Walked to the Sky Tower and did the Wētā Workshop Unleashed tour in a hotel nearby. The tour had three sections about the putative making of a horror, a fantasy, and a science fiction film. The films were rather lacking in plot originality but the artistry was outstanding. The workshop focussed on props and scenery and prosthetics rather than CGI, on classical filmmaking as it might be. There was a certain amount of hands-on activity but we were warned not to touch too much - someone on a recent tour had managed to break the nose on one of the exhibits! The creations drew on source materials like studies of crossbows and real world vegetation and SF stories.

As I was there I also went up the Sky Tower and had a salted caramel ice cream on the observation deck. A good view over Auckland, and one could stand on glass and look right down. It felt quite high as high as when I was in the Petronas Twin Towers, perhaps how high you feel you are depends on what’s around?

Vicky and Bruce took me to see Bastion Point (nice lot of open space and a large monument and gardens to an important Prime Minister in New Zealand’s history) then Achilles Point. I treated them to an Italian meal at La Porchetta, a good chicken brie and cranberry pizza but filling. I helped Bruce watch the All Blacks beat the Wallabies at rugby.