Garfeimao here, finally over my jet lag, mostly unpacked, and sort of caught up at work now. This…
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Garfeimao here, finally over my jet lag, mostly unpacked, and sort of caught up at work now. This is going to be a bit of a review of the Cruise portion of the Cruise to Middle earth, with part 2 containing the review of Land excursions and part 3 containing the many thanks I need say.
Welcome to the Celebrity Millennium, our home during the Cruise to Middle-earth as it sailed from Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia. Continue reading “Cruise to Middle earth, the review (part 1)”
From Wired.com: Whether your fantasy hotel is a Star Wars -style cave dwelling or a Hobbit hole in New Zealand, specialty accommodations around the world will fulfill your nerdy needs. Other hotels geek out with crazy gear, from Apple- and Microsoft-themed suites to virtual golf courses….Woodlyn Park is home to Billy Black’s Kiwi Culture Show, with sheep shearing and a dancing pig. But the real star of the complex is The Hobbit Motel, two polystyrene-block units with circular doors built into a hillside. Geek factor: You can pretend you’re a hobbit.
The Cruise to Middle-earth made its way to Hobbiton the other day, hampered by some rain and a terrible crash on the road, but we made it nonetheless. For the three Brandybuck sisters, this was like returning home for them. The location is still just as beautiful and Shire like as it was in the films, while also remaining a working sheep farm. We encountered a good many sheep and lambs, and the things they leave behind. But no one really cared, not once they saw the Party Tree and Bag End.
Continue reading “Cruise to Middle-earth off to a rainy start”
November 23, 2008 is when the Celebrity Millennium will set sail with a group of your fellow Ringers for the Cruise to Middle-earth. One set of our Fellowship are already down in New Zealand right now doing a pre-cruise tour as part of the Wizard’s Journey. They are currently in Queenstown and will then transition to Wellington in the next day or two. The rest of us, on the Hobbit’s Journey, will join them this weekend. TORn’s own Tehanu is leading the Wizard’s Journey, showing everyone Rohan and Amon Hen, Rivendell and Ithilien, among other locations. I leave the US tomorrow evening and will make the occasional post from the ship so you will know what our Fellowship is up to. And yes, there will be pictures too.
Guillermo Del Toro was recently in New York City as part of the New Yorker Festival and our good pal Anthony Moody from Indalo Productions caught up with him to talk all things Hobbit!
Guillermo talks about gathering his LOTR team together, working with John How, Alan Lee and Howard Shore, his own Hobbit art, and the million and one projects he’s been connected to recently! Continue reading “Del Toro Interview Part 3: “I Love New Zealand!””
