Weta Studios.

After an early arrival and getting settled into our motel, we caught a bus and headed out to the Weta Workshop complex. To get this far one has to book onto one of the six or so tours, which vary from $28 to $145 for an adult. We chose the more modest Weta Cave Workshop Tour at $65. It was enough for me and it covered much of how they made all the different items for the various films; from monsters, medieval armour, swords and the like, models, and, well, just about anything really. The attention to the detail on any item made was really impressive. Some 48,00 items were made for The Lord of the Rings, 6623 weapons and armour were crafted for The Great Wall film, and I like the comment that the swords made looked real enough but as actors soon got tired if they had to swing the real things around so they made them a lot lighter. Apparently, the Queen’s people heard of this and now if you happen to watch the Queen bestowing a knighthood on someone, it just might be one of those lighter swords made by Weta Workshop! In all it was interesting but just over priced I feel. 

The Terracotta Warriors waiting.

The Terracotta Warriors craftsmen could easily get a job at Weta Workshops I’d say. The eight life sized 2300 years old warriors, part of 8000 or so sculptures of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, were on display at the Museum of New Zealand so we went and had a look. Every sculpture was different, perhaps replicating the men in the army? It did make me wonder if each soldier was copied from real life, what happened to the living after? They may have been substitutes instead of being made a sacrifice  but if I was one of them, I’d be a little nervous after my ‘duplicate’ was finished! Also on display were many other items, made of gold, jade and bronze too. The detail on each item was really something special. One really needs to stop awhile, not 2000 odd years but some time to ‘feel’ and look as one watched one of the motionless figures. Well worth seeing and at a modest price too. 

We walked through the World War 1, Gallipoli display once more and admired the detailed life looking soldiers and equipment of Peter Jackson’s display.

The life like detail of a soldier operating a machine gum at Gallipoli.

The Gallipoli Retreat. Rifles were set up to fire at random with the aid of water for the enemy to think soldiers were still there.

Inside the Lake Head Hut. Shirl, Karla and Derilyn resting.

Lake Rotoiti and Back

We had a visitor from London and wished to show her something of our New Zealand way of life regarding our outdoors. We did have a day up to the Mt Arthur Hut and a little beyond, to climb higher than Ben Nevis’ 1345 metres in Scotland so that was a pretty good effort. Later we thought it would be good to experience an overnight stay in a New Zealand mountain hut so off we went.

We took it easy going up Lake Rotoiti via the water taxi then we walked over to have a look at the Coldwater Hut, crossing the Travers River. Back at Lakehead Hut and it was pretty full of overseas people so not the ideal situation. The next morning we rose early and had breakfast along the track a bit. Well, we got away from the foreigners but were joined by the sandflies!  It was a good couple of days out though and the ice-creams were good when we arrived back at St Arnaud.

Crossing one of the back waters coming back from Coldwater Hut, near the Lakehead Hut.

Native Misletoe.

The exuberance.