Today’s trivia: New Zealand was given it’s name, after Zeeland in Holland, by a Dutch explorer (Mr Tasman, as in Tasmania) who discovered the place back in 1642 but was actually a bit of a wimp as he never landed. The Maoris gave him such a fright that he turned tail and fled so it was left to Captain Cook to be the first westerner to step ashore some 100 years or so later.
Despite blowing a mighty gale today, the rain had finally stopped so I had a lovely drive back to Auckland through some beautiful countryside.
New Zealand, or the bit I have seen, has some stunning scenery although the weather does rather remind me too much of a certain country in the northern hemisphere. Actually, it’s rained in every single country I have visited so far which is not what I had planned but at least, apart from in Canada, it’s been warm-ish rain.
Agriculture is, clearly, a very important part of this country’s economy as can be evidenced by the number of agricultural type programmes on TV and the number of commercials for cattle feed and the like on both radio and TV. It’s perhaps all a little parochial and certainly very rural!
And I just wonder if this has a bearing on the people here and how they are. Everyone seems very calm; very polite. I have seen no aggressive behaviour at all – not even on Saturday night when, bizarrely, the bars were full of people of all ages watching their local hero in some aggressive boxing match! I have seen no road rage, no pushing, no shoving, no rushing. Nobody jay walks and everyone seems very happy, very relaxed and very laid back. Whatever it is, if I could bottle it and bring it back to the UK, I may not make a fortune but………
The other thing I have noticed is how much more environmentally aware people here seem to be than back in the UK where, especially in the big cities, I feel there is an attitude of ‘nothing to do with me, guv’. A lot of money is spent on promoting a greener, cleaner New Zealand. Having said that, oddly, the price of environmentally unfriendly diesel fuel is about 40% cheaper than unleaded!
Back in Auckland the crowds (well, by New Zealand standards anyway) were out enjoying their Sunday
in a posh little market selling high quality food stuff (oysters, quails eggs, speciality cheeses etc) whilst down by the water side, it was time for the Christmas party.
This lady was already getting stuck in whilst others waited patiently to board
only slightly held up by some taking longer than others to do this.
Keeping strictly to my ‘no alcohol in the day’ rule, I stopped off for a coffee before heading back to my New Zealand residence for the last time.
Although I am not quite half way though my journey, I feel that leaving New Zealand is somehow the end of the first part. Up to now, all the countries I have visited bar one (I had been to Canada before but a completely different part) has been virgin exploration, as it were. Of the 7 countries remaining on my itinerary, I have previously been to 5 of them albeit briefly in some cases. So, although I plan to continue exploring (Phileas), I also plan, weather permitting, to cultivate the ‘beach bum’ in me (Richard). It will be interesting to see if these two diametrically opposed concepts will work together!
In just over a week it’s the shortest/longest day!
Phileas
thelasthurrahsite 