Whilst in New Zealand recently, we finally had the time and opportunity to visit the famous Wētā Workshop – special effects and props company in Wellington, NZ, better known as the guys behind LOTR (or Lord of the Rings for those not in the know!).
‘Dive head-first into a world of creativity, physical effects, and movie-making magic.’
We were always curious about visiting and it was well worth the trip! Here are some takeaways:
- Book your trip online to avoid disappointment (and also to get a better price) especially during high season – we used KLOOK which cost us NZD48 per adult
- You can also include airport transfers and lunch to your ticket price so it makes for a nice day out (The workshop in Wellington is 5 minutes from the airport so super easy to fit in just before you fly in or out)
- They also have a workshop in Auckland which is also 90 minutes long and apparently much bigger, with tickets priced at NZD59 per adult
- See all your favourite movie characters (like Orcs), hold a real sword prop (ranging from light weight, a bit heavy and quite heavy!) & listen to your informative and well spoken guide (ours had 20 years’ experience in the industry and himself played a hobbit extra in one of the movies!)
- Be ASTOUNDED with just how many movies Wētā has been involved in – most big scale directors will only work with Weta when making movies
- You get led from one room to the next before finally getting to the room where you can touch anything you want – you also get a super interesting tour of how the face prosthetics are made – sometimes an actor needs several prosthetics a day and each one takes so long to make!
- The final doorway before the exit was to a room which had a lovely lady in it espousing the benefits and ease of using aluminium foil to create structures and art work for young ones. Here are 5 amazing tin foil projects you will fall in love with.
- Sign up for the Wētā workshops for some added artistry and to stir those creative juices!
- Little ones will get a kick if you round off your trip with a lovely frolic through the Miramar Fairy Village nearby (about a 15min walk for little legs)
- Head to the Chocolate Frog for a lovely outdoor lunch or have a seaside experience at Scorch-o-rama
- There are heaps of walks and trails around Wellington that make it a fantastic place to visit or live. You must also visit the Te Papa museum which has a permanent Gallipoli war exhibit (yes the giant creations were made by Wētā!)
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