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This is a very short report, partly because I don't have time for the web log, partly because it's a very quiet day for me!
First off, I need to correct something in a previous report. It transpires that 'The Dominion Post' isn't the national paper I've said it is - it's a Wellington-based daily newspaper that should to all intents and purposes be considered a local paper. This explains the predominance of 'Lord of the Rings' -related news, as obviously it's a big thing for the City. Not that the Auckland papers don't also have something in too. In today's edition there's a half page story on installing lavatories at the Hobbiton set (!), and in the business section a photo of Richard Taylor meeting the Singapore Deputy prime-minister at Weta yesterday.
		The hotel I'm in, The Spencer in Takapuna, is about 10 minutes from Central Auckland and most impressive. I'm on the fifteenth floor and have a great view over the city and the bay. The weather, alas, is still disappointing - cloudy, windy with occasional rain. The rooms here are huge with all modern hotel facilities, plus a washing machine, home stereo system and microwave cooker. I suspect that other hotels on the tour may be of a somewhat different size and standard, as we venture out of the big city. I head into Auckland and have lunch with 'Ansis' a friend that I've only met 'virtually' via the 'Dark Side' forums. We have a good lunch at a restaurant she's recommended, before we persuade a tourist to take the picture of us together underneath the traditional 'welcome' Maori entrance to a small park near the University where Ansis works. I head back to The Spencer to try and catch up on the sleep that two incorrect 6am alarm calls have lost me. It's rather ironic that while I keep getting woken up with 'Red Carpet tour' alarm calls (this morning for the first group, tomorrow for the second group) when I actually attend the tour Welcome dinner there's no name badge or information pack for me - one party thinks I'm on the tour when I'm not, the other side thinks I'm not when I am! Go figure! I meet Erica Challis (Tehanu from TORn) and discover there are either 38 or 48 (I forget which!) of us on this tour. We're split into small groups, seated around tables that can accomodate about 12 people, with a chance to get to know each other over a buffet meal. Conversation is awkward at first but people soon melt (the chance, at last, to talk to someone about 'Lord of the Rings' without being looked at as if you're from another planet!), and by the end of the evening people are chatting away like long lost friends. There are several concerns being raised though. One traveller had assumed that the word 'premiere' in the tour title had meant a ticket to the premiere was included (if only!), but seems to cope with her disappointment on learning this is not the case. I'm disappointed that I'm going to miss out on the 'bonding' that will be taking place over the next four days while I'm away in Wellington, joining the tour rather late in the day after this initial welcome dinner. There are also concerns expressed that the tour party are 'missing out' on too much by being on the tour and arriving too late in Wellington, but when the group realises that the first tour group, which arrive in Wellington a day earlier, comprises 120 people there is a sense of relief all round at being in the smaller party. Previous groups on this tour have been sized at about 20 people and so there are also worries about whether or not the rave reviews from previous tour attendees, some of whom are now leading this tour, will apply to the much larger groups that are here for the 'Return of the King' premiere. As for the "we're missing Viggo and Howard Shore" worries: in reality, I think they're best away from the madness that is probably gathering pace around the premiere.
After dinner, we break up at about 10pm as the group have an early start - heading off for the sets of Hobbiton at 7.30am after breakfast at the hotel. For my part, it's back to Wellington tomorrow where the day won't go at all according to plan, but in a good way! Stay tuned for future reports (indicated by a photo appearing in the main Itinerary calendar) Back to Day 3 report Forward to Day 5 report
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