New Zealand

[Tiger Beer]

Just watched the Pilot Series Lonely Planet.. where they backback and go different places. This episode was New Zealand!

Gorgeous place! Lots of Pacific Islanders living there.. lots of Asian immigration.. plus the regular European lot of them.. among the Mauri (the native NZ'ers), etc.

NZ looked really cool!

[pzarquon]

Of all the places I visited around the Pacific Rim, New Zealand was the only one where I felt that, not only did I like to visit, but that I could live there. (Whether or not they'd have me is another matter entirely.) It was purely on the feel of the place, the intangible spiritual energy, and not for any practical reasons, though -- I knew their economy was depressed and that actually making a living there would've been difficult.

But the people were amazing. And the way that the indigenous culture was generally respected by and incorporated into the mainstream, Westernized culture was especially heartening. (Though certainly there were sore issues and conflicts, as you might expect.) In a lot of ways, I wished that things for Hawaiians had turned out at least as well.

[saigonwarrior]

How long was your stay there? Did you go to the nOrth and the South islands? Did you get a good mix of town and rural life? I'd like to go so I'm trying to get ideas where to go and what to do. Thanx.

[sinjin]

How long was your stay there? Did you go to the nOrth and the South islands? Did you get a good mix of town and rural life? I'd like to go so I'm trying to get ideas where to go and what to do. Thanx.

My wife and I were there for five weeks in February of '97. So much to do but I'd say Rotorua's a must for Maori culture and geothermals and Queenstown for the fiords and extreme sporting opportunities; i.e. jet boats, bungie, and my personal favorite, whitewater sledging. There's much more. Glaciers that terminate in fern forests, wild rock formations at Punakake, active volcanoes, trout fishing, the "Bay of Islands" in the far north, etc., etc.

[alohabear]

After watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy I have been dreaming of this place. It looks so beautiful ..... Makes me wish I were a Hobbit (http://fan.theonering.net/middleearthtours/bagend.html) ! :D