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A nice long lie-in was planned for today, with the possibility of a photo call of the specially decorated Air New Zealand plane and departing cast booked if I can be bothered to taxi out to the airport. The appalling internet connectivity at The Duxton has meant it's taken four hours to just upload yesterday's 'press conference' log (thank goodness for cheap local phone calls and Net2Roam) so it's been a late night, ending around 3am. Alas, my beauty sleep is broken by the room phone ringing just after 8.30am - it's Erica, advising that instead of going to the airport tomorrow I should be at the West Plaza Hotel for 9am instead.
		In the event the early morning call is probably a good thing, as I need to get on and get to the post office. Brian Sibley has advised me of a way around the 'too much luggage' problem that occurs with internal flights that have no concept of 'business class' allowances, and so I purchase two boxes and ship unwanted tux, shoes and various media packs back to the UK. It's a relief to know that I'll be able to comfortably pack my remaining suitcase and carry it without breaking my back. I had planned to revisit The Embassy Theatre at the scheduled 2pm opening for Red Carpet tour people and take photo's of named seats for those unable to make it, but by the time I've had lunch I'm running late and I decide to hell with it - I am on holiday after all. I've booked on the Air New Zealand photocall which is an 'optional' media event that has to be separately organised via phone and back-up email. My thinking had been that other journalists would have been too lazy to traipse out to the airport just for a photo of the cast in front of a plane. How naive, am I, when a city full of Ringers will automatically buy anything that features the cast of their favourite movie on the cover? It's touch and go whether I make the trip ($25 each way by taxi) but as I've missed the party the night before I decide to make the effort. In the meantime I hear the party was pretty much as the Two Towers party at the London premiere had been last year - the cast arrive and immediately disappear into a private area, while two and a half thousand guests queue for food and are packed like sardines into a venue that's been specially decorated but otherwise holds no real attraction other than the ability to say you were there. One photographer wearily tells me of the problems of trying to take pictures of glamorous Liv Tyler walking along a food-encrusted red carpet with kitchen staff as a backdrop, or the problems of photographing John Rhys-Davies while he's munching because he's known for being unable to resist snacks and the main red carpet entrance leads straight past the food trays. If I was naive about the number of media folk who would attend the Air New Zealand photo call (70 in total!) I was even more naive about the fans. The word 'Beatlemania' was a word I first heard at Collectormania 4 in Milton Keynes, and I hear it many more times from other journalists at the airport. As my taxi pulls up at the departures entrance, police are directing everyone to get out the way - hundreds of girls are lining the entrance to the terminal. If today isn't a national holiday in New Zealand then there can't be a classroom in Wellington that isn't 'boys only' as every girl of secondary school age must be here at the airport. We've been told we need to be at a certain gate by 3.45pm, with the photo call at 4.30pm. Things are very professionally organised. We're taken to a hospitality room, with a gang of girl fans quickly moved out of our way as the doors are opened. Inside the talk is pretty much a continuation of all the complaints of yesterday. While the papers are full of nothing but positive news about the premiere celebrations and what a huge success they've been, talk amongst the photographers is of nothing but what a disorganised shambles it's been! Certainly placing photographers pointing directly into the sun, both at the parade and at the red carpet shows a lack of understanding of what's needed for good pictures and it's certainly noticeable that the only pictures of the speeches made at the end of the day, when Peter Jackson introduced everyone, are very poor in all the papers. A safety person explains what will be happening and, at the airport at least, they understand photographer's needs and take a representative out to help work out where the barriers will be placed and, more importantly, where the cast should be placed to enable the best shots featuring them AND the plane. They listen carefully to what the media guys have to say and are extremely helpful - a sharp contrast to those sorting out the press pens for yesterday's parade. We're given a rather scary talk about safety that involves explaining that effectively the cast are on international soil and we're not and there must be no touching or the cast will have to go through immigration again. It makes no sense to me, but rules appear to be rules. Later we find out how totally pointless the rules will become as the cast decide to do their own thing and all the carefully explained rules and plans fall completely apart. But first the plane arrives, and I can't help noticing that the placing of the windows are rather unfortunate. Suddenly Liv Tyler appears to have become an indian! We are led out to the barriers and take up our slots, pausing only to take shots of the completely filled airport terminal, with the three girls showing their navels attracting most interest from the older male journalists present! The cast show at the side door and Andy Serkis steps out with a camera. Others join him but none of them move to the designated 'photo call' area and when Andy starts talking to the journalists who've ignored instructions and rushed over to him, all sense of sticking to the agreed barrier route is lost. Elijah Wood, having spotted the crowds, just stands, seemingly in shock, staring at the terminal building, for about two minutes. More journalists break rank at the barriers and rush over to take pictures. Robert Catto and I steadfastly hold our ground, but I've learnt now that following rules just makes you stand out as a mug, and as more of the cast appear I break ranks too, gaining an opportunity to take some more 'informal' shots of the cast than had ever been intended by the organisers. All the cast seem overwhelmed by the size of the crowds and most produce their own small digital cameras and take pictures: either of the fans, or of the press corps, or of each other with the plane as backdrop. At least we're pretty much all in a huddle in one small area, but then pandemonium breaks loose as either Sir Ian or Orlando (I'm really not sure which of the two was first) move out of the designated area to move closer to the terminal building and the fans. Suddenly there are journalists and celebrities all mixed in together all over the tarmac and staff shouting at Sir Ian and Orlando and the others that have joined them to get back to the designated areas. Shouting at celebrities aside, the organisers handle it all good naturedly, even ignoring the fact that journalists and Air New Zealand staff are hugging cast members for photo's and the whole thing is looking more and more like a fan event than an organised photo call. Eventually control is restored and we get our photo opportunity. Bruce Hopkins, who has joined the cast but is not flying to LA, is filming much of what's happening, seemingly with a camera that belongs to Andy Serkis, but eventually joins the line-up. The cast then mount the stairs ready for the plane to depart. I've noticed other names getting onto the plane while the photo's are being taken. Mark Ordesky (New Line executive) is one of the first to break rank and head for the safety of the plane. I see Jude Fisher, but not my friend Brian Sibley, who I know is supposed to be on the same plane. He is one of many that I suspect I missed. The plane takes off after we are all shepherded back into the hospitality room, and the mood amongst the photographers and video crews is euphoric and a complete contrast to all the bad feeling and complaints of the parade and red caropet of yesterday's premiere. Most have got more than the 'single shot of the cast in front of the plane' than they'd expected. A request is made to be allowed to photograph the plane taking off, and honoured with those remaining media folk allowed back out onto the tarmac to get their final shots. I'm glad I've made the effort - it's been fun, especially with not having to stand with the mad crowds in the main terminal. I get back to my hotel intending to upload this log, but a quick calculation based on two hours downloading less than 30 emails with continual drop-outs on the line convince me that this would be another late night if pursued and I decide on an early night - ten hours later my alarm wakes me up, revived and refreshed ready for the start of the 'New Zealand/Red Carpet Tours' stretch of this vacation. Stay tuned for future reports (indicated by a photo appearing in the main Itinerary calendar) Back to Day 8 report Forward to Day 10 report
Important note: I am being bombarded with requests for 'more photo's of xxxx' or requests for hi-res copies of photo's from the press conference or whatever. These unsolicited emails are severely impacting my ability to upload new reports or pictures because valuable time is being wasted downloading the emails and then responding to them (well, that and the spam continually telling me I can 'increase my girth' or that an attractive girl has read my profile on the internet! ;-)). I'm happy to receive short questions or compliments (especially the latter ;-)) but please realise I am meant to be here ON HOLIDAY, and with the best will in the world I do not have the time or the money to send out hi-res photo's for every fan that seems to think that should be my sole purpose in life. Thanks. Don't forget you can check out reports of lots of other Lord of the Rings -themed events in the Web Logs section

Email: ian@iansmith.co.uk