New Zealand: Prepare, Plan & Pack

I know this isn’t about film BUT there are film related parts to my adventures. Thought this may be useful for anyone heading out to New Zealand. Tips about places you may want to visit, how to travel and learning from my mistakes.

I came back from New Zeland a few days ago and I am still jetlagged and still feeling odd about being home. Before I left I had everyone acting like this was the be all and end all of all trips ever. I knew it wasn't but having everyone say this to me was getting exhausting. I knew I'd love it and make the most of it and I feel I did. The trip had two purposes; to see family and to have an epic time with my friend and travel buddy. We had been saving up for two years to be out othere and I had been wanting to visit for years, in fact ever since my family moved out there. My love of Lord of the Rings obviously spurred me on and as my friend is also obsessed with all things LOTR, we were in our element.

We were out there roughly 4 weeks and visited both islands (yes, it is possible), stayed in 9 cities/towns, booked 7 hostels, stayed in 1 Airbnb and stayed with my family in Tauranga. We took buses, domestic flights and also enjoyed being driven around by my uncle, aunt and cousin. It was a whirlwind, or at least it felt like a whirlwind. So many amazing places and there was still many more things to do.

Planning & Packing

For the experienced traveller or those who have already visited New Zealand, this may be something you've read before and if you're just interested in where I went, feel free to skip this part.

Packing Tips

-DO pick your bag carefully - Most will say, a gigantic backpack is needed for a trip like this WRONG. Where you are driving around NZ or if you are bussing it, a backpack doesn't have to be the bag to take. I would advise taking a bag or suitcase that you know you can handle and are able to carry or pull along whenever you need to. Dragging a bag up all the hills in NZ is far better than lugging a back breaking backpack. Of course, if you usually pack light you won't have this issue.

-DON'T use this bag - This bag was terrible. Just avoid this bag at all costs even if you are given it, don't use it, pick another bag. Worst bag in history, no joke.

-DO use Packing cubes - Cubes are very handy no matter what type of bag/suitcase you take. Everything in cubes means easy packing if you're travelling from place to place every other day.

-DO pack for all weathers - As the weather in NZ can be unpredictable, you will need to pack for all seasons, especially if you are travelling in their Spring and Autumn.

** DO buy a travel towel - Don't bring a normal towel, you will regret it. Travel towels dry quicker and are far lighter. Plus, most hostels/hotels will provide a towel.

-DON'T buy any toiletries out there - Sun cream, tooth paste, hairbrush, cosmetics, moisturiser, shaving gel etc, is super expensive in NZ, bring all that you need with you.

-DO bring a book with you - Books are pricey in NZ, not sure why. Most hostels have book share shelves, leave a book, take a book.

When it comes to planning a trip, wether you are going for 2 weeks or 2 months, having a plan so you know where you are and what you're doing is always helpful and useful for those at home wanting to know too.  There are benefits to just winging it when you get out there BUT some excursions need to be booked in advance so a plan even if its just a rough one, is always a good idea. Having a travel buddy who printed our the itineray was invaluable.

Planning Tips

-DO check hostel/hotel reviews - You might find the perfect place but reviews are invaluable. If you are staying one night, it might not matter how great the place is. If you're staying two night or more, make sure you are comfortable.

-DO plan as many excursions as you can once you have your travel dates set - Popular trips or activities get booked up really quick, so best to be ahead of the game.

-DO shop around for travel options - If you are driving, this won't apply. If, like my friend and I, you want to bus it around the islands, take time over booking buses as this may effect how long you can stay at certain places.

-DON'T use InterCity buses - I say don't use them, even though they were actually quite a good company until we reached the South Island. They buses leave early and don't wait for anyone. They try and make out that you are wrong when you are right. We were left stranded in Franz Josef (middle of actual nowhere) when our bus left early. The driver had said to be ready at 7:45 am as the bus leaves at 8am, well we were there but the bus left before 7:45. Arsehole. Luckily, a very kind and awesome tour bus driver agreed to give us a ride to Wanaka and my cousin came to our rescue and picked us up there and drove us to Queenstown. So, don't trust InterCity.

-DO take travel time into account - This is obvious but I'll say it anyway, travelling by bus means hours of your travel days are eaten up. If you're driving you can sight-see and stop whenever you want but being on the bus, you can only go where the bus takes you, bear this in mind. If a bus trip is too long, it might make sense to fly, usually cheaper and quicker. We had three domestic flights and it was worth it.

-DON'T worry if you are travelling alone - Again, if you are an experienced traveller, ignore this. While on the road and in hostels, there were lots of solo travellers, you'll be in good company. Most people are very friendly so no need to be shy.

-DO try to pack in as much as possible - No matter how long your trip is, there will always be so much more to do so pack in as much as you can, you won't regret it.

-DO check the exchange rate/charges - Check with your bank how much you will charged when you use your credit/debit card. I used a Travel Money Card from the Post Office so I wasn't charged by my bank unless I took money out. It's like a top up card so was easy to use, no fuss. No need to use my normal bank card at all.

Books I used for the trip:

NEXT: North Island - Tauranga to Wellington


** I ended up having to buy a travel towel in the middle of the trip and threw away the towel I brought with me.

Sunshine Blogger Award

The ever awesome Katy at Oh So Geeky very kindly nominated me for the award. Thank you again Katy! As I was in the middle of New Zealand when I found out, I was delayed to writing up my post and it also means, sadly that I'm way behind in my posting. Here are my answers to Katy's ace questions:

What movies are you looking forward to seeing this summer?
Ant-Man and The Wasp
Solo
The Breaker Uppers (NZ release but we kept seeing the trailers)
The Yellow Submarine - re-released in cinemas for a day 8th July
Mary and the Witchflower
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Ocean’s 8

If you could be a superhero, what would your special power be?
Reanimation - including the power to reanimate others.

Who would you love to play you in a movie of your life?
I never know who to answer this, as there isn't anyone who I think would be me. I'd have to do an open casting for this.

What is your favourite movie genre?
Another difficult one. I like murder mystery/detective stories but I also love a good sci-fi.

If you could play a game with Jimmy Fallon on his show, which game would you pick to play?
Alas, in the UK we don't have Fallon on TV but from what I've seen on youtube, I would have liked to do the lipsync battle before it became its own show.

What would you do in the event of a zombie apocalypse?
Grab provisions; get a car, head for the coast.

If you could invite three fictional characters over for dinner, who would you pick and why?
Heather Mooney because I'd like to see how she reacts to being invited to a dinner party. Tintin as he'd have some great stories, plus he'd be too polite to answer Heather back. Jareth aka The Goblin King because who wouldn't want him over for dinner, glass ball tricks and singing if we were lucky. I'm guessing we'd all do 'Dance Magic Dance' and the end of the night. 

Besides blogging, what are your favourite hobbies?
 Going to the cinema, film festivals, special events (without blogging about them). I also go swimming every week, read comics, write, dabble in photography (very rare these days), go travelling and make films.

What is one thing on your bucket list?
To own my own home - that's a big one that won't be tackled for a long while.

What are your proud of accomplishing in 2018 so far? 
Finally after years and years of wanting to go, I went to New Zealand. I wanted to go even before Lord of the Rings, love of the films just spurred on my ambition to go there. Got back a few days ago so things still feel weird.

Check out Katy's post and her other nominees HERE.

New Zealand: Hobbiton

Part of the reason I wanted to go to New Zealand was so I could see the real Middle Earth. Going to Hobbiton and Weta were major priorities.

Hobbiton

Luckily my family lived a (approx) 45 minute drive away from Hobbiton so we didn't have to wait too long before we were on the tour! Our tour guide (from Scotland) joined us on the short coach ride through the Alexander sheep farm that stretches 1,250 acres. Off the bus and through the hedges, Hobbiton opens out to the marvelous view which matches the opening shots of Hobbiton in the films. It was like stepping into the film. Each Hobbit hole had its own personality, even hinting at who lived inside. The props for the original LOTR films was not made out of material built to last, but after fans of the film came looking, the idea to build a lasting set came about with the filming of the Hobbit films.

Along the tour, our guide asked trivia questions and if you got it right, you got an extra drink in The Green Dragon pub at the end.

The tour goes up and around the valley, going past Bag End and sloping towards the bridge to get to the mill and pubs across the river. There are great views of all the hobbit holes from across the river too.

A magical place indeed. Life long dream achieved that day.

Straight Outta New Zealand

As I’m in New Zealand over April, so thought I’d put the spotlight on three filmmakers I admire who happen to hale from the country I'm visiting.

Taika Waititi, the director that everyone has been talking about in the last few years after a succession  of hits. 'What We Do in Shadows' brought vampires back to the light in the form of a mockumentary about three vampire roommates living in Wellington. 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople', my favourite film of 2016 about a troubled teenage boy and his foster uncle who are a tragedy and misunderstanding end up on the run in the bush with the authorities in pursuit. Finally, the film that the Marvel Universe needed to reboot within the God of Thunder, 'Thor: Ragnarok' was a hilarious edition to the stream of movies and stood out from the rest. Waititi’s unique style, deadpan humour and natural dare to be different filmmaking is what makes him a great writer and director.

Jane Campion obviously needs to be brought to the spotlight, especially with the sequel to the fantastic thriller mystery, Top of the Lake aired on TV last year. Continuing the dark side of the first series, Top of the Lake: China Girl delves deeper into lead character, traumatised detective Robin, who investigates the seedy disturbing ring of illegal surrogates and prostitution after a young girl’s body is found in a suitcase washed up on the beach in Sydney. While the show is brilliant TV, I wish Campion would come back to the big screen. After revisiting ‘In the Cut’ at a screening and Q&A with the director herself, her interpretation of the novel of the same name is a murder mystery erotic thriller that is pieced together sometimes as a stream of consciousness from Franny’s, played by Meg Ryan, point of view.

If I’m talking about New Zealand filmmakers, I have to talk about Peter Jackson, director of the greatest trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. Not familiar with Jackson’s previous films before 2001, but I have made sure that Heavenly Creatures is in my Blind Spot list this year. I’ve seen some of his other films since LOTR and enjoyed The Hobbit film but nothing truly compares to his ‘stand the test of time’ adaptations. Every time I see the films, a pilgrimage every year, my breath is taken away.

This Did Not Go The Way I Planned - The Last Jedi

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

If you haven't guessed, there will be spoilers in this post about The Last Jedi. You have been warmed. 

I’ve kept quiet since December about my thoughts on The Last Jedi, mostly because I was getting fed up with the negativity surrounding it and how the ‘fan boys’ out think they run the show. When a petition was started to claim that the film would not be part of the Star Wars cannon was when it became ridiculous. How pathetic do you have to be to start that? When all this died down, I started watching all the fantastic video essays about the mythology behind the Star Wars stories and how the characters are moulded. There is a pattern to everything BUT I must stress this isn’t Battlestar Galactica, everything has not happened before and will not happen again, as proved by The Last Jedi, the film that was needed but not everyone wanted. I had left this post off for so long it would have been irrelevant but with the release of the film on DVD/Blu-ray I can lay it all out.

From beginning to end, I loved the film. I understand there are flaws and parts that look like they had planned more to happen there, the casino planet for one, but for reason or another, things changed. The rebels’ scenes were troublesome because at one point, I thought this was all Poe’s fault but on second thought it wasn’t, just some of it was. 

Rebels

The opening scene was epic and actually quite devastating and Poe should have listened to Leia, obviously. As Poe wasn’t given much time to shine in TFA, this was his chance to, well, do more but unfortunately he came across as  an arrogant pilot who wanted to be a hero. The only thing I’d say he did right was ask for Admiral Holdo to keep everyone in the loop otherwise he, Rose and Finn wouldn’t have gone ahead with their, er, plan. But you could say, without these mistakes there would be no film, WRONG. There would still have been a battle between the First Order and the rebels, but I’m hoping there is a big reason why things went they were meant to such as Rose and Finn meeting those kids, one of which has Jedi abilities and them meeting DJ and he isn’t just some arsehole who ratted them out and he has a bigger role to play. My current theory is that he is connected Rey....its just a theory. 

Rose was a nice addition to the mix, but she could have been a great addition. It felt that Rose was an add on and there to point out that there are others suffering in the galaxy and to talk about those horse/lama like creatures. She was also there to give hope to Finn and possibly to add more confusion into the mix. Her little adventure with Finn was fun to watch and new characters are usually great ideas. Just hope she has more purpose in the next film. Finn was on top form as usual, with a great wake up moment walking around in a leaking bag. His friendship (or more) with Poe seemed solid and he still is important in terms of hope for the rebellion and all. His weird clingy-ness towards Rey needs to be toned down though as Rey clearly is not into him like that. She has bigger things to worry about.

The image of Princess Leia using the force to float back to the ship will forever be burned into my retinas. The moment she was blown out the ship, along with other named characters we all thought that was it. This is how things were changed. WRONG. Even though Carrie Fisher is gone, doesn’t mean Leia has to go too. Bringing her back, keeping her alive is now JJ Abrams problem. But it was nice to keep one original (apart from Chewie) for the final film in the new trilogy.  Her handing over the mantle to Laura Dern (Laura frickin Dern people!!) was meant to be a passing of the torch but alas we didn’t get to keep the purple haired Admiral, but at least she got one of THE best death scenes in the Star Wars universe. Going out at light speed and taking out a huge enemy ship at the same time. It’s what dreams are made of. If your dream is to that that is. 

Luke, Rey and Ben

I know Luke is where most fans had a problem but I’m confused as to why. Did everyone really think that Luke after years away from everyone he was just going to be the same wide-eyed kid from Tatooine? Of course he wasn’t. Things aren’t the same in the galaxy as they used to be. People also change and it is realistic that Luke wanted nothing to do with being a Jedi after he failed and tried to kill his own nephew. There will always be the question though, did Ben turn to dark because of this betrayal or was he already turned? I think Ben never really turned, he was and still is torn between dark and light and that’s his real struggle. Luke refusing to help Rey, wasn’t cool. He could have helped a bit more than yell at her saying she went straight to the dark. Trying to redeem him at the end with one last Jedi trick was humorous and made a bigger statement about the Star Wars universe, this is not going to go the way we all planned. It’s a new trilogy for a reason, not everything begins and ends with the Skywalkers. Besides Ben is a Solo. 

Getting to my favourite part of this post and thankfully the characters that everyone seemed to like, the literal balance in the force, Rey and Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo. It’s good that his real named is being used far more now. Everything about these characters and their scenes were sheer perfection. Just wish they had had more time together. I watched several, not even kidding, several video essays (superb by the way) about the relationship between these two characters. Ben isn’t entirely Dark and Rey is not fully Light which what makes them an dynamic duo. I liked that when they are apart they are still together through their force bond which Snoke, worst villain’s name in history, took credit for but didn’t really do much as the connection was already there. As well at them slowly getting to know each other, leading up to the touching of hands, Rey still needed and had time to discover herself. What Rey saw and what Ben saw, is most likely the same but as they both still think there is only Dark or Light they won’t see this. But the fact that Rey’s parents were no one... I still don’t believe that (still sticking to me DJ theory here) but Ben isn’t lying either, he just doesn’t know who they are. The scene where they finally meet in person, and have that talk in the lift is prelude of things to come and don’t mean in the next scene. The fact that Ben kills his mental abuser only when Rey is being tortured shows he will pretty much do almost anything for Rey. They’re fight scene is one of the best scenes in the film and hold the most hope for what will happen in the next film. From the looks they share, to the thigh grab from Rey to the look of pain on Ben’s face when he asks Rey to join him. They both want to do what’s right and both have a point. Ben is right, leave the past behind, but Rey is also right, The First Order is not the way to go forward. Later on when he sees Rey through the bond, there is pain in both their eyes, not just Ben. They are the literal balance in the force that is their destiny.

I’ll close this post with hope, that’s what Star Wars is all about, that the next film doesn’t just comb over the actions of The Last Jedi but actually follows on from it with care. There might not be Porgs but I am waiting, patiently for a short spin off of the Caretakers from Ach-To where they take revenge on Rey for continuously trashing their huts and island. 

She Makes Movies

Following on the BFI season Girlfriends, I wanted to talk about two directors and their work that stood out for me. I have written at length about the sesaon which can be read on VultureHound HERE.

Katt Shea wrote and directed 'Poison Ivy' which starred Drew Barrymore as a mysterious teen taken in by social outcast friend Slyvie. Ivy worms her way into the family, seducing Slyvie's father and befriending her sickly mother. A (slightly) erotic thriller with an uneasy feeling throughout, doesn't leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, but actually makes you wish Katt Shea had continued to make more films. The film wasn't a box offic hit but became a somewhat cult hit on video, spawning cheap sequels. Shea made other film but none that elevated her. She has a style and looking at the films she made after 'Poison Ivy', she became pigeon holed in what she made. Her last few credits as director included the sequel, Carrie: The Rage and TV film, Sanctuary.

Another director I wanted to talk about it is Lesli Linka Glatter, director of a favourite film of mine in my younger years, 'Now and Then'. Glatter is a successful director working mainly in TV, having made only two feature films (not including a TV movies). The nostalgia film about friendships and the events over one summer was released in 1995. This features was followed by 'The Proposition' in 1998, both films recieved negative reviews.

Negative reviews seem to plague female directors far more than their male peers. It seems such a  waste of talent that women like Glatter and Shea aren't given the platform to make more films. Who cares about the bad reviewews, both 'Poison Ivy' and 'Now and Then' have cult status (more the former than the latter, but I love the latter) but its a shame that its takes years for films to be appreciated by an audience wanting to celebrate women's work and not by everyone at the time of release.