So I have finished my visit in New Zealand. All in all it has been great. I did not spend my time roaming all over the country – or at least the South Island – as I have done that before, but instead visited my long time girlfriend and did a little traveling and immersing into the culture. Part of my journey is not to be a tourist the whole time but to get under the veneer of a place and experience it a little bit more profoundly. How else will I know what might make a good option for a new place of residence?
Cuttin' it close
So as I have been here I have been making notes comparing my experience of the country and this place to Canada since that would be my point of reference.
So here are my New Zealandisms:
- Big honkin’ trees everywhere – sequioa’s, pines, eucalyptis, willows – not always tall but big thick trunks.
- Absence of wild land mammals – hedgehogs, possums, rabbits are really the main critters
- Diverse, varied geography – spectacular with an ancient feel
- 4 Million people yet 35 Million sheep – what’s with that – there does seem to be a shortage of rubber boots !!!!
- Resourcefulness and innovativeness of the populous and the amount of products produced here in New Zealand.
- Agriculture based society makes for a peaceful and pastoral experience.
- Kids start school the day after they turn 5 years old, regardless of the time of year – weird.
- It is a younger country than even Canada yet it has this great pride towards its history which is embraced, protected, presented and promoted everywhere. I loved that part.
Anyway, signing off from New Zealand now – off to Australia. Stay tuned.
Glad you enjoyed New Zealand – certainly sound like a worthwhile place to visit – must put it on my bucket list. Don’t know what has happened here but I seem to be typing backwards and don’t know how to correct it – so hope it makes sense.. What do you mean by couch surfing, now that you are in Sydney? – – questionmark in the wrong place until I write something further – very strange..
I liked your overall impression of New Zealand – I wonder why they feel so different about their country than we do. Are there so many different cultures there?
What do you mean why they feel so differently about their country??? And many different cultures????
Funny mum, sort of making sense. Couchsurfing is a site where you can find people who are willing to host you for a night or two free of charge. Very popular worldwide.
Hey Mum and Sara … my typing is backwards too!!
If I hit return it puts the exclamation mark in the wrong place. Watch this!
See, it is at the front. Weee fun!
Actually it’s not for what I am receiving so I am not sure what drugs you guys are on!!!!
I meant to say- are there not so many different cultures in Australia compared to Canada
Oh – do you mean New Zealand – and do you mean by all the different ethnicities and that in these countries it is mostly WASP heritage? I am getting confused!
By the way it is the same in Britain – children start school as soon as they turn five so there are actually two different times of the year for them to enter school.
No they actually enter school the actual day after they turn five so you could have a new kid on Monday, another new kid on Thursday and then a new kid two weeks from Wednesday – that kind of thing. To me that makes little sense.
That does not make sense having children enter school at all different times. Must be hard for the Teachers to keep them all interested at different levels!!
Yup – I know – it makes no sense.
We have Benjamin Disraeli to thank for the compulsory school starting age, going back over a century. The age of five was introduced to the 1870 Education Act as part of a wider parliamentary debate about establishing a national system of elementary education.
What concerned MPs was not so much the age at which children should start school but the age at which they should be allowed to leave school in order to earn a living, in the factories and particularly on farms. If they were to be allowed to leave school soon after the age of 10 to contribute to the family finances, the argument went, they needed to be got into school early to learn to read and write and add up.
However, two MPs thought five was too young. They suggested six as an alternative. At this point Benjamin Disraeli decided the debate had run long enough. The point was trivial, he thought. Why couldn’t the Members get on with it? The amendment was withdrawn and the age of five went forward to the statute book.
Wow that is really interesting. You would think they would udate the system by now since kids do not need to be forced to work until at least 14! :o) Australia is like Britan. Two times per year. Thanks for the info.
Hi. i just sent through something I cut and paste from the independent.co.uk …. explaining the rationalization for starting school on 5th birthday…..interesting huh?…..glad to hear your travels rae going well so far…enjoy Melbourne…still one of my fav cities/areas..Moosh!!
Thanks you. Just switchd up my couch surf for a hostel downtown sine the couch surf was too far out. exploring Melbourne today and tomorrow. Mooshes back at ya.