Weta Cave

We spent the afternoon at Weta Cave, an Oscar-winning (and other award-winning) design and effects studio. They have been involved in a ton of movies, including The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, Avatar, and the Narnia movies, just to name a few. One of the tours allowed us to learn a bit about how props and costumes are designed and created. The other tour took us behind the scenes of a TV show (Thunderbirds Are Go) and allowed us to see actual sets and learn how they are made. Many of the sets and props are literally made out of junk or common items and are mostly crafted from plastic or foam, but you don't notice because of the way they are put together, the paint, the camera angles and lighting, and other tricks of the trade. Both tours were fascinating and revealed the immense amount of work and talent that go into making movies that we never even think about, far beyond which A-list actors/actresses make an appearance. Movie making is an incredibly labor-intensive, highly creative art form, basically creating false realities for movie-goers by trickery. It's an amazing process and so interesting to learn about! I will definitely have more to think about the next time I sit down to watch a movie with the family.

Troll greeting

Hobbit legs and feet

King Kong's head

Armor from Narnia

Protective gear from Lord of the Rings

My precious with Gollum

Wellington

So far, we absolutely love Wellington! Our house overlooks a lovely bay and the airport, so it's a pretty unbeatable view. Yesterday, it rained most of the day, so we hunkered down inside to do a little storm watching, paper airplane flying, cooking, movie watching, and work. Today was absolutely gorgeous, so we spent the day at the beautiful botanic garden. There was a fantastic playground, a ton of terrific trails, a million beautiful flowers and plants, a fun little cafe, and even new friends from Dallas, of all places!

Our lovely little house overlooking Lyall Bay
(The airport is just across the bay,
and it is so fun to watch the planes take off and land!)

Playground fun for everyone

Wellington Botanic Garden

优胜者! (WINNER!)

You may remember that there is a giveaway happening here today for my new book, Explore China. For me, it is the 18th already, but I didn't do my drawing until this morning, because I wanted to give everyone on the other side of the world a fair chance to get your name in the drawing. I would like to thank everyone who submitted a comment and for the many others who have shown support for this project in other ways. The winner has been chosen using Random.org, and I'm pleased to announce that the winner is...

Stacy Allen!

Congratulations! You will be receiving a free copy of Explore China in the mail very soon. 

If you didn't win but had your heart set on owning this book, you may purchase it on Amazon (using the link or by clicking on the image of the book on the right hand sidebar). The next Geography Explorer book (Explore Hong Kong) will be published soon, so keep an eye out for that one. 

Congratulations, Stacy!
I hope you and your kids enjoy the book!

Mammal Monday

We spent several low-key days in Twizel (with equally low-key internet) and then made the beautiful drive to the charming seaside town of Kaikoura yesterday. 

This morning we got to go out on a whale-watching boat, and we had three separate encounters with the gigantic sperm whales that inhabit these waters year-round. Sperm whales are the 4th largest whale species and the largest toothed whale (as well as the largest toothed predator), and they are the second deepest diving mammal. They can hold their breath up to two hours, and single dives normally last between 40 minutes and an hour, so it was pretty remarkable that we got to see three in just a couple of hours. It was a fantastic experience!

This afternoon, we visited the Kaikoura seal colony and enjoyed seeing the fur seals up close. Most of them were napping or lounging on the beach, but we did see a few frolicking in the water. When we left the seals, we got caught up in a sheep traffic jam, which was bound to happen at some point while we were in New Zealand, I suppose.

We ended our animal-focused day at the little one-screen cinema (that reminded me very much of an old, small town, high school auditorium) to see The Jungle Book. It was such a fun day and a great way to end our time on NZ's South Island.

Whale Watching

Seal Colony

Road Block 

Beautiful Kaikoura

 

*You just have one more day to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Explore China.*

Puzzling World

We enjoyed a day of mind-bending fun at Puzzling World, an interesting and awesome local attraction that held our attention for the entire day. We started out in what is called "the world's first super maze." It is a wooden maze covering about a kilometer, though the sign claimed that most people actually walk about three kilometers trying to complete it. It took us a little over an hour to complete the challenge of finding the four corners and then making our way back to the finish, this last task definitely being the most difficult to complete. After that, we paid a visit to the special restroom. It was the first time someone has suggested to me that I make sure to take my camera with me to that particular room. When we had taken care of our business and taken a few photos, we moved inside to check out the super cool illusion rooms, where things were not at all what they seemed. We visited a tilted room, which made me dizzy; a hologram room; a room of concave heads of famous people, that appeared to be convex and also seemed to follow our every move; the Ames room; and another room full of different illusions. From there, we made our way to the cafe, where we had lunch and then camped out until closing time, playing with all manner of 3D brain teaser puzzles. As we were leaving, a couple of the kids asked if we could come back tomorrow, so I'm pretty sure everyone had a great time! If you ever find yourself in Wanaka, NZ, you absolutely must visit! 

Puzzling World

The Super Maze

We found the four corners!

Illusion Rooms
(including the special Roman bathroom, in the bottom right corner)

The Ames Room, where little brothers can be biggest and dads can be smallest

Puzzle Fun

The Leaning Tower of Wanaka, with a clock that runs backwards

"...And one set of steps going nowhere in particular."
(Our kids constantly misquote a line from a Fiddler on the Roof song
with the preceding words, so they were thrilled to find just such a set of stairs.)

Yesterday, Max and Clay offered to help the landlady
unload some firewood, for the sheer pleasure of the activity.
However, she wanted to pay them when the job was done.
Clay was so excited to get to buy a puzzle train
at Puzzling World's gift shop with his own money! 

Mother's Day and Merino

We started buying our travel clothes for this trip almost two years ago. Many of the things we bought were made from merino wool, due to the versatility of that particular fabric. Several of the items we bought came with codes, which allowed us to trace our garments back to the farms in New Zealand that produced the wool. One of the farms turned out to be catering to tourists by allowing them to come to the farm for education and fun. I knew right away that we needed to visit "our" sheep and began planning to make that happen. What I did not know was that the day of our visit would fall on Mother's Day. (I actually only realized this happy coincidence yesterday, when Jeff asked if I planned it that way.) It was such a fun way to spend the day! We took a steamboat from Queenstown over to the farm, where we got to feed the sheep and other farm animals, have afternoon tea, watch a sheep dog in action, see a shearing, observe a spinning demonstration, and enjoy the beautiful farm and the beautiful day.

When we were back in Queenstown, we shopped in the cute little shops and wandered up and down the wharf. Jeff bought me a beautiful pair of opal earrings, and the kids surprised me with a lovely New Zealand paua shell necklace. And then, they all conspired to take me out to dinner at a fantastic lakeside restaurant. My people are awesome people, and I'm so thankful for all of them!

My Mother's Day was wonderful, and I sincerely hope that all of you mothers who read this blog also had/have a fantastic day! Mothering is hard work and is often a thankless job. But, I hope today, at least, you feel loved, and appreciated, and valuable, because you are. And, even if no one else tells you that, I want you to hear it from me. Happy Mother's Day!

You know this guy isn't going to pass up a chance for a photo with a giant kiwi!

The TSS Earnslaw

We're all wearing merino here!

Feeding the red deer stag

Feeding and petting

Loving on Sprite the Sheepdog, while she wasn't working

This big guy was quite friendly and eager for some treats

Afternoon tea

Mother's Day roses

Now Sprite is all business

Ready for shearing

Spinning wool into yarn

Gorgeous Lake Wakatipu

I'm so thankful to be called "Mom" by these amazing people!

All the healthy and unhealthy things

This morning we visited the historic Dunedin train station, where the local farmer's market is held. It was especially fun(ny) after reading this spot-on article from The Onion: Couple Spends Morning at Farmer's Market Verbalizing Everything That Comes Into Field of Vision. This is me exactly (and you, too, admit it)! We got tickled trying NOT to say everything that came into our field of vision and found we just couldn't do it, or if we could, we just didn't enjoy the market as much.

After picking up some healthy items at the market, and wandering around the awesome train station, we made our way across the street to Cadbury World, where we encountered all that is unhealthy in this world. We had lunch in the cafe and then took the factory tour, where we received an obscene amount of freebies and got to see a cool chocolate waterfall. While we were able to take pictures in the museum, cameras were not allowed in the factory, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it was cool.

Dunedin Train Station

On the right is the last steam train produced in NZ.
On the left is a passenger train that still operates for scenic tours. 

Rolling around in the grass

Cadbury World

Clay was fascinated by the big mixer

Chocolate bunny

An old Model T milk tanker

You still have ten days to comment for a chance to win a copy of my new book, Explore China. Go for it!

Indoor and Outdoor Fun

Yesterday, we celebrated Clay's birthday with several hours at the indoor trampoline park, which he had been planning for some time and was very excited about. Since we went in the middle of the day on a school day, we had the place completely to ourselves. The kids had a blast!

Today, we decided to soak up some of the lovely fall weather with a trip to the Dunedin Botanic Garden, a beautiful space with plenty of room to run around, a nice playground, an indoor playroom, free food for the ducks, loads of walking trails, and a million gorgeous plants and flowers.

Unleashed at the trampoline park

Anybody up for a game of dodgeball?

Playing catch

Leap of Faith

Bouncing off the walls

Pile up

The Royal Oak in the Dunedin Botanic Garden

A new kind of tire swing

Fun for everyone

I captured Peter Pan and his shadow at the Botanic Garden

Dunedin Botanic Garden

Mutant Pineapple

I'm always a sucker for a rose garden!

Feeding the ducks

Story time in the playroom

A lovely fall day

*There is still time to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Explore China. (Just click on the words "Explore China" to get to the post announcing the book's release. Then, scroll to the bottom to leave your comment. What have you got to lose?!)*