NEW ZEALAND
April and May 2008 - A camper van tour
Kia Ora! People sometimes ask me, "What is your favorite country?"
I used to say, "India if you want a good adventure, where things are inexpensive and the culture is rich; Brazil if you want to find a great wife :-)"
Now I say New Zealand.
We rented a camper van, the best way to see the country. For roughly USD$40 per day (off season), you get a place to sleep and a kitchen on wheels. We made a fantastic loop around the country just ahead of winter's cold, hiking almost every day.
On the ferry across the Cook Straight to the North Island, we met John, a 78-year-old Australian who reminds me of my grandfather (except for the Aussie accent). We traveled with him for a week. Sweet as.
New Zealand is expensive compared to Asia, but aside from that and sand flies, we have nothing negative to report. The people are friendly and the scenery is fantastic. Violent crime here is mostly adolescent drunken brawls downtown on Saturday night; nothing compared to Brazil. We even like the politics (for the most part). New Zealand has a touch of socialism as a partial antidote to the ravages of capitalism's institutionalized greed. This helps explain why "Kiwis" are such happy people.
We did meet a few Maoris (the native Polynesian people). They were all wonderful. The Maoris have done well relative to other victims of European colonization, thanks in part to the Treaty of Waitangi, where they made a partnership with the British Crown. Especially in the North Island, there are still places where Maori culture is vibrant (albeit greatly influenced by the modern world).
We found Auckland to be friendly and modern, with an infusion of Asian immigrants, a very livable city. But we prefer Christchurch, the main city on the South Island (British culturally with a pleasant urban center). I lined up a job, and we plan to emigrate!
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More New Zealand: 2009