Changi Airport’s Naturally New Zealand Exhibit
Last Saturday, I pulled a Bilbo Baggins and went on an adventure to Hobbiton!
No, I did not go to New Zealand. How I wish. This was somewhere much closer – Changi Airport.
Singapore’s Changi Airport is always getting awards for being the most beautiful airport in the world, and it definitely deserves all the accolades. I feel so lucky that I get to see it often!
Why, just over the weekend, I got to go twice – on Saturday I met up with my friend Anoop who was on a layover flight before going home, then on Sunday I sent off my friend Dred, which some of you may have read about on yesterday’s Breakfast at Swensen’s post.
After hugging Anoop goodbye at the terminal 2 departure area, I decided to visit Hobbiton in terminal 3. I found a sign advertising it, and I realized I was just in time since it was 12 noon.
The skytrain going from terminal 2 to 3 was not in operation anymore, so I had to walk there instead. It was just a 5 minute walk, and there were signs everywhere, so it was fine.
An interesting thing happened when I got on the escalator to terminal 3. There was a woman in front of me, and she was carrying this gigantic flat screen TV in a box. The box was so wide that it couldn’t fit on just one rung of the escalator with her, so it was slanted diagonally across several rungs, which I thought was pretty dangerous.
Sure enough I was proven right, because the heavy box slid backwards and dragged her along, and as she fell, I quickly stepped into her path and she and the TV slammed into my body. Ouch.
She apologized profusely. “I am so sorry, Madam!” (Really, Madam?)
She kept repeating how sorry she was and I assured her it was okay, really! I’m pretty accident prone myself so I knew how mortified she must have felt.
“You saved me!” she cried. “Thank you!” I did not realize that’s what I had done until she said so. It all just happened so fast. Haha. When I told my friends about this incident, they said I should blog about it, so here you go, friends! 😀
Anyway, beyond that escalator was the Naturally New Zealand exhibition.
Don’t you just love how they replicated Hobbiton? It looks just like the ones in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies! It’s really beautiful! But I wasn’t the only one who thought so, because there were so many people there as well, so it’s hard to take a photo without getting photobombed by strangers. Oh well.
There was a booth where you can register if you had a minimum $10 purchase within Changi Airport. I happened to have bought some stuff in Guardian, so I signed up and got a passbook which has a map of the Naturally New Zealand exhibition, interesting trivia, a quiz, a raffle stub, and discount coupons to some Changi Airport shops.
Then I went into the hobbit hole and found some interesting stuff inside, including Gandalf guarding the ring.
Random thought: speaking of life-size celebrity figures, they’ve recently opened a Madame Tussaud’s wax museum in Singapore, and I wanna go, because I’ve never ever been to one! But I don’t know anyone who wants to go with me. Sigh.
Moving on, there were a few other things in there, including the answer to the quiz in the passbook (not pictured). If you answer it correctly, you get a small kiwi bird key chain as a prize, which I did, and you will, too, because it’s super easy.
After that, I filled up my lucky draw stub and dropped it in the box. I do hope I win my precious prize! (Did you read that in Gollum’s voice? No? Just me, then.)
They also have a 5D adventure ride, but it was closed that week as a sign of respect for Lee Kuan Yew’s passing.
The exhibit has been extended until April 19, so catch it before it disappears. Note that it is only open from 12 to 11 pm.
This post is part of the A to Z Challenge, a blog hop that goes through the alphabet for all the days of April except Sundays. Today’s feature is C for Changi.
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Omg! You’re a life saver my blogger-friend! You are the female counterpart of clark kent. Journalist by day, superhero by night! SuperMadam!!!
You should consider wearing specs to conceal your identity. As you know, with great power comes great responsibility. Our mutual friends in the cab reacted that i am quoting the wrong movie but what the hell.
LOL!!! Funniest comment ever! Well you know what they say, birds of the same feather flock together… SuperMadam is friends with SuperNan (the superhero whose weapon is a hula hoop)! You should ask our mutual friends what their superhero names are too.
How scary about the escalator! I once did that with my suitcase well I did not go flying just the suitcase and it was so embarrassing!
Oh gosh, I’m sorry that happened to you but at least you were not the one falling!
That’s the most entertaining airport I’ve ever seen! They should all have a Hobbiton.
Indeed!
I would so love to see something like this. I can’t get enough of Bilbo Baggins… Would be nice to enter his little Hobbit House and have a cuppa 🙂
Yes, I agree! Too bad this one did not have a fully functioning kitchen where we can have breakfast and second breakfast.
Dee agree! Been to different airports na djn and Paris cannot even be compared to Changi Airport! I miss going there to dine. And btw, the Hobbiton concept looks nice too! Let’s go to New Zealand. 😉
Haha sure, maybe someday!
I’ve been to Singapore, but somehow never noticed the airport. It looks fun and whimsical here, especially Hobbiton!
I don’t blame you, I never notice the airports in the other countries I’ve been to either!
Very impressive at an airport Dee although not quite the Lord of the Rings version
It was the best they could do, I suppose!
How cool! I’ve been in that airport several times and had no idea this was there. Definitely photo-worthy.
Also, congrats on rescuing the lady on the escalator. 🙂
Thanks! This wasn’t there before, it’s a recent addition and won’t be there for long.
Ah! That’s probably why I didn’t see it. It’s been about 2 years since I was in that airport last. It is a beautiful airport, though.
What an adventure! First you save a woman and her precariously perched package, and then you get to go to Middle Earth! How fun.!
Yes indeed!
That looks like a great time!
Yes it was, thanks!
What an awesome exhibit! We used to live in NZ and this is a great reminder of our time there!
Ooh, glad to know that!
How scary about the escalator! I once did that with my suitcase well I did not go flying just the suitcase and it was so embarrassing!
Oh gosh, I’m sorry that happened to you but at least you were not the one falling!
I would so love to see something like this. I can’t get enough of Bilbo Baggins… Would be nice to enter his little Hobbit House and have a cuppa 🙂
Yes, I agree! Too bad this one did not have a fully functioning kitchen where we can have breakfast and second breakfast.
Omg! You’re a life saver my blogger-friend! You are the female counterpart of clark kent. Journalist by day, superhero by night! SuperMadam!!!
You should consider wearing specs to conceal your identity. As you know, with great power comes great responsibility. Our mutual friends in the cab reacted that i am quoting the wrong movie but what the hell.
LOL!!! Funniest comment ever! Well you know what they say, birds of the same feather flock together… SuperMadam is friends with SuperNan (the superhero whose weapon is a hula hoop)! You should ask our mutual friends what their superhero names are too.
That’s the most entertaining airport I’ve ever seen! They should all have a Hobbiton.
Indeed!
Dee agree! Been to different airports na djn and Paris cannot even be compared to Changi Airport! I miss going there to dine. And btw, the Hobbiton concept looks nice too! Let’s go to New Zealand. 😉
Haha sure, maybe someday!
Very impressive at an airport Dee although not quite the Lord of the Rings version
It was the best they could do, I suppose!
How cool! I’ve been in that airport several times and had no idea this was there. Definitely photo-worthy.
Also, congrats on rescuing the lady on the escalator. 🙂
Thanks! This wasn’t there before, it’s a recent addition and won’t be there for long.
Ah! That’s probably why I didn’t see it. It’s been about 2 years since I was in that airport last. It is a beautiful airport, though.
That looks like a great time!
Yes it was, thanks!
I’ve been to Singapore, but somehow never noticed the airport. It looks fun and whimsical here, especially Hobbiton!
I don’t blame you, I never notice the airports in the other countries I’ve been to either!
What an awesome exhibit! We used to live in NZ and this is a great reminder of our time there!
Ooh, glad to know that!
What an adventure! First you save a woman and her precariously perched package, and then you get to go to Middle Earth! How fun.!
Yes indeed!