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!