TravelMole burrows into Middle Earth

Our Hobbit-stringer Liliane Opsomer in front of the Embassy Theatre in Wellington, NZ

Over 100,000 fans lined the red carpet today as the long awaited tale of Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premiered in New Zealand’s Capital Wellington.

Flying into Wellington, much to my delight, I had been treated to an unexpected briefing as the safety video on board of Air New Zealand included elves, dwarfs and Gandalf the Grey himself. My suitcase emerged from a Hobbit hole and made its way through the Shire a.k.a,  the conveyor belt.  Inside the main terminal a 40-foot sculpture of the Gollum greeted me and to make my airport visit complete I quickly made my way to KORU, the Air New Zealand Lounge to snap a picture of the life-size statues of Gandalf and Bilbo made of LEGO.

Now I was ready to jump in a taxi for the 40-minute ride to the film capital at the utter end of the world.  At my hotel hundreds of fans where in Hobbit fever as a pre-Hobbit Premiere party organized by TheOneRing.net fan club was underway. Friendly Hobbits invited me to join for a drink and explained that I had just missed the surprise visit of Sir Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood. While I did my best to get over the shock of having missed the King of Wellington I did not need any further convincing and joined the happy lot on the 6^th floor of the Amora Hotel. 

The next day was devoted to the exploration of all things Hobbit both by day and by night. Wellington’s Embassy Theater where the premiere took place is adorned with a giant sculpture of Gandalf knocking at Bilbo Baggins door. The adventurous Hobbit himself and his 13 dwarfs line the fifth floor of the New Zealand Post Office building and are best seen when lit at night.

A must visit is of course the Weta Cave in Miramar just a short taxi ride from the center of Wellington where I joined a long line of fans to see the free movie which tells  the story of the famed Weta Workshop. This mini museum-shop also boosts life size props from the Lord of the Rings movies and is a fans paradise albeit an expensive one. From the Workshop it is a short walk to Park Post Production, Peter Jackson’s premier post production facility. A visit inside this temple of movie making visionaries is not possible but a true fan needs at least a picture from the front of this eclectic building: www.parkroadpost.co.nz

A quick lunch at La Boca Loca (www.labocaloca.co.nz)  a favorite of cast and crew in Wellington is followed by a visit of the Roxy Cinema in Miramar.  Built in 1928 this landmark theatre has a fabulous art deco facade and is owned by passionate Wellingtonians from the film & hospitality industries – including Weta Workshop’s Sir Richard Taylor.

My next stop is Waitangi Park where a Lord of the Rings and Hobbit-inspired "artisan festival" is underway. The festival showcases the talents of 30 artists who contributed to the films and provided those among us in Hobbit fever with plenty of opportunities to hear their tales and take pictures with the artists who at times also had been extras in the movies.

Last but not least it was time for shopping. From pricy Hobbit garments spun from New Zealand’s finest wool to "Hobbit" currency, figurines, posters and the obligatory postcard from Middle Earth (with Hobbit stamps of course) it was all available for me to indulge and indulge I did.

Since October, a clock on top of the Embassy Theater had been counting down the days and the minutes to the premiere and finally the day had come. The weatherman in the morning came from the Elven community and gave the all clear for a sunny afternoon.  Air New Zealand flew a specially Hobbit theme decorated plane low over the cheering crowds around 5 PM and fans who had been lucky enough to get a spot upfront along the red carpet snapped pictures away as stars and VIP’s made their way from Reading Cinema to the Embassy Theater.

As for me, time had come to leave Middle Earth. I will be joining the millions of fans in waiting for the December opening of the movie worldwide. In the meantime I am now the proud owner of the Premiere T-Shirt and the World Premiere Souvenir Edition of Wellington’s newspaper, The Dominion Post.

by Liliane Opsomer, special to TravelMole

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Links and websites:

For behind-the-scenes production videos and other Hobbit news visit Peter Jackson’s Facebook page and The Hobbit Blog.

Places to visit when in Wellington:

Weta CaveԬto view props and get your fill of collectibles plus a free behind-the-scene movie.

Embassy TheatreԬa historic theatre built in 1926. It was the venue of the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and host of the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Roxy Cinema a beautifully revamped cinema in Miramar in art deco style owned by Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk.

Mount Victoria is the location of the first day of shooting for The Lord of the Rings. Mount Victoria has fantastic views of Wellington city and harbor.

Non Hobbit related must do’s

Visit the National Museum of NZ – Te Pap

 Ride the historic Wellington Cable Car to the Botanic Garden

Visit or volunteer for a day at ZEALANDIA: The Karori Sanctuary Experience

To catch a star:

Popular with cast and crew of The Hobbit are Café Polo, The Larder and La Boca Loca in Miramar. Logan Brown and The White House were popular with Frodo aka Elijah Wood during filming of The Lord of the Rings.

Hotels:

In 2011 I stayed at Museum Art Hotel Wellington, a privately owned 160-room luxury hotel located opposite the Te Papa museum and a short walk to theatres, shopping, the waterfront and Waitangi Park. Nearly all the rooms at this contemporary hotel offer unobstructed views of the Wellington Harbor and/or the city and is located right in the arts and entertainment district.

Guests can walk to Te Papa and the Waterfront. Adjacent is the Wellington Convention Centre and Town Hall.

Link to Museum Art Hotel Wellington:

http://www.museumhotel.co.nz

Link to Amora Hotel Wellington:

http://www.wellington.amorahotels.com

To watch an unexpected briefing on board Air New Zealand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBlRbrB_Gnc&feature=player_embedded

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