Chasing the stars in Tinsel Town

Mike Yardley checks out some of the more unique ways visitors can chase the stars in Hollywood . . .

If you’re planning a fling with the entertainment capital of the world, a trip to Tinsel Town tingles with a distinct blend of escapist reality.

But beyond the time-honoured staples of the studio tours like Universal and Warner Brothers, a frolic through the Dolby Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I checked out a few other ways you can chase the stars on a visit to Hollywood.

Located in Fairfax on Wilshire Boulevard, a lofty new entrant to the visitor circuit is the Academy Museum.

Its striking exterior was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano — it was a repurposed old department store.

Piano added the otherworldly Sphere — a soaring glass dome structure with 1500 multi-shaped glass shingles. It includes the Dolby Family Terrace — a superb perch to soak up the sprawl of Hollywood and leafy Beverly Hills, plus you will get an unobstructed view on the Hollywood Sign.

The 27,870m2 museum houses enthralling exhibitions and experiences, turning the dream factory inside out, as it showcases the variety of creative arts central to film production.

The Academy’s movie-making collection boasts more than 13 million exhibits that it can draw upon. One of the starring attractions is the Stories of Cinema galleries, which includes a great exhibition of invented characters, including the original R2-D2 and C-3P0 proudly on display.

The props and wardrobe galleries are treasure troves. Get up close with evocative pieces of movie history like Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz; the menacing extraterrestrial headpiece worn in 1979’s Alien; and the last-surviving, full-scale shark model from Jaws. A recent entrant is the pink suit Austin Butler wore in last year’s Elvis movie. It was at that point that I surrendered to one of the cheesiest tourist gimmicks . . .

The Academy Museum’s immersive Oscars Experience simulation enables you to enjoy the sensation of having your name announced as an Oscars winner, accepting the award to a rapturous surround-screen audience in the Dolby Theatre, while you lift a real 8.5kg Oscar in triumph. The experience is videoed of you giddily accepting the award.

The City of Angels is legendary for its insatiable car culture. Steeped in the city’s DNA for generations, an essential destination for gearheads is the truly spectacular Petersen Automotive Museum, which is right across the road from the Academy Museum in Museum Row.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, the museum houses one of the best collections of classic and modern cars in the world. It’s the Hollywood connection that will wow you — whether it’s admiring Batmobiles, Back to the Future’s DeLorean, the Herbie VW Beetle, Lightning McQueen from Disney’s Cars, Magnum PI’s Ferrari and Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder. Down below, The Vault at the Petersen is another bucket-list experience — an extraordinary collection of 250 iconic and rare cars from around the world. Exhibits include a 1998 Cadillac Popemobile, Saddam Hussein’s 1978 Mercedes-Benz 600 Landaulet, and an armoured 1988 Mercedes-Benz SEL that once transported Ferdinand Marcos. Get amongst it!

For a next-level, celebrity-spotting foray in Hollywood, why not join a Paparazzi Safari? I joined one of Jeremiah Smalls “working walking tours”, which zips you about the hottest celeb haunts in West Hollywood. He’s spent 5 years working for TMZ as a freelance paparazzo, and has an intimate knowledge of pop culture’s ins and outs. Over the course of 90 minutes, I felt immersed in LA’s celebrity culture as we staked out celebs at various hip venues, based on the latest intel and tip-offs. Major catches of the night were Jamie Lee Curtis, Chrissy Teigen and the NFL’s Michael Irvin. We interacted with a bunch of fellow paparazzi who were highly engaging, entertaining and eager to show their prized snaps. Jeremiah shared a stack of industry insights — from how competitive and addictive the chase can become, to the eagerness of so many stars to be snapped in the right places.

Pap publicity keeps them relevant. To tee up a tour, you can email papsafari@gmail.com

Taking a Paparazzi Safari also gives you the skinny on the hottest, on-trend playgrounds.

Craig’s Steakhouse in WeHo is very “now”, as is The Abbey, Catch Steak, Sur, Koi and Nobu. Then there’s Dogpound Gym, where Justin Bieber regularly trains.

Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue boast the biggest arrays of celeb-attracting venues. On the Sunset Strip, a hot brunch spot is La Petit Four.

I travelled to LA with Air New Zealand, who offer the full-range of cabin products. Skycouch is available in Economy class, while Premium Economy is an excellent mid-range option that includes premium check-in, premium seating — with increased leg room — plus fine cuisine and beverages. For the best sleep in the sky across the Pacific, splurge on Business Premier, which entitles you to complimentary lounge access, premium check-in, luxurious leather armchair seating (which converts into a fully lie-flat bed), plus fine cuisine and beverages. And a winning new initiative recently rolled out on Air New Zealand’s 18 widebody jets is the live Sport TV channel, which I loved.

■  For best fares and seats to suit, go to: www.airnewzealand.co.nz