The Rise Of Film-Friendly New Zealand
The screen industry in New Zealand is “big business: four of the all-time 20 most profitable films were made here, and revenue in 2015 was $3.22 billion compared to just $2.6 billion in 2005,” writes Mary Beach for BC Business.
“The country’s largest city, Auckland, leads the country in television production, while Wellington is known for film.”
Beach recommends five things “to check out in and around Auckland if you’re drawn to the land of the hobbits.”
- Grab a bite at DeBretts Kitchen, which is located in Hotel DeBrett – “a stylish boutique hotel on High Street in the business district”. According to the article the beautiful café is the place to see and be seen.
- Soul Bar on the Viaduct Harbour also “makes for prime people-watching and yacht-gazing under the big umbrellas.”
- The bungee jump was invented in New Zealand. In Auckland you can bungee jump down 192 metres high Sky Tower.
- “If you fancy a trip to Bilbo’s Bag End” board Kiwi Rail’s Northern Explorer train in Auckland and visit Hobbiton.
- Get outside of Auckland and drive 40 kilometres west to the wild black sand beaches of Piha. Beach recommends stopping at Karekare Beach on the way back “where 11-year-old Anna Paquin danced her way to an Academy Award in director Jane Campion’s The Piano”.
Article Source: BCBusiness, Mary Beach, September 15, 2016
Image Source: Wikipedia
