By Cam Lucadou-Wells
You could say ‘everything is awesome’ for an 11-year-old Lego fanatic from Berwick who has landed his dream job.
James is one of 12 children to have won a spot on the Creative Crew at the Legoland Discovery Centre, winning a year’s free pass to the newly-constructed fantasy-land at Chadstone shopping centre.
Already, he’s had an exclusive road-test of the centre’s giddy mix of attractions and 1.5 million-plus blocks.
And he’s an enthusiastic fan of all of it, including interactive rides with laser pointers, a 4D cinema and a mini-Melbourne made of Lego blocks.
In his 30-second video pitch for his spot on the crew, James breathlessly describes himself as “your biggest fan”.
“I was born for Lego,” he said.
“I breathe Lego and my life literally revolves around Lego.”
As part of his ‘duties’, James will help show kids around at the centre’s grand opening on 18 April.
He savoured the engineering challenges – such as building a car out of blocks to race down a timed track, or making structures to withstand a simulated earthquake.
He raved about the 4D cinema that screens 3D films with further atmospheric ‘dimensions’ – like smoke, rain and wind – unleashed in the auditorium.
He has barely taken off his crew’s ‘Lego Movie’-inspired orange vest.
His obsession started with a small helicopter given to him as a fifth birthday gift. It’s blossomed into Ninjago, Nexo Knights and Batman.
For his birthday, James’s father once built a ramp for James and his friends to race their Lego cars.
By chance, the Lego Batman movie’s recent opening co-incided with his parents’ wedding anniversary.
So mum and dad took out both kids to a gold class screening that night.
“It was phenomenal!” James said.