Jaunted

Hobbit Travel / New Zealand Travel / Wellington Travel / WLG / Movie Travel / Airport Art / → All Tags

Gollum Goes to Wellington Airport, in a Big Way

New Zealand has been gearing up for a big Hobbit adventure for some time, from the national airline donning Hobbit costumes for a fun take on a safety video to tours specially designed for fans of elves and wizards. Now, the movie fun starts when people land in NZ to visit Middle Earth.

Ahead of the November 28th NZ release of the first film from the new Tolkien trilogy, Wellington Airport is getting in the mood and tarting up their terminal in a big way. Imagine enjoying a meat pie in the food court or saying final good-byes and, hanging over your head with a giant's proportions, is a massive sculpture of Gollum, the scrawny, pale creature from the films. The installation features the character grabbing to eat the sweet, juicy fish (also sculptures) as his mouth bubbles in creepy excitement.

more ›

Airport Lounges / Photo Gallery / Videos / New Zealand Travel / WLG / Wellington Travel / Airports / Eric Rosen / Air New Zealand / Business Class Travel / → All Tags

Inside Air New Zealand’s Koru Lounge at Wellington Airport

As part of our Airport Lounge Series, we’ve already taken you inside Air New Zealand’s expansive Koru Lounge at LAX, as well as the flagship international Koru Lounge in Auckland. But our return trip to the U.S. actually originated in Wellington…so naturally we checked out the Koru Lounge there as well, and here’s our inside look with photo gallery and video walk-through:

more ›

WLG / New Zealand Travel / Airports / The Rock at WLG / Free WiFi / Airport WiFi / → All Tags

New Airport Terminal Not to Be Confused with Former Pro Wrestler

Though Heathrow's T5 and Beijing's T3 are getting all the press, there's another world capital that's getting an airport update. Wellington has unveiled its new international terminal, called The Rock. It should be finished by the end of 2009.

The first stage of the project wrapped at the end of 2007, adding security and customs lanes, shopping and jet bridge improvements for international flights. The second half of the work will add more departure lounge seating, more bathrooms and a couple more international gates.

Of course airport officials hope the building's design will make it a destination:

The airport's South Coast location is represented by the inside aesthetics and outside shell of the building. Colored fragments of glass in the roof fissure let in a warm, natural light by day and backlighting at night creates a glow which will be seen from the air.

We shouldn't even need to mention it'll all be environmentally sound and heavy on green design elements. And, hey, it'll have free WiFi!

Related Stories:
· New Zealand's Capital Becoming Hip [Jaunted]
· World's Most Dangerous Airports: WLG [Jaunted]
· Airports coverage [Jaunted]