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| The Pacific from the hills above Wellington |
A Quick Recap (or How I Got Here)
I planned my trip to New Zealand around 4 iconic hikes, taking place over the course of a month during late summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The first of the outdoor adventures was a 4 day/3 night backpack in Tongariro National Park, located in the central part of North Island.
The Round the Mountain Track is a circuit of Mt. Ruapehu, traversing the flanks of the mountain through bush and volcanic desert ecosystems. The terrain proved far more challenging than I anticipated, but the primary factors in my decision to abandon the hike after 3 days was deteriorating weather and the onset of a sinus infection.
After leaving the track I arrived in the town of Okahune, located at the base of the mountain. Once I had checked into a motel and visited the pharmacy for decongestant relief, it was time to assess the next step in my journey. The original plan called for me to travel by coach to Wellington on the southern coast, and then cross Cook Strait via interisland ferry to South Island.
Turning Lemons Into, Well You Know....
When making arrangements months in advance, I took it on faith that everything would proceed as anticipated. But as I sat in an Ohakune hotel room watching local news, the weather forecast upended my carefully crafted plans. The storm that chased me off the mountain was intensifying, and high winds and significant rain were now anticipated over all of North Island. Extreme conditions were expected to lead to cancellation of all ferry sailings and domestic flights between the islands.
Having no influence on the weather, I had no choice but to accept what was and change my approach. Essentially I would be stranded in Wellington for at least two extra days, with no way to make it to my lodging and transportation connections on South Island.
I have since learned that ferry disruptions are a major headache for residents and visitors, and weather is not the only reason ships can't cross. Mechanical issues and failed safety inspections frequently lead to a ship being stuck in port. When cancellations occur both cargo and people stack up, leading to further delays in being able to cross the Strait.
In five days my next backpacking outing was supposed to depart from Makarora, a hamlet in the southern region of South Island. But first I had to get to Queenstown to make the connection. Being large enough to offer regular air service from Wellington, I elected to schedule a flight in 3 days, hoping conditions would allow resumption of travel. I cancelled all prior reservations, trusting the new plan would get me where I needed to be on time.
Now the question of what to do in the interim was my next concern. Fortunately Wellington is a major city, home to a wide variety of diversions and attractions. This post is about my unexpected time there.
Wellington
After two rainy but recuperative days in Ohakune, I boarded a coach and traveled south. Wellington is 1) New Zealand's third largest city, 2) the world's southernmost capital city, and 3) is ranked as the 4th most livable city (tied with Tokyo). Two major universities and the seat of government are primary influences on the culture. Oh, and 4) it is also the world's windiest city, which became obvious to me while the storm was still in play.
Many young people come from around the Indo-Pacific region to study, making the city quite diverse with a youthful and surprisingly creative vibe. I also couldn't help but notice the wide array of different cuisines, with food from around the region as well as lots of international fare represented.
I had essentially two free days before flying to Queenstown, and I decided to navigate the city on foot and by using the extensive transit system. I needed to resupply items that were either used up or required replacement (food, rain pants and a pack cover), and that meant visiting different areas to find what I was looking for - a perfect excuse to explore.
Aside from that I had some elective time; and settled on a guided tour of Wētā Workshop, as well as a visit to one of the more impressive institutions in New Zealand - Te Papa, the National Museum. More about these places later.
Like Auckland, walking around the Central Business District was very interesting. The city is a primary financial hub in the region, and tall skyscrapers share street space with historic older buildings. Wellington also serves as a major port, with cargo terminals surrounding the harbor to facilitate the import/export trade.
The city itself is situated on the southwestern coast of North Island amidst rolling but relatively steep hills. Its location on Cook Strait and direct southern exposure makes Wellington a frequent target of storms that originate in the Roaring Forties, which explains the well deserved "windiest city" designation. Many parks and preserves are located in and around the metropolitan area, and the maritime climate supports lush greenery.
After completing my necessary errands, I had the opportunity to see two notable attractions that Wellington offers.
Wētā Workshop
The story of Wētā is fascinating to me. When NZ native Peter Jackson made the fateful decision to attempt a movie adaptation of the monumental Lord of the Rings trilogy, he had to find a way to bring his vision to life. Enter Peter's collaborator and fellow Kiwi Richard Taylor, founder of RT Productions, a small creative company that previously worked on creatures, prosthetics, and makeup for television productions.
In 1993 Peter had approached Richard about producing effects for his films Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners. This led to Peter joining the company which was renamed Wētā Workshop, along with the creation of a CGI effects department called Wētā Digital (Wētā is a Maori word describing a group of large arthropod insect species native to New Zealand). These modest entities would form the homegrown backbone of one of the most ambitious film projects in history.
With a relatively limited budget, the producers of the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) movies were faced with the daunting task to design and manufacture every prop, costume (including weapons and armor), and structure for the sweeping tapestry created by author J.R.R. Tolkien. This included all CGI special effects and miniatures to augment physical sets and landscapes.
In a somewhat unorthodox but brilliant decision, principal filming of all three movies was completed simultaneously over the course of a year. Every shot was made on location in New Zealand, which given the geographic diversity of the country is understandable. Post-production would take another several years, with emphasis on large scale special effects, many of which Wētā Digital invented for the films.
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| Artwork commemorating Wētā in Wellington |
In spite of the challenges this superlatively creative group managed something like a miracle, and the trilogy went on to become a tremendous critical and financial success. Their triumph established the divisions of Wētā as heavy hitters in the film industry.
In the years since the release of the LOTR films, Wētā has become one of the most prominent production companies in the world. With many Academy Awards and other cinematic prizes attesting to the quality of the work, Wētā has become a significant contributor to the Wellington economic picture.
At present most of what Wētā does takes place in far flung locations across New Zealand and other countries. Accordingly the Workshop is a showcase, a snapshot in time displaying props, miniatures, and costumes from previous productions. There is also an in-house armory for the production of weapons ranging from medieval to alien death rays.
The tour takes place over a few hours, with a guide sharing all kinds of insider knowledge including how certain effects are achieved, and anecdotes about behind the scenes incidents. Overall it was interesting and certainly worthwhile. Incidentally, the price of the tour included pickup and dropoff from the city center - this was a plus as the shuttle driver for my group was quite entertaining, providing lots of supplemental information about the city enroute to the Workshop.
I won't spoil the experience by divulging too much - I'll just share pictures of what I was allowed to photograph (unfortunately most stuff is off limits due to licensing agreements).
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| A Troll from The Hobbit |
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| "I'm going to squash you into jelly..." |
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| Turned to stone by the rising sun |
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| One of many miniatures |
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| A prosthetic mask of some really ugly dude |
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| "My precioussssssss....." |
Te Papa
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| Te Papa |
With an emphasis on biculturalism, the Museum aims to provide a space to tell the story of Maori and European settlers whose shared home includes immense geographical and biological diversity.
Housed in a modern multistory structure in central Wellington, Te Papa is the crown jewel of New Zealand's artistic, cultural, and natural history. With over 2 million objects in the collection, there is something for everyone here. Free for New Zealand residents, international visitors pay a modest 35.00 (NZD) for a full day pass.
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| Gallipolli Exhibit |
Covering the disastrous early World War I campaign, there is substantial space devoted to the experience of Australian and New Zealand soldiers who participated in the long, grueling, and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to open another front in the war.
Part of what makes visiting an institution like Te Papa worthwhile is that something new can be presented in a way that makes you want to learn more, and that is exactly what happened to me. The exhibit is designed to be immersive, and I found myself seeking to explore the details of what happened and why. When I returned home I spent time on a deeper dive into the history of the invasion, and I discovered things that were previously unknown to me.
For me the most impressive part of the presentation is the inclusion of 8 large figures sculpted at 2.4 times their original size. These portray the stories of New Zealanders and their personal experience during the brutal months long conflict. Coincidentally, these enormous depictions were created by Wētā, taking over 24,000 hours to produce. I attempted to capture some of the amazing detail with these photos, but like many things they are poor representations of the actual objects.
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| What we call PTSD was referred to then as "shell shock" |
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| Rations were less than appetizing |
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| On the left - see the tiny human? |
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| The doctor's face says it all |
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| The rage of battle |
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| Meticulous detail, down to the fly |
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| Sad news for loved ones from the front |
The realism that Wētā achieved is astonishing, including details as fine as individual hairs on a soldiers hand. The facial expressions alone made me believe that the figures would suddenly turn and speak.
One of the important ideas conveyed by the exhibit is the coalescing of a national identity for New Zealanders. Although they became involved in World War I as a result of their association with the UK Commonwealth, afterwards they began to see themselves a separate and unique people. And the casualties were not limited to descendants of settlers; Maori people fought and died alongside their countrymen.
When I finally managed to pull myself away from the Gallipolli exhibit I spent my remaining time with the natural history and environmental presentations, but honestly I could go back for at least another day to give the rest of the Museum its full due. Next time, I promise.
After spending two unanticipated but thoroughly enjoyable days in New Zealand's capital city, the weather cleared as hoped for and I boarded a flight to Queenstown on South Island for my next destination - The Gillespie Track in Mt. Aspiring National Park.
