We visit Wellington two times – one just befor we hide over to the south island and second on our way back. This block covers both times.
First visit – on the way to south island
Some impressions.
But we have received a nice visit at the campsite …
Second visit – on our way back from south island
The Lord of the Rings Tour
The tour begins with a ride up Mount Victoria – a mountain in the middle of Wellington. From a vantage point there is a view of the city – unfortunately in the fog, but dissolves shortly thereafter.
Then it goes into the forest! On the way are benches with quotes from the movie.
The city is not far …
Then we are standing where the hobbits rolled down in the forest and then hid.
A few steps further the place where they then found the mushrooms and cleaned the dirt from the robe.
A few steps further the place where they have hidden from the black riders under a (fake) root.
Perhaps 100 steps further down you can see a small lawn. There where the 5 tents of the kings were waiting for the arrival of their armies.
Then we continue towards Weta Workshop. Founded just over 20 years ago by a couple in a garage, WETA was involved in some quite known films. Next to Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit small productions like Avatar, Indiana Jones and many others.
We start in a shop – surprise! Here there are many souvenirs as well as many exhibits.
During the tour itself, it was not allowed to take pictures, because many of the exhibits are real props of films. Some could also attack and it was also the production of helmets and weapons shown.
In the last room it was allowed to take pictures. Here the production of props was shown.
Cable Car and Space Place
Cable cars existed in many cities in New Zealand from the late 1900s to the 1950s – today there is only one very short line left (some 100 meters) from the Lambtom Quey up to the Botanic Gardens.
Parts of the route go through a tunnel where a light show is presented.
A few steps from the upper station is also the observatory called Space Place.
The exhibition is made for kids but also informative for adults!
We had our fingers on the moon – at least on a small piece of the moon.
A lot of short videos with interesting knowledge about the universe and our solar system was presented.
Of course, there are also short movies in the cinema.
Te Papa Museum
It is the largest museum in Wellington and it proves once again: In Austria the the museum operators have no glue how a museum should be like!
The different areas are varied, interesting and informative. You can touch a lot, try things out and experience them.
One area deals with the development of New Zealand and the construction of the earth.
In a small house an earthquake is simulated and on an infoscreen you can watch the last earthquakes in New Zealand – in the last 2 days there were more than 10 !!!
Another area deals with wildlife on land and in the water.
Here you can also admire the world’s largest exhibited octopus.
In a short video is detailed about the capture until it arrives in the exhibition.
There is also an outdoor area with plant life in New Zealand.
The exhibition “Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War” shows New Zealand’s involvement in the First World War in the Battle of Gallipoli from the perspective of 8 people who participated in it.
The figures are larger than life (4-6 meters) and were produced by Weta Workshop. By the way, the hair is real!
There is also a section on the colonization of New Zealand, the Maori culture and much more.
The best is: the entrance is free!
The City
Wellington is located on a peninsula on which it is quite hilly. Only the city center is reasonably flat.
Even if only a few 100,000 live in and around Wellington, a lot of city feeling comes up.
On the hills and also just outside the center you will find – mostly two-story – houses that are mostly made of wood and somehow reminiscent of San Francisco (hilly and there are many wooden houses ).
The pictures are from several days – so that is why the weather looks so different…