Seriously New Zealand, what’s the deal? You aren’t a one-trick pony type of nation! There’s more to the land of long white cloud than bragging rights about being location where a pretend Middle Earth was made…. so why do you continue to act like The Lord Of The Rings is the only cool thing you’ve ever done?
This week the Wellington Airport unveiled a (fucking hideous) 13-metre Gollum sculpture, suspended from the ceiling as part of Wellington’s decision to temporarily rename itself The Middle Of Middle Earth. This initiative will coincide with the world premiere of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit Trilogy as part of a greater all-in tourism campaign.
The intense Hobbit-focused tourism push continues with a new Air New Zealand Hobbit inspired Safety Video, for which the airline partnered with WETA Workshop – Peter Jackson’s special effects/design company.
That’s awesome and everything (plus, I really do want to fly in that plane – how mint does it look?) but surely New Zealand’s obsessive focus on LOTR has gone far enough? What about Anna Paquin? And the skiing? And the crazy beautiful landscape? And the wine? And South Gin (Note: highly recommended if you like a gin martini)? And the All Blacks? And the extreme outdoor sports like bungee jumping and white water rafting? And the maori culture? And banning nuclear weapons? And Stolen Girlfriends Club and Nom*D and Kate Sylvester and Karen Walker? And one of the world’s best dub scenes? And sheep, really excellent woolly sheep?
And these guys:
