NZ town comes alive after The LOTR descended

Merkato Fresh sells pasta, wild pork pies and a selection of freshly made pastries. Provided to China Daily

Until recently, Miramar, with its sleepy bungalow-lined streets, was like any other suburb of the New Zealand capital of Wellington.

In 1993, the director Peter Jackson and his collaborators bought a commercial building in the neighborhood and established Weta Digital, a studio and special-effects facility.

But it wasn't until 1999, when Jackson started filming The Lord of the Rings, that thousands of film industry people moved into the area to work on it and subsequent blockbusters, including Tin Tin and Avatar.

Last March, 1,200 more overseas prop-makers and computer-generated-imaging experts descended on Miramar to work on the Rings prequel The Hobbit, and a new wave of bars, restaurants and shops have sprung up to cater to them.

La Boca Loca, 19 Park Road, 64-4-388-2451:

Opened in early 2011 by Lucas Putnam, a California native who worked on The Lord of the Rings, this taqueria serves modern Mexican fare like slow-braised goat in mole sauce.

Gasworks, 11 Tauhinu Road, 64-4-388-8427:

This laid-back bar, opened in 2011, hosts quiz nights, free barbecues and live music. A selection of local Monteith beers are on tap, and the kitchen churns out racks of ribs, burgers and 21-day-aged steaks.

Merkato Fresh, 37 Miramar Ave, Shop No 2, 64-4-388-2138: Fresh pasta, wild pork pies and a selection of freshly made pastries are all for sale at this delicatessen, opened in January. Locally made gelato and Italian meals to go fill the refrigerated cabinets.

Walking the streets of Hamburg

The Larder, Darlington and Camperdown Road, 64-4-891-0354: Come lunchtime this cafe, just a block from Weta's workshop, is filled with movie types eating dishes like goat cheese and Gruyere souffle in front of the dining room's open fire.

Weta Cave, Camperdown Road and Weka Street, 64-4-380-9361, wetanz.com: Lord of the Rings fans from all over the world come to this shop-cum-museum to see props and costumes from the movies, and watch a behind-the-scenes documentary about what goes on in the Miramar studios.