>Report 33 – New Zealand > >We won’t say much about New Zealand, as you can look it up in any >encyclopedia. Here is a bit of basic information that we have >gleaned. New Zealand is about 1,000 mi east of Australia. It includes >two large islands, North Island and South Island, that constitute most >of its landmass, as well as many small islands. The total land area of >New Zealand is about 270 thousand sq km, which is about the same size >as Japan or the UK. It runs roughly north-south, about 1000 miles long >and 200 miles wide, with stunning natural beauty of snowcapped >mountains, glaciers, fjords, and rolling green pastures. NZ is >relatively warm and temperate. Average low winter temperatures range >from 2 to 8 degrees C (46°F), while average high summer temperatures >are 21 to 23 degrees C. > >The capital of New Zealand is Wellington, but the largest and most >cosmopolitan city is Auckland. Wellington, a busy seaport and rail >terminus, is located on the southern end of North Island. Auckland is >located in the middle of North Island. North Island contains most of >New Zealand’s 4 nearly million population, most of who live in urban >areas. Three quarters of the population are of European origin, about >15% are Maoris; the remainder are Asians and pacific islanders. >Generally, the culture is English, with great emphasis given to the >Maori culture. Although there is a peaceful coexistence, the same kind >of inter-racial tensions that characterize Australia and Canada lurk >beneath the surface here. The system of government is patterned after >the UK. Its socio/political environment is similar to that of Canada, >with two major political parties and many socialized institutions. New >Zealand is a trading nation. The economy is mostly industrial, >although there are over ten times as many sheep as there are people. >However, the principal exports are agricultural. > >Kiwis enjoy the outdoor life. Marinas and boats, mostly sail, abound. >We are in Gulf Harbour Marina, which is on the northern outskirts of >Auckland. It has nearly every service one could want. > >Gannets, sea birds with about six foot wingspan, sometimes come into >the marina and dive from great heights and at incredible speed to catch >fish. They must hit the water at about 100 KM/h! Near here there is a >gannet colony that we visited. That was a spectacular, if somewhat >smelly, trip. > >Our friends Darius and Mary from Canada came for a visit. We rented a >motor home together, of which there are thousands in New Zealand. Over >about three weeks we saw a lot of the southern portion of North Island >and the northern portion of South Island. Even though it is a small >country, one would have to work diligently at it for months, or maybe >years, to see everything. We would highly recommend NZ to anyone >looking for a place to vacation. > >We are very lucky to have friends here, Mike and Annie, who have a >car. Together we have seen a lot of the sights in and around >Auckland. Mike is a Kiwi, and enjoys showing off his wonderful >country. We won’t go on about all the detail, as it would already fill >pages. > >So, that’s it from us, one of our briefest reports! We are now in >Canada where we spent Christmas with Maurice’s family in Alberta and >are now in Ottawa to visit our kids and friends. After over a decade >in the tropics the cold weather has been near torture, but it is worth >it to see everyone! > >We will resume our reports when we leave New Zealand. > >Best to all and Happy New Year, >Maurice & Louise-Ann >http://nunas.com/ > >_______________________________________________ >Distributionlist mailing list >Distributionlist@nunas.com >http://nunas.com/mailman/listinfo/distributionlist_nunas.com