Hollywood actor Tom Cruise and film director Peter Jackson were together in Masterton yesterday, with the American star apparently having stayed the previous night at Jackson's Matahiwi mansion.
The celebrity pair took Hood Aerodrome staff by surprise when they called in to cast an eye over Jackson's vintage plane collection and a short time later were whisked away by helicopter.
Retired pilot Robert Thurston was one of several people at the aerodrome to have a chance encounter with the two screen celebrities.
Mr Thurston recognised Jackson but didn't realise until later who the other man with an American accent, who had said good morning to him, was.
"After he had spoken to me someone else said 'you do know who that was?'.
"I didn't but I looked up Tom Cruise on the Internet and it was him."
Mr Thurston said Cruise had been wearing dark glasses and Jackson had his aircraft taken out of his hangar while the couple were on the ground in Masterton.
Soon after a helicopter arrived to take them away "in the direction of Martinborough".
The New Zealand Press Association reported Cruise had flown into New Zealand on a private plane and met up with Jackson at Wellington Airport.
Cruise, whose wife Katie Holmes is in Australia filming the horror movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, was supposed to have been in New Zealand for a social visit and to have then flown to Melbourne.
A Jackson spokesman, Matthew Dravitzki, confirmed Cruise had come to New Zealand but made no reference to his visit to Wairarapa.
Tom cruises in
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