New Zealand is like a theme park for wilderness junkies. It is beautiful, it is rugged, and there is no end to the adventures you can have. They embrace wilderness tourism like no country I have ever seen, and despite the hoards of tourists coming to ogle the country's magnificent natural wonders, they have done an amazing job at focusing on sustainability and environmental friendliness. For a country whose main industry is tourism, they do an exceptionally good job of making sure us tourists remember our impact on their environment. Everywhere showers are short, recycling and composting are abundant, food is thoughtfully produced and people really seem to understand the need to protect their natural environment. For New Zealand, it is both an economic and moral imperative.
At times, I was discouraged by the challenge of getting off the beaten track in New Zealand. A lot of the country sometimes felt akin to National Parks in America, where the roads deliver you right to the sight itself, the trails are well-kept, people are everywhere, and cafes and restaurants are ample. It has sometimes been like being at the wilderness zoo, where you flash your photo at the wilderness wonder behind the fence. But at the same time, I can't blame New Zealand. Their job is to be a steward of the environment, and they certainly seem to be doing the best they can while enabling tourists such as myself to come and enjoy their outdoor offerings.
So, what that leaves me with is my first New Zealand "problem": They have made it exceptionally easy for me to enjoy and experience all their country has to offer.
Other New Zealand "problems" are listed below in no particular order.
Christmas: There is a whole host of things wrong with Christmas south of the equator. First off, it's summer, and everyone wants to bar-b-que and swim and play outside. Now, I get it, we're from LA where it is perpetually summer, but at least we don Uggs and scarves and feign cold weather to keep up appearances. Here, Christmas is full fledged summer. (Adam does not think this belongs on the "New Zealand Problems" list. Naturally.)
The whole "left/right" thing: It's not just that they drive on the left side of the road, they do everything on the left side. I can't count the number of times I have tried to get on the escalator the wrong way, or had to bail right on my running path because the person coming at me on the left won't budge.
Being a pedestrian: Pedestrians don't have the right of way in New Zealand. So, my cocky walking self tries to cross the road, expecting cars to slow, and they don't. They just don't.
Sandflies: Now, this isn't just a New Zealand problem. This is a problem with most beautiful places in the world: bug infestations. Sandflies don't seem as malicious as mosquitos at first encounter, but they bite, and will make you itch so bad you will wish mosquitos were sucking your blood. I don't know what it is about phenomenal wilderness, but it attracts the worst company (tourists and bugs alike).
Beautiful drives: Now, these may not seem at all problematic at first, until you try to drive through the epic landscape and not die. Then it becomes a problem. Try ogling at the majestic mountains, the shimmering glaciers and the gushing waterfalls while maneuvering Marge 100km per hour down a windy road on the left side... then tell me that beautiful drives aren't a problem.
So, clearly, New Zealand is really not all it's cracked up to be. :)
Obviously, we have nothing to complain about and we are enjoying every minute of this country. More blogs to come soon!