I got up this morning and had my shower, and then, whilst Pen had hers, went hunting for breakfast; starting with another garlic, cheese, and bacon roll (thing) from Maggie Bakery over the road from the Auckland City Hotel. I then tried to also find myself something suitable for lunch, but failed – even after visiting three stores.

So I went back to the hotel and we had breakfast. And I have to say that the baked apple flavoured, Skyr type-yoghurt is very nice. And unavailable at Pak’n Save according to their website.

We finished packing up, made sure we had everything (I nearly left behind my suction cup toothbrush holder) and asked if we could leave our bags – letting them know that I would need mine first.

Then we headed over to the Wētā Workshop Unleashed exhibition.

I’ve been to the Wētā Cave in Wellington, and associated tour(s) twice. (The second time had a Thunderbirds are Go tour, which I was dying to take Pen to, but doesn’t exist anymore – maybe because Wētā Digital has been sold, and Wētā Workshop and Pūkeko Pictures no longer had the rights to it? Or maybe because the show’s target audience are now in their teens and not interested.) Both time they showed off exhibits relating to Lord of the Rings (and Thunderbirds are Go), as well as other commercially released shows. This meant we weren’t able to take photos, which was really frustrating. (Especially with Thunderbirds are Go.) Accordingly, I left my cameras in the hotel.

This display was totally different.

We were told that we were going to be interns of Wētā Workshop and one of the first things we had to do was do a stocktake of boxes in a room. We did this, and then was asked if we could find the hidden door.

So I don’t spoil it for anyone else who visits, let’s just say that Pen is really good at spotting hinges.

We were led into another room where we appeared to be in a kind of bunker. One of the children moved a lever and three different “movie” synopses were displayed.

We moved on.

This was the entrance room and we got our first look at an animatronic creature – the head of health and security, Jeff , along with a video from Sir Richard Taylor.

Then, as the staff had gone on their break, we were admitted into the workrooms. The first explained about animatronics and how they had been used by Wētā Workshop over the years.

What’s good about this display, aside from the fact that none of this was copyrighted to other companies and you are therefore allowed to take photographs, was that you could actually get hands on.

The first room was based on the synopsis that was a “horror” movie. Looking into a camera (having taken your facemask off), meant that the animatronic skull mimicked your actions. But the one I liked most of all was the motion sensor that you waved your hand over and caused a hand elsewhere to move in the same way.

Then it was onto prosthetics and you could look into a mirror and have the computer superimpose horror makeup onto your face.

There was also an explanation on how silicone moulds were made and I got to hold Adam Savage’s (Mythbusters) hand.

We were invited to walk through a bit of a horror set (or could take a shortcut and miss it all together.) I didn’t find this two scary until there was a sudden noise, explosion of light, and a creature appeared before you. That was heart-stopping stuff.

Next was the (in my opinion), much nicer “fantasy” synopsis. This included a model of one of the Wētā Workshop sculptors, who’d “fallen asleep” at his desk when working on a plasticine model for this “film.” Step into the next room and you’ve stepped into an eight times larger scale version of him and his desk.

In the next room was a “bigature” of the model that he’d been working on which was a twentieth of the size of the one on his desk. We were allowed to touch (and crawl through) this one and all this showed how you don’t have to have purpose-made materials to create. The moss on the walls of this bigature had been made by blitzing up a kitchen sponge in a mixer.

Then we got to try things for ourselves. I had a got at sculpting with plasticine and tried to make a cat – although I think I was supposed to design prosthetics for the two heads provided. Whatever, it wasn’t very good in the time I had to work on it. But I could have also had a got a sketching, leather-working and foil modelling. Did you know that, with the appropriate decoration. you can model almost anything out of aluminium foil like you have in your kitchen?

The final rooms were based on the sci-fi “film” and included a robot that had come to Earth millennia ago and had been trapped in a lava cave when Rangitoto erupted. I’m going: “I’ve got  bach on Rangitoto, and I’ve never seen that.”

After that, we were escorted out (and towards the store.)

So, was it worth it? Yes. Was it what I expected? No. Should you go and see it? If you have a spare 1.5 hours in Auckland. And no, you don’t have to be a Lord of the Rings fan, or know of any of Wētā Workshop’s shows (including Thunderbirds are Go), as it explains and encourages creativity, rather than focuses on past creations.

After that, Pen and I tried the supermarket I’d tried this morning and they had some sandwiches, so I bought one, and then went back to the Auckland City Hotel and ate it.

And then it was to the SkyCity InterCity bus terminus and goodbye.

Not a lot to say here, aside from that it was the worst bit of the whole trip. Who knows when, or if, Pen and I, and Scott and Kally, will meet again in person.

I put my bag on the front seat and then stayed outside the bus for as long as I could before boarding.

And then waved goodbye.

As I’m typing this, Pen, who’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (registration ZK-NZJ) took off from Auckland Airport at 8.09pm, is currently level with Norfolk Island and approaching the International Date Line. Which means that she left Auckland at 8.09 pm on the 22^nd and will arrive in San Francisco at 12:50 pm on the 22^nd.

I had a good trip home, and Janice and Rocky kindly collected me from the i-SITE.

I mucked about a bit, made myself two cold drinks, watched a little bit of “Would I Lie To You” to wind down, and then went for a walk. D.C.’s tōtara is looking great with new growth. (The Kikuyu’s growing as well, so I’ll have to do some weeding this weekend.)

Following that I made my dinner, (ready meal),some more TV to wind down, and then wrote all this. Now I’m off to bed to try to get myself ready for doing the pays at work tomorrow.

Thank you to the three people who followed me on my blog – Pen, Karen, and someone else. I hope you didn’t find it too boring and were able to enjoy the trip as much as Pen, Scott, Kally, and I did.

Until next time I feel the need to blog, whenever that is, this is the Scallywag team signing off.

FAB