TE KAUWHATA – AUCKLAND, 25 May 2024
I’m splitting this up into two chapters. Auckland deserves its own post, not tied to our flights.
It’s crazy to post the final route map. A full-scale one will be drafted up and posted with everything on it from all 3 weeks worth of the journey.
So, the end-ish.
The van was dropped off after a final clean and tidy up at Te Kauwhata and passed with flying colours. Tidy lil beans that we are.
And that was the end of Imladris. Thank you for the refuge, especially from the goddamn wind!!!
Jon and I had already settled on spending the day separately. We both had things that we wanted to do in Auckland that didn’t align with each other, and we’re so ride or die after this many years that this is much more aware and caring than friends that grin and bear something together with neither satisfied. We wanted our space and our own vibe to the day.
Jon went to Auckland Art Gallery, which I’d have loved, but I want to return and do that with my partner, who loves art.
My day was going on the Wētā Unleashed tour opposite the Sky Tower. It was, in many ways, much more in line with my taste that the Wellington tour. In Wellington, that tour was mainly focused on showing us the REAL props from LOTR and beyond and how that’s implemented. Unleashed in Auckland is more about the actual crafts of production design itself and how people can implement it themselves.
Unleashed is split into 3 genre movies that discuss a different aspect of design. A horror movie that discussed how prosthetics, animatronics, and makeup work to create different things (plus, a fake blood recipe).
A fantasy movie that shows the aspects of bigatures and allowing us to have the freedom to film and walk around it (honestly, I spent so much time doing this!), and discussing costume design, model crafting, concept work and all round world-building from a design perspective (I.e. character look, costume, location info to inform that look, armour, etc.)
Finally, a shorter Sci-Fi section to discuss how composite shots work and how large, but not full, scale models can be used to crate something realistic and colossal. Essentially, angles.
While I wasn’t told anything directly, I learned so much by watching, trying, and absorbing, and the inspiration I felt creatively upon leaving was sky-high. I can’t wait to get home and start on some projects of my own that I have waiting in the wings!
After that, I meandered around Queens St., begrudgingly bought some new earphones after my charging case for my old ones was claimed by the road-trip gods, and got a gift I’d been on the hunt for and only took 3 shops to find…
Before long, I met Jon at Gorilla Kitchen, the vegan restaurant we both wanted to try when we first landed in Auckland, but it was closed (hence, us going to Scarecrow back then). Now, we were back where we had truly begun our adventures and sharing a sincerely delicious meal. Gorilla is absolutely on my *every time* list for when I’m back in Auckland! It can be my Green Parrot! We ate a lovely meal and toasted the trip before we made our way via bus and train to the airport. We’d stored our suitcases that morning (for a crazily cheap price!), so once we’d picked those up we checked in.
On the train, Jon decided he was already tired and rather than sleep on the plane, was going to sleep through our entire final journey… so, enjoy this gallery as I did what any self-respecting best friend would do…
This included me sitting in a café desperately squeezing my new child, then Nazgûl statue into my carry-on and praying for the best. Thank you to the check-in lady who saw my suitcase was 20.2 kgs, not 20 (go figure. Malaysia Airlines have 20 not 23 kgs for their baggae limit. Weird) and just smiled and sent it through. A true guardian angel. She also didn’t care about my camera being included with the carry-on weight. So, my boy is safely on the way home. Hooray!
With that, we walked through security and bid farewell to Auckland and to Aotearoa.
– Jake,
26 May 2024
P.S. Jon is also writing about his version of events over on his Tumblr page, Misplaced Midlanders! Check it out!
The Long Expected Journey 