Wellington's Embassy Cinema

Another Ringwaif must-see, Wellington's Art Deco Embassy Cinema...

Sculpture across the street

Facade

A few interior shots

Ditto

Ditto again

And again

Now playing (with half a dozen others, in the small but very
comfy little theaters (there also are a restraurant and bar/cafe
plus the usual cinematic refreshments))

Original poster, big debut, 2001

The big hall

Wellington, 2B

It certainly wasn't our busiest day ever, but it was a good day and ultimately will take five posts to recount.

At Carducci's, on Happy Valley Road

Officially it's a mini-golf course

But actually it's someone's massive outdoor iron sculpture
garden

Impressive too

"Get off the road!" Next we were on Mount Victoria,
revisiting some favorite LOTR sites

Now with signage

Where the four hobbits hid from the Black Rider

Getting eroded away by all the visitors and tours

At the foot of Mount Victoria, a typical New Zealand
playground; best we've seen, anywhere

But the day wasn't over...we got back to our room to see
that 12 Years A Slave had won Best Picture; so we went to
see it that evening at the Embassy, Wellington's great old
Art Deco cinema, where LOTR had its debut(s) (another post)

Wellington, 2A

Our second day in Wellington was a busy, very photogenic day...

Looking back to the city, from the harbor, in or near Miramar

Looking toward the harbor mouth

Stopped for lunch near the harbor mouth, another floating
hotel glides by

Penguins, even on North Island

Mustering of the Rohirrim

Really, really nice house, with its own funicular, view...

The vistas just won't stop...

Ditto

Nor do the dangers to be surmounted by
fearless Ringwaifs

Setting for the Black Gate scenes

A ferry approaches from South Island

At a great DOC exhibit we are still learning about the tides...

Weta Cave

We visited the Weta Cave in 2009, not long after it opened, part of a LOTR tour we did then in Wellington. Weta is best known as the special effects, artifacts, computer-generated dimension of LOTR, but it existed some time before LOTR and certainly has not rested on its considerable laurels since. The Cave has expanded a bit, updated its video (excellent!), and added a 45-minute tour, on which we decided to pass. In any case, the Weta Cave is obligatory for Ringwaifs, even on the second time around, if for nothing more than the gift shoppe.

In case you were wondering, this is a weta, personally captured and photographed
by yours truly, in Fox Glacier

Understated--hey, it's New Zealand--entrance to the Weta Cave

Protected by Tom, Bert, and William

Tom (or possibly Bert or William)

Have you ever wondered what troll genitals look like? Of course
you have; this is just the Weta perspective, but it does aid the
imagination...

Inside the shoppe; they also do Steam Punk

Bilbo's contract with the Dwarves

"Please do not touch the merchandise!"

The Dark Lord Himself, too large for any display case

Smeagol/Gollum and scaly friend

Gandalf telling Vicki "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is 
given us..." and so we decided to skip the tour

Sir Ed visited Weta...really ties things together for me

Wellington, 2

We spent much of Monday touring by car, driving around the harbor, then around to the coast, stopping by the Weta Cave, a separate post.

Looking back to town

Another town that lines its boulevards with majestic Norfolk
Island Pines

Wellington is a hilly place--comparisons with San Francisco are inevitable and
fitting in many respects--

Wellingtonians have addressed the problem by building their
own funiculars and cable cars

According to the Cable Car Museum (which we visited on
Tuesday), there are more than 400 privately-owned and
-operated funiculars and cable cars in Wellington

Along with much beautiful Art Deco

Next stop was Wellington Airport, where Smeagol, the North Island's favorite
fisherman, welcome visitors

As do Gandalf and his feathered friend

Closer up

As do some trolls at one of the gift shoppes