Francesca and Henk-Jan's Backpacking Trip!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Lord of the Rings Tour
Together we sat at the table. Grave faces all around. We heard him speak: "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor." We smiled; we knew we were where we were supposed to be. The speaker continued: "Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall." We looked at each other and knew we had to help. The speaker asked who wished to join the Fellowship. We raised our hands. "Eleven companions… So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"
We were picked up for intensive preparation this morning by our hobbit-like guide around 08:40AM. His name is unbeknownst to me, so I shall simply refer to him as “Gollum.” Gollum was supposed to be our guide, the one to lead us through this adventure. Today he would prepare us for our adventure by showing us the vast lands surrounding Wellington, so my companion and I could see what we were in for. We shared our names and told him stories of our homelands, far, far away. We talked briefly with some Hobbits and a wise old Wizard; there was also a Dwarf, as well as an Elf, and even two Humans. And then there was us. We shall remain unnamed.
Our first stop was Mt. Victoria, named after the British Queen, who conveniently is also called Victoria. We stopped at the top for a view of the city. What a magnificent sight to see a city so spread out, all along the different coastlines with very few high buildings. Wellington is home to about 750.000 inhabitants. This capital was nothing like our own, but definitely looked liked something we could get used to.
Gollum led us to a track that wound around the mountain and not long after he showed us the first point of interest: the spot where the Hobbits roll down the hill after finding some mushrooms shortly after leaving The Shire. Frodo ignores his friends, peering off into the distance. My curly-haired partner copied the pose and I took a few snapshots.
Just a little further on the same track Gollum showed us the location where the Hobbits jumped off the track again to hide from the hunting Ringwraiths. He told us the story of the making of the set here. There wasn’t actually a tree trunk to hide under, so they made one on the track. Sounds pretty expensive for such a short scene, but we guessed that Peter Jackson had a little cash to splash.
After a short downhill walk, just off a sidetrack stood the tree that Frodo and Sam sit in when they hear the sound of Elves singing in the distance. We stopped here for a few photos as well. Gollum gave us a pipe made out of a twig and a pine cone. I grabbed another twig to hold in my hand, just like Sam.
We also saw the field Aragorn and Theoden look over when they’ve gathered their troops around Dunharrow. Gollum explained how PJ had added some mountains from the South Island to the background, and how a nearby pub disappeared under some foliage.
Finally, Gollum showed us the location of one of the more famous covers for the books: a horsed Wraith in the shadow is seen at the top of a path; with backlight illuminating the horse’s hot breath and glistening sweat, and its rider’s lack thereof. I walked up the path with two unnamed companions and reenacted said scene with great valor.
Gollum took us away from danger by leading us to Dry Creek Quarry. Peter Jackson had some trouble obtaining rights to film at this location because it is an active quarry. The owner would rather keep working and making money, however, PJ asked him to tell him how much profit he would make in a year. The owner calculated the amount, and then tripled that. PJ just smiled and said yes. After he successfully negotiated the rent he first turned the place into Helm’s Deep, and later Minas Tirith. Also, most of the extras used for these scenes were soldiers from the New Zealand Army. Most of the scenes shot here took place in wintertime, so PJ needed strong, sturdy men.
A quick drive took us into Kaitoke Regional Park, a beautifully scenic park largely covered in temperate rainforest. Gollum told us a remarkable story: Peter Jackson had asked cricket fans during an international match between England and New Zealand to chant words projected on a screen and to clap to get the sounds for Saruman’s army. It was amazing to hear how inventive directors have to be to get some of their material. Arriving on the spot, Gollum set us loose and we dispersed. We walked over a wobbly bridge to see the spot where Eomer finds Theodred on the riverbanks, after he’s been badly injured by Orcs (only in the Extended Editions).
More importantly though, Kaitoke is the home of Rivendell. A big signpost led us to a denser part of the forest that indeed reminded us of rustic Rivendell. My companion was most interested in a tree known as Legolas’ tree. Remember that shot where he peers off into the distance, standing next to a tall tree? We got to stand next to that tree, dressed up and all!
Unfortunately, it was raining rather heavily, so Gollum took us back to our transport. He had given us some Lembas bread and drinks, so we were good to go for some more exploring. We headed back towards Wellington, stopping one more time before reaching our goal. Gollum showed us Harcourt Park, the park used to shoot the scenes in the Gardens of Isengard. It was also used for Orthanc, the mighty tower of Saruman. And remember the scene where the Orcs pull down a tree? That scene was shot right there! Finally, the park was also used for the talk Saruman and Gandalf have in the Gardens, before Saruman becomes a baddie.
Gollum thought we had seen enough for a while, so he drove us to the center of Wellington for an Orc-sized lunch. He stopped at a cute, little place called Pandoro. My companion and I shared a chicken mushroom Panini and a salami Ciabatta. The two of us warmed up with two large hot chocolates that tasted fantastic. After we were done eating we also got to pick up some nibbles for later that day. My companion opted for the American chocolate fudge brownie whereas I chose the white chocolate brownie. Fueled up and ready to go we jumped back in our van.
Gollum then drove us to a suburb of Wellington called Miramar. Miramar is home to Weta Digital, the company that did the special effects for Lord of the Rings. We got to go into their little museum, dedicated to their past achievements. Our little fellowship saw artifacts from movies such as Braindead, King Kong, Black Sheep and, of course, Lord of the Rings. They also showed us a video of their different branches: miniatures, clothes, weapons, digital imagery and painting. It was quite impressive to see how they went from the rather unique style they had when they started off with Bad Taste, and how much they’ve progressed in the following years.
After spending a good hour in the Weta Cave we were also shown a gigantic bluescreen built by Weta. They used shipping containers to create an enormous wall, and then covered those. They actually painted it different colors several times. They also managed to park the ship used in King Kong in front of the screen; it was a 1:1 replica of the real thing. Impressive stuff!
The weather really hadn’t gotten any better, so Gollum pretty much just drove us around pointing out places that had something to do with Lord of the Rings. We saw Peter Jackson’s house; a pretty unassuming place along the coastline. It was weird to see how there was virtually no security as we drove right up to his house.
We also drove around in another suburb called Seatoun. Seatoun was named by a Scottish guy that wanted a town along the shore: Seatown. However, being Scottish and sporting an accent, nobody understood he said ‘town,’ so people thought he had called it Seatoun. Seatoun was the place used as the village of Bree. It’s also the spot where Orlando Bloom learned how to shoot the bow and arrow. Not much was left of the work they did down there, but since Gollum carried pictures of how it once was we could imagine the work that it must’ve taken to set something like that up.
Leaving Seatoun, we passed Breaker Bay on our way back to the city. Gollum pointed out another area that was used for the Dunharrow-shots. This was the land that was used to pitch up the tents for King Theoden and his followers. He showed us pictures of the tents that they used, and how much work they had to do digitally to make the material look decent. Amazing to see how much editing still goes into a movie after shooting it.
Our final stop before heading back to the city was Owhiro Bay. This bay was pretty unique to Peter Jackson because the hills right behind it are not covered in grass, and actually left rocky. It proved to be the ideal place to shoot the scene where Sam rolls down the hill in front of a passing army of Sauron. Frodo slides down after him and covers them both with their Elvish cloaks.
On our way back Gollum told us about the plans for the filming of The Hobbit, which is set to start sometime next year. A few of the cast members of Lord of the Rings will be joining again. Guilermo del Toro will be the director with Peter Jackson as executive producer. They’ll be shooting for little over a year to capture all the scenes, with a lot of digital editing still to be done (think Smaug or the Goblin Kingdom) for the two movies that they plan on making. Sounds exciting, so let’s hope it works out for them!
Around 16:30PM Gollum dropped us off at our castle. We felt prepared for our upcoming adventure with the Fellowship. We said goodbye to Gollum, ready for some sleep, and excited for the dangers and thrills that were to come.
Signing off,
Mysterious Fellow and Curly-haired Companion
We were picked up for intensive preparation this morning by our hobbit-like guide around 08:40AM. His name is unbeknownst to me, so I shall simply refer to him as “Gollum.” Gollum was supposed to be our guide, the one to lead us through this adventure. Today he would prepare us for our adventure by showing us the vast lands surrounding Wellington, so my companion and I could see what we were in for. We shared our names and told him stories of our homelands, far, far away. We talked briefly with some Hobbits and a wise old Wizard; there was also a Dwarf, as well as an Elf, and even two Humans. And then there was us. We shall remain unnamed.
Our first stop was Mt. Victoria, named after the British Queen, who conveniently is also called Victoria. We stopped at the top for a view of the city. What a magnificent sight to see a city so spread out, all along the different coastlines with very few high buildings. Wellington is home to about 750.000 inhabitants. This capital was nothing like our own, but definitely looked liked something we could get used to.
Gollum led us to a track that wound around the mountain and not long after he showed us the first point of interest: the spot where the Hobbits roll down the hill after finding some mushrooms shortly after leaving The Shire. Frodo ignores his friends, peering off into the distance. My curly-haired partner copied the pose and I took a few snapshots.
Just a little further on the same track Gollum showed us the location where the Hobbits jumped off the track again to hide from the hunting Ringwraiths. He told us the story of the making of the set here. There wasn’t actually a tree trunk to hide under, so they made one on the track. Sounds pretty expensive for such a short scene, but we guessed that Peter Jackson had a little cash to splash.
After a short downhill walk, just off a sidetrack stood the tree that Frodo and Sam sit in when they hear the sound of Elves singing in the distance. We stopped here for a few photos as well. Gollum gave us a pipe made out of a twig and a pine cone. I grabbed another twig to hold in my hand, just like Sam.
We also saw the field Aragorn and Theoden look over when they’ve gathered their troops around Dunharrow. Gollum explained how PJ had added some mountains from the South Island to the background, and how a nearby pub disappeared under some foliage.
Finally, Gollum showed us the location of one of the more famous covers for the books: a horsed Wraith in the shadow is seen at the top of a path; with backlight illuminating the horse’s hot breath and glistening sweat, and its rider’s lack thereof. I walked up the path with two unnamed companions and reenacted said scene with great valor.
Gollum took us away from danger by leading us to Dry Creek Quarry. Peter Jackson had some trouble obtaining rights to film at this location because it is an active quarry. The owner would rather keep working and making money, however, PJ asked him to tell him how much profit he would make in a year. The owner calculated the amount, and then tripled that. PJ just smiled and said yes. After he successfully negotiated the rent he first turned the place into Helm’s Deep, and later Minas Tirith. Also, most of the extras used for these scenes were soldiers from the New Zealand Army. Most of the scenes shot here took place in wintertime, so PJ needed strong, sturdy men.
A quick drive took us into Kaitoke Regional Park, a beautifully scenic park largely covered in temperate rainforest. Gollum told us a remarkable story: Peter Jackson had asked cricket fans during an international match between England and New Zealand to chant words projected on a screen and to clap to get the sounds for Saruman’s army. It was amazing to hear how inventive directors have to be to get some of their material. Arriving on the spot, Gollum set us loose and we dispersed. We walked over a wobbly bridge to see the spot where Eomer finds Theodred on the riverbanks, after he’s been badly injured by Orcs (only in the Extended Editions).
More importantly though, Kaitoke is the home of Rivendell. A big signpost led us to a denser part of the forest that indeed reminded us of rustic Rivendell. My companion was most interested in a tree known as Legolas’ tree. Remember that shot where he peers off into the distance, standing next to a tall tree? We got to stand next to that tree, dressed up and all!
Unfortunately, it was raining rather heavily, so Gollum took us back to our transport. He had given us some Lembas bread and drinks, so we were good to go for some more exploring. We headed back towards Wellington, stopping one more time before reaching our goal. Gollum showed us Harcourt Park, the park used to shoot the scenes in the Gardens of Isengard. It was also used for Orthanc, the mighty tower of Saruman. And remember the scene where the Orcs pull down a tree? That scene was shot right there! Finally, the park was also used for the talk Saruman and Gandalf have in the Gardens, before Saruman becomes a baddie.
Gollum thought we had seen enough for a while, so he drove us to the center of Wellington for an Orc-sized lunch. He stopped at a cute, little place called Pandoro. My companion and I shared a chicken mushroom Panini and a salami Ciabatta. The two of us warmed up with two large hot chocolates that tasted fantastic. After we were done eating we also got to pick up some nibbles for later that day. My companion opted for the American chocolate fudge brownie whereas I chose the white chocolate brownie. Fueled up and ready to go we jumped back in our van.
Gollum then drove us to a suburb of Wellington called Miramar. Miramar is home to Weta Digital, the company that did the special effects for Lord of the Rings. We got to go into their little museum, dedicated to their past achievements. Our little fellowship saw artifacts from movies such as Braindead, King Kong, Black Sheep and, of course, Lord of the Rings. They also showed us a video of their different branches: miniatures, clothes, weapons, digital imagery and painting. It was quite impressive to see how they went from the rather unique style they had when they started off with Bad Taste, and how much they’ve progressed in the following years.
After spending a good hour in the Weta Cave we were also shown a gigantic bluescreen built by Weta. They used shipping containers to create an enormous wall, and then covered those. They actually painted it different colors several times. They also managed to park the ship used in King Kong in front of the screen; it was a 1:1 replica of the real thing. Impressive stuff!
The weather really hadn’t gotten any better, so Gollum pretty much just drove us around pointing out places that had something to do with Lord of the Rings. We saw Peter Jackson’s house; a pretty unassuming place along the coastline. It was weird to see how there was virtually no security as we drove right up to his house.
We also drove around in another suburb called Seatoun. Seatoun was named by a Scottish guy that wanted a town along the shore: Seatown. However, being Scottish and sporting an accent, nobody understood he said ‘town,’ so people thought he had called it Seatoun. Seatoun was the place used as the village of Bree. It’s also the spot where Orlando Bloom learned how to shoot the bow and arrow. Not much was left of the work they did down there, but since Gollum carried pictures of how it once was we could imagine the work that it must’ve taken to set something like that up.
Leaving Seatoun, we passed Breaker Bay on our way back to the city. Gollum pointed out another area that was used for the Dunharrow-shots. This was the land that was used to pitch up the tents for King Theoden and his followers. He showed us pictures of the tents that they used, and how much work they had to do digitally to make the material look decent. Amazing to see how much editing still goes into a movie after shooting it.
Our final stop before heading back to the city was Owhiro Bay. This bay was pretty unique to Peter Jackson because the hills right behind it are not covered in grass, and actually left rocky. It proved to be the ideal place to shoot the scene where Sam rolls down the hill in front of a passing army of Sauron. Frodo slides down after him and covers them both with their Elvish cloaks.
On our way back Gollum told us about the plans for the filming of The Hobbit, which is set to start sometime next year. A few of the cast members of Lord of the Rings will be joining again. Guilermo del Toro will be the director with Peter Jackson as executive producer. They’ll be shooting for little over a year to capture all the scenes, with a lot of digital editing still to be done (think Smaug or the Goblin Kingdom) for the two movies that they plan on making. Sounds exciting, so let’s hope it works out for them!
Around 16:30PM Gollum dropped us off at our castle. We felt prepared for our upcoming adventure with the Fellowship. We said goodbye to Gollum, ready for some sleep, and excited for the dangers and thrills that were to come.
Signing off,
Mysterious Fellow and Curly-haired Companion
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