Mis-Shapes
Middle‑earth in Aotearoa: A Lord of the Rings Pilgrimage When we first started planning our trip to New Zealand, the Lord of the Rings was one of the three pillars around which the whole itinerary revolved. Lighthouses, landscapes and LOTR. Our first glimpse of Middle-earth came on the very first day in Auckland. Bag End, Hobbiton Still running on adrenaline after twenty-four hours of travel, we wandered through the Sky Tower complex in central Auckland and found ourselves standing outside the Wētā Cave beneath a pair of giant trolls. It was only a small outpost of Wellington's legendary effects studio, but it was enough to remind us why we were here. Peter Jackson's films had played a huge part in shaping our image of New Zealand long before we booked a flight. Standing amongst props, models and displays from the films felt like the opening chapter of something much bigger. The Wētā Cave, Auckland A few days later, after exploring Northland and standing at Cape Reinga watching...
