Loving Wellington and getting into the swing of city life as best i can. There's been so many highlights this last couple of days, i don't know where to start.

First and foremost, i started my temp assignment at the NZ Rugby Union yesterday and have been grinning ever since. The magnitude of having the opportunity to work in such hallowed halls hasn't really sunk in and i keep having to pinch myself. The British Lions Tour is absolutely huge here for many reasons. Obviously Kiwis are Rugby mad but invariably don't get tournaments or any important matches on their own shores. The Lions tour once every 4 years to three countries and so this is a once in 12 years visit. Plus it's the first time since Rugby went professional in NZ. So to say it's eagerly awaited would be a gross understatement. Plus the All Blacks are worshipped like gods here and the support of them goes beyond anything i've come across. This was brought home to me when i arrived at the office and was waiting in reception. Amongst the sports magazines to read, there was a folder of letters and drawings sent in by children explaining how much they love their team. The comments were so heartfelt that it almost brought tears to my eyes. (The Kiwis have brainwashed me!) All in all i feel a bit humbled to be there when it would be the dream of 99.9% of Kiwis aged 1 to 100 to be remotely involved in anything to do with the NZRU.

So with just a few small stadia (relatively speaking), the NZ Rugby Union decided to hold a ballot for the 160,000 tickets to 11 matches. They received 750,000 entries which is almost one fifth of the population. The ballot was drawn this month and the calls to the lucky winners started this week. Needless to say there's been a few queries and complaints and that's where i come in. I have to field out the query emails and phone calls. Obviously i kind of had to feel my way through it yesterday, not knowing what i was talking about! Plus the laidback-ness of the office is such that i was simply left to get on with it.

The office is amazing and plush and vast and there's trophies and memorabilia everywhere. There's loads of free food and drinks too! Cain (who was taking care of me) took me around every single member of staff and introduced me and i was welcomed so warmly it was great. At the end of the day there was drinks in the office for some leavers but apparently there's drinks every friday night anyway! And to cap it all, the last thing one of the girls said to me before i left was that "the lads" regularly stop in for morning tea.....! It took me a moment to assume that meant the All Blacks themselves - not that i'd know one if i fell over him! Anyway i've been doing a bit of research since and now realise there are one or two of them that i wouldn't mind sharing an Earl Grey with should the situation arise. Watch this space.

Second highlight has been my hunt for Peter Jackson. Today, having a day off, i decided to have a drive around the bay to his home territory to see what i could see, not thinking for one moment that i would see anything really. I heard there was some sets of New York streets being erected for King Kong at a suburb called Seatoun. I drove round there and it was very beautiful but i couldn't find anything. Driving on, i happened upon Scorching Bay which is another beautiful little bay plus it's home to the Chocolate Fish Cafe which became the haunt of choice for the LOTR cast. I had an ice cream and carried on along the same road not knowing where i was going.

The road came back to the port area near Miramar and by the road in a seemingly rundown dock area i noticed some trees on their sides. As i sped past i thought they were real and what a strange place for a pile of trees. Then i realised they were made of polysterene. Immediately and with a little "WOO!" i knew i had stumbled upon some of the King Kong set. No-one else was around so i stopped and took some pics. Whilst doing this i noticed one of the rusty ships in the docks was VERY old looking and instantly recognised it as The Venture, the boat being used for KK too. I couldn't believe my luck! My Peter Jackson radar was at full tilt! I drove round to the dock and was delighted to see that it wasn't cordoned off and you could walk down the pier although there were fences around the boat itself. There was just a few people fishing off the wharf and no-one seemed bothered or interested in the boat at all. I asked one of the fishermen to take a pic of me.

Miramar is where Peter Jackson lives and i expected a sprawling posh suburb but it's the most normal place you've ever seen. Obviously there are posh houses up in the hills but it's very basic and normal on the little high street. I drove around it a few times feeling that i was on a real roll and could drop even luckier if i kept searching, but not knowing for sure where the film was being made. I swear something was guiding me as i crawled up and down the residential streets. Then i saw it! The top of a huge blue screen in amongst the houses. Could it really be down there i thought? Well yes it was. Nestled between a hill and a quiet suburban street was the King Kong set itself!

This may be the most boring story in the world, but movies mean so much to me that i felt star struck and giddy to be so near to it all. (And possibly so near to Jack Black to boot!) I got out to take some pics but the security guard came and told me to piss off. I said "i'm only a fan!" and he said "yeah yeah, i know, you've come a long way blah blah" and i said "no actually i haven't!" and walked off. Note to self: think up some witty retorts to stump King Kong set security guards.

Bizarrely, after walking around the set, i found the back completely unguarded at the end of a supermarket carpark! So i'm beaming right now and had to get it all on paper even if no-one else cares! x