then late in the afternoon and we had a plane to catch at 7:30, we decided to just drop the car off at the airport and kill time at Sylvia Park in Mt. Wellington, just south of Auckland. We got ourselves there thanks to a map and highway signs (aren’t you proud, Dad?). Sylvia Park is actually just a large shopping center, so we wandered around and got McDonalds and some ice cream.

We left for the airport at 5:30, and were able once again to find our way there, even with Andrea spastically reading out road signs from the backseat. We only had one mishap while driving to the airport: Apparently we took too long turning onto a road, and the guy behind us beeped at us angrily. When we made the turn, we realized we were in the wrong lane, so Jamie signaled to get over, and the guy from behind us pulled up beside us, rolled down his window, blinked at us, and said “Fuck!” and then drove away. It was one of the funniest instances of road rage I’ve ever witnessed.

We stopped to put gas into Guadalupe before dropping her back off at the car rental place, and then we headed for our terminal. Our flight was delayed 20 minutes due to some glitch in a printer, but we didn’t mind. Afer our hectic weekend, we didn’t mind just sitting with nothing to do.

We got back to Wellington without any incident. We got free muffins on the plane, and even scored extras to save for the next day (except Jamie, who ate both her muffins on the plane… pig). I dozed off right before landing, and had the oddest sensation when we touched down. I was aware that I was arriving somewhere, but the jolt of landing made me think I was in a car that was coming up to a toll booth on the Turnpike. I remember wondering if I had correct change before realizing that I was on a plane in New Zealand and nowhere near the Ohio Turnpike.

Exhausted, we caught a shuttle back to our respective residencies, and I went promptly to bed. It was a very satisfying and fun-filled weekend, and I can’t wait to see what else New Zealand has in store for us in the future!

A birds-eye view and an introduction to rugby.

An Auckland Adventure:
August 2 – Saturday

We woke up to rain on Saturday; a persistent drizzle that was more annoying than anything. We got dressed (slightly nicer for our brunch), and headed downtown. We were lucky enough to pick a Link bus that took us right to Sky City, where Una, Melinda, Jamie, Andrea and I were to meet up with Josh, Jen, Denise, Jess, Jesse and Amanda for lunch.

Taking the elevator up to Orbit was a treat in itself, even though Jamie nearly peed herself when she realized you could not only see out the windows on the front of the elevator, but you could also see down through the floor. She’s terrified of heights.

When we got up to Orbit for our 11:30 reservation, the place was nearly empty. It was well worth the $30 we had to spend to eat there. Not only was the food delicious (I had fresh fruit a yogurt, a latte, and French toast with bacon and fried bananas), but the view was stunning. The whole restaurant revolved, so that over the course of our 2-hour meal, we got a full 360-degree view of Auckland nearly three times. Even though it was cloudy, the view was still pretty impressive. The only other cities I’ve seen from atop towers are Toronto and Shanghai. I don’t remember the Toronto view much, but all I can remember about Shanghai were the endless line of skyscrapers and the smog. Auckland wasn’t like that at all. There are tall buildings, yes, but not thousands of them. Most of the view was harbor and sea, complete with sail boats coasting along near the harbor bridge.

After brunch, we headed down one floor to the observation deck to snap some more pictures in a more appropriate setting. On that deck, there are places where the floor is just a big sheet of glass, and you can see all the way down to the street. I made sure to jump, dance and lay across those panes, just for good measure. They were, afterall, 38 millimeters thick, and as strong as any slab of concrete (as we were informed by a sign). This fact did not really set Jamie and Una at ease, however, and it was quite an ordeal for them to step out onto the glass.

After our time in the Sky Tower, our large group split into smaller ones for the afternoon. Jamie, Andrea, Josh and I decided to roam around a bit more, and head down towards the harbor. It was drizzly still, but not pouring, so the walk was enjoyable. At least Auckland’s rain was warmer than Wellington’s.

We walked all along the harbor, past the ferry building and down around the Hilton hotel. We stopped and got gelato at Valentino’s, and saw the cruise ship that was in the news last week after it got caught in a bad storm and several passengers got hurt. There were still a few news camera crews out and about around it.

Eventually we made our way in the direction of the clubs and bars we’d seen the night before. We stumbled upon a Caterbury of New Zealand shop along the way, which is a store that sells all sorts of rugby attire. It was quite busy with the impending game that evening. I ended up getting a scarf for me, and a hat for Dad. On the way out, we ran into two huge blow-up figures of rugby players – one All Black and one Wallaby – that were being toted around by two guys. It was quite a comic sight, and we got photos, of course.

Next came a bit of an adventure. But it warrants a bit of backtracking in my storyline… Prior to arriving in Auckland, Jamie, Andrea and I decided we wanted to go horseback riding in NZ. We found a place north of Auckland called Pakiri Beach, where you can ride horses (take a guess) on the beach. We made a booking and were excited, until we found out that Pakiri is an hour and a half away from Auckland, and no buses or trains run there, and a cab was going to be outrageously expensive. So we decided to take the plunge and rent a car for a day.

We picked up the car at 4:45 on Saturday, since we’d be needing it early the next morning. Jamie, being the one in our trio who had the best grasp on the streets in Auckland, took the wheel first. It was nerve-wracking and totally odd to be driving on the wrong side of the road on the wrong side of the car, but Jamie got us safely back to our hostel. Then it was time to meet up for the All Blacks game.

We made our way back into town, and met up with everyone else at the train station. We hopped on a (free!) train headed out to Eden Park Stadium, which was packed to capacity with All Blacks and Wallabies fans alike. The weather was on our side once again, as the rain cleared up almost the instant we got off the train. We were then herded into the stadium, and found our seats about a half hour before the match started.

Rugby is an interesting sport. It’s obviously quite different from any sport that it’s close to. It’s much more brutal than American football, and also much more fast-paced, since there’s no break after each down (because there are no downs), and the clock is constantly going. It’s also quite unlike soccer in that it’s full contact and that your hands are on the ball. Rugby is just… rugby, I suppose.

But I think the weirdest thing was the spectator aspect of it. For one, there is no announcer like in football, so the stadium, even though it was packed with tens of thousands of people, seemed rather still and quiet. Spectators also don’t stand up very much, unless it’s when something really good or really bad happens.

But they do do the wave. Haha. We got it to go around the whole stadium about three times. There was only one section that refused to do it – a whole legion of Australia fans sitting together under the canopy who wouldn’t budge. They got booed, obviously.

At “half-time,” which really only lasted about 5 minutes, Jamie, Andrea and I got Hell’s Pizza and these little mini donuts. They were made fresh right on the spot by these little Asians, and handed over, hot, coated in cinnamon sugar. Mmm. Jamie went back for a second bag, and regretted it later.

The All Blacks ended up beating Australia 39 to 10. Which was good, because they had lost to Aussie the week before, and hadn’t lost a game at Eden Park against Aussie since the mid-80s. Plus, it was nice to be there for a win!

After the game, we made our way slowly back to the train station. On the train, we were near a group of (drunk) men who were taking the piss out of each other left and right. It was hilarious, and Andrea was nearly in tears for about half the time.


When we got back to Auckland, the three of us headed back to our hostel – so Jamie and I could change before heading back to town, and so Andrea could get to bed, since she doesn’t come out with us. But by the time Jamie and I got ready and walked up the horrendous hills to the bus stop, we’d missed the last bus going into town for the night.

So we started walking. But, naturally, the weather didn’t hold out, and it started pouring before we’d gotten very far. Since we didn’t want to get a cab, and we didn’t want to waste our sweet outfits, we decided to check out what was going on in Parnell.

We walked into Denim first because they were playing M.C. Hammer, and any bar that’s playing Hammer is a bar worth going into in our book. It turns out the bar was having an 80s night, and everyone was dressed up in crazy wigs, stockings, heels, dresses, etc. We were very out of place, so decided to move on.

Two Indian girls we ran into up the street mentioned a party at a place called Vanilla. But what they didn’t mention was that it was a private party. So we felt pretty stupid when we tried to get in without an invitation.

So it was back to Denim for a while before splashing back through the rain to try a snag a few hours of sleep before our big on-the-road adventure in the morning.

A jaunt to the Shire.

An Auckland Adventure:
August 1 – Friday

Friday morning dawned soggy and early – 5 a.m. to be exact. We had to catch the 6:47 Airport Flyer from Courtenay Place in order to catch our 8 a.m. flight out of Wellington. All this went off without a hitch, and Melinda, Andrea, Jamie and I met up with Denise, Jen, Josh and Una at the airport. We all made it onto the same flight, and so our Auckland adventure began.

The skies cleared the further north we flew, until there was nothing but a rolling sea of green beneath the wings. The only thing I could think about as we descended through the clouds to be greeted by so much greenery was a quote from Gandalf. It’s when he’s describing Valinor to Pippin in Return of the King. He says: “The grey curtain of this world pulls back to reveal a far, green country.” At 36,000 feet above New Zealand, I felt as though I was gazing down on that very green country.

Upon arrival in Auckland, we disembarked the plane via a set of stairs, and walked into the airport to be met by Vic James, owner and operator of Red Carpet Tours. He was there to pick up me, Denise, Jen, Josh, Una and Melinda and ferry us down to Matamata and the farm where the Hobbiton scenes were shot for Lord of the Rings. Jamie and Andrea, meanwhile, were going to explore Auckland.

The six of us Ringers piled into Vic’s silver Mercedes Sprinter, and met two Canadian girls who would be joining us on our hobbity adventure. The 2-hour drive down to Matamata was peppered with fast-moving showers, which, coupled with the bright sun, produced too many rainbows to keep track of, including a huge full one that stretched all the way across the highway in front of us.

The further south we went, the land opened up into rolling pastures, dotted with woolly sheep. The grass was an unreal shade of green, and nobody could stop taking photos.

During our ride, Vic entertained us with general New Zealand information, info. about Red Carpet Tours and their involvement with the Hobbiton site, as well as little tidbits about certain actors and people involved in the films. He passed around pictures and brochures for us to look at, and the time passed quickly.

Red Carpet Tours (and Vic, more specifically) is nearly single-handedly responsible for the Hobbiton site being preserved for tourists today. Back after filming for the trilogy had ended, New Line had told the Alexanders that all the hobbit holes and remnants of production had to be destroyed. A bulldozer took out all the lower hobbit holes, but was unable to get to the ones on the hill due to an unusually wet winter. The company said they’d come back in the summer to finish the job, but forgot about it.

Meanwhile, Vic and his wife Raewyn were looking into starting up a company to offer Lord of the Rings-themed tours of New Zealand. But they knew they needed someone who knew the story like the back of their hand (Vic admitted that, at that point, he was still trying to finish the books). They stumbled upon Erica Challis, writer/editor for TheOneRing.net, after reading about her being charged with trespassing on a set. Back then, New Line and The One Ring didn’t get along. (Though, now they’ve got their own office inside Weta Workshop. Go figure.) Vic said he knew that’s who they needed to talk to.

Erica thought Vic and Raewyn’s idea was great, and suggested people for them to talk to about access to filming locations. The first spot on her list was the Alexander farm in Matamata, because she thought that might be one of the better spots for fans to recognize without any set elements.

Vic called them up, and drove down the next week to meet with them. When he arrived, none of the farmers were around, so he took a walk down to the area where The Shire had been. Imagine his surprise when he rounded the corner not only to see the Party Tree, but 17 in-tact hobbit holes! He immediately called Erica, and they went to talk to the farmers. They had missed the demolition of the rest of the hobbit holes by less than 24 hours.

Red Carpet Tours is now the only tour company permitted to go onto the farm without a farm guide. All others who want to visit the Shire have to catch a farm shuttle from the Matamata visitor’s center, and book it through the farm itself. Vic also revealed that, since the Alexander farm will be used again for the upcoming Hobbit and prequel films, Red Carpet Tours will be allowed access to the site while the set is being rebuilt. What I wouldn’t give to come back during that!

After getting the Hobbiton history, Vic told us a few other tidbits he’s picked up along the way:

The Hobbiton set was discovered by a location scout flying over Matamata in a helicopter. Fran Walsh had suggested they scout the area, because she remembering going on holiday in that region with her family when she was younger. At the time, the scout was looking for a lake with a tree by it for the party scene (they had booked another farm for the hobbit holes). He landed the helicopter on the farm, and went up to the Alexanders’ house. He knocked on the door, and told them he wanted to talk about making a movie on their land. Mr. Alexander told them to come back later, as they were watching rugby match. Imagine! The scout went looking down by the lake, and discovered the hills right next to it on which hobbit holes could easily be built. The rest, as they say, is history.

Vic talked quite a bit about Brett Beattie, the man who played Gimli in the film. This may confuse those of you who associate Gimli with John Rhys-Davies. It is true that John Rhys-Davies was the face and voice of Gimli. But he was on set and in costume for less than 2 months during filming, while Brett Beattie, his double, was on set for well over 200 days. Which is probably why Beattie was invited to get the infamous Fellowship tattoo, and John Rhys-Davies was not.

For those Viggo fans reading, Vic also revealed Viggo’s favorite New Zealand wine. It’s a pino noir made by Mt. Difficulty Winery of Queenstown. Vic said he told a woman on one of Red Carpet’s tours this, and she bought a bottle of it to take home. She then went to a signing, and gave the bottle to Viggo, who was very impressed that she knew his favorite wine and had brought it to him all the way from New Zealand. Vic said he then received an e-mail from the woman, requesting a whole case of the wine to be shipped to her, so that she could present Viggo with one every time she saw him.

But enough stories. Back to Hobbiton!

By the time we arrived in Matamata, we had a blue sky overhead and bright sunshine. Vic stopped just outside the farm’s limits to point out the name of the road (Buckland Lane – a total coincidence) and to pop in a CD. As we made our way up the winding drive, strains of Howard Shore’s music accompanied our journey. The hobbit theme crescendoed as we drove through lush green hills dotted with sheep, and I think it’s safe to say we were all holding back tears.

We stopped for a toilet break at the Shire’s Rest – a shop and café on the farm. The toilets are located in a building shaped like a hobbit hole, and the inside is themed as well, all the way down to doorknobs in the middle of wooden doors.

Then it was off to the set. Alec, an elderly farm guide, hopped in the van and basically repeated everything about Hobbiton that Vic had already told us. He didn’t know about Vic’s personal involvement in it, and I got the feeling Vic preferred it that way. We had to stop to be let through a few gates along the way, and Alec pointed out the roads built for filming, as well as the spots where various trailers, catering tents, animal paddocks and the like were located.

We eventually found ourselves atop a high hill, being blasted by a chilly wind as it pushed scuttling clouds across the sky. Down below we could see the Party Tree and lake in the distance. It was then that Josh removed his shoes and continued the rest of the day barefoot, and everyone else realized just exactly we were.

Getting down to the set was made difficult by a downed tree blocking the road. We had to back up and go around an alternate way. We ended up hiking down from behind Bag End. As we rounded the corner, there it was – Bilbo’s abode perched on the hill towering above us. The cameras didn’t stop from then on.

Alec gave us a proper tour, explaining who lived in which hobbit hole, where certain Hobbiton buildings and gardens had stood, and even where Gandalf let off his fireworks for the hobbit children at the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring. Alec said the farm is going to ask New Line for permission to rebuild one hobbit hole – the one Sam and Rosie live in that is seen at the very end of Return of the King.

Even though I’d been there once before, it was like being there for the very first time all over again.

The wind brought with it a brief storm, which only succeeded in making everything more beautiful after it passed. The whole farm was bathed in an after-rain sheen once the sun came back out.

We walked all around the set, and even danced on the Party Field – something I didn’t do last time, but had a lot of fun doing this time. Jen said more than once that her face hurt from smiling so much. I think it would be impossible to be unhappy in such a beautiful and magical place. Even Vic said he never tires of coming, even when he makes four or five trips in one week.

We ended our tour up at Bag End, by going inside Bilbo’s home. Bag End is the only hole you can properly go inside. Last time I was in there, it was dusty and dark. But it seems that with a new face on Bag End, a new inside was also in order. There are now lights and a few photos hanging on the walls. But the view out of Bag End’s windows and doors is still the same – and still breathtaking. There have been 14 marriage proposals at Hobbiton, with a majority of them being in this very spot.

We took pictures in and out of Bag End, as well as inside the window where Sam was pulled through by Gandalf in Fellowship. With the renovation, visitors can now climb inside this particular window for photos. Which we took advantage of.

With a few last photos and a satisfied feeling, we boarded the van once more to return to the Shire’s Rest for lunch. We timed it perfectly: As we drove back through the three farm gates, the rain clouds blew in, opening up just as we got inside.

Lunch consisted of sandwiches, savories, fresh fruit, and the most delicious muffins I have ever tasted. Food never tasted so good as it did in the Shire.

After a leisurely lunch and some light shopping in the shop, it was back to Auckland. Most of us dozed off on the drive back, but I don’t think Vic minded driving in silence.
When we got back to Auckland, Vic dropped us all off at our various hostels and hotels, which saved us a bus or taxi fare and was greatly appreciated. Una, Melinda, Jamie, Andrea and myself all stayed together at Lantana Lodge International Backpackers, a little hostel outside of the city in the suburb of Parnell. We met Jamie and Andrea there, and took half an hour to unwind before heading back out.

Getting downtown wasn’t as difficult as it seemed it would be, though the two massive, steep hills we had to climb to get to a bus station were killer. We discovered that if we used The Link buses, fares anywhere in town were only $1.60. So we took a bus down to Queen Street, where we picked up our All Blacks tickets for Saturday night. Then we headed over to Sky City.

Our plan was to eat dinner in the Sky Tower, figuring the view from the top would be pretty at night. But when we went to try and get a table at Orbit, the revolving restaurant, they were completely booked. So we made a reservation for brunch the next day instead, and found a cheap Chinese place instead.

We really wanted to find a karaoke club, but it seems they’re quite difficult to come by over here, especially when you really want one. We stopped into the Globe, a backpackers bar, but didn’t stay very long. In search of more clubs, we headed down to the waterfront. We found heaps of bars and clubs that looked fun, but we, in our jeans and sneakers, didn’t have a prayer of getting into any of them. So, after walking around a bit more, we headed back to our hostel and called it an early night.

To see a complete album of pictures both from the Weta presentation and my trip to Hobbiton, go to my Facebook album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031825&l=3a74a&id=36002321
It's a public album, so it should be viewable by all.