Weta Workshop, Weta Digital, Park Road Post...etc
We passed a few Weta company's buildings. They were in an extremely quite location.

A part of film studio
Lots of containers were used as a huge screen for a mixture of live-action and computer graphics.

Golum's head
I saw a big Gollum's head, which had been displayed on the roof of the Wellington Airport before. He was left out in the open. I felt bad for him, because he was one of the most popular characters during the movie! Unfortunately, he showed his back to us....

Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith
This quarry was used as the setting for Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith. It is located in Lower Hutt, the northern suburbs of Wellington. Helm's Deep, which was a fortress for the people in Rohan and it became a refuge area during the war. I heard that those scenes of Helm's Deep were shot at night. The set of Minas Tirith was also created at the same quarry. (More Images...)
center:
The quarry faces a busy road. It was a bit of a surprise that such a large-scale movie set was constructed in this ordinary looking place....

Kaitoke Regional Park
We had an Orc size lunch at Kaitoke Regional Park, which is located in just few minutes north of Upper Hutt.

Little walk in the park after lunch
It was an easy walk in Kaitoke rainforest, about 20 minutes. It is a good example of a native forest found in New Zealand. I could see native birds and trees everywhere.