My day in the Capital starts with a walk along the coast to Miramar, home of Weta Workshop. I’ve booked a tour at the famous special effects studio at 12.30 and as I’m running late I have to take the bus part of the (8 km) way.

In front, visitors are greeted by the three petrified trolls, which look stunningly lifelike.
The Weta Cave (aka shop) is cool by itself, showing selected pieces from various films from LOTR to Tintin and District 9 as well as a myriad of collectibles, books and trinkets.

The tour, however, is on quite another level. It takes you through a (small) part of the workshop itself with many pieces of armour, weapons and costumes shown. Kimmy, our guide, tells us how these props were made and also relates some interesting stories about their creation and use during filming.

Sadly, photography is strictly forbidden for legal reasons.

Exhibits include a fully functional Warthog from Halo, life-size Na’vi (Avatar) and aliens from District 9, many different arrow types and swords as well as facial replicas of actors. One also gets a glimpse into the manufacturing room where models are being cnc machined.

Not all parts of props are specially made though. Sometimes existing items are adapted. I find that the part which attaches the hydraulic hoses on the Green Goblin’s new suit are a familiar blue (caerul to be precise) and clearly branded ‘Festo’. 😀

I end up spending over three hours at workshop and cave. Having bought some out of print books on Hergé, I take the bus back to the city.

I then return my defective macpac sleeping mat (they take it back without making a fuss) and proceed to the habour where music, some of it live, can be heard from every corner.

For dinner I turn back to the city. Having researched (read googled) good restaurants, I’ve decided on trying out Fisherman’s Plate, a Vietnamese place on Bond Street. The many newspaper clippings on the wall are definitely promising and indeed my wok beef, noodle & veggies stir-fry is excellent. It seems Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) likes the place, too.

I end the day by watching The Imitaiton Game in local Reading Cinema. Quite an enjoyable film to be recommended to those interested in history without too much action.