New Zealand ’’a country flowing with honey and bees’’ as quoted in the book Krystyna’s Story by Halina Ogonwska-Coates. Well let’s just say that’s a stereotypical view of this remote beautiful lush country. I believe New Zealand, my homeland, is a country full of richness and flavour.
Aotearoa or Land of the Long White Cloud as they call this place is situated in the South Pacific and located just under Australia and a wee bit north of the freezing Antarctic. It is a reasonably new country that holds a society that is very diverse in culture, you name a nationality and NZ has got it!! Chinese, Indian, Samoan, Maori, Rara Tongan, Vietnamese, Iraqi, Japanese, German, French, Saudi Arabian, American, English, Scottish, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Ethiopian…the list could go on and on but I’m sure all of you wouldn’t to read a review that just lists countries. You’re probably thinking “well wouldn’t so many cultures cause so many conflicts?”, as a matter of fact NO! This country is soooo self-accepting and to me is a leader in country compared to the hatred in other nations around the world today. We have strict laws for discrimination and everyone joins in others festivals. Like for example when it was Diwali, the event that was held had many different people from different walks of life, not just Indian. This shows that NZ is a country where everyone wants to actually learn about each other.
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Sheep and farms! That is your guess at what this place is like, right? You’re absolutely wrong, we do have these things but there is much much else to see. I’m going to be looking closer at the North Island of New Zealand as I live there and have only been down to the South once…
Auckland the biggest city is my recommended place to go for those of you who like the busy city life! There are shops, shops and more shops as well as a wide range of cafes…oh and don’t forget to have lunch at the Viaduct. This is the exquisite and up market place where the America’s cup is held. Beautiful scenery of the water. The Sky Tower is one of NZ main tourist spots situated in Auckland. It is the tallest tower in the South Pacific and has a revolving restaurant so you can take in grand views of the city! How cool is that! The tower also has other restaurants and cafes as well as a casino...and by NZ laws you have to be 21 to get in...Sorry guys but I didn’t make them up!Mission Bay. I have argued many and many times with my friends that this is the best place to live and see. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. The beach has golden sand, which is bordered with sweet red pohutukawa trees, and the waters are a crystal clear blue. In the horizon on a clear summers day you can see small boats coming in. To enjoy this breath taking place even more why not treat yourself to a little mini golf or perhaps have an ice cream as you walk on the boulevard. Rainbows End which is not my cuppa tea is a fun park, good idea to take your kids there if they’re getting a bit bored of the cafes and sceneries. Oh and how can I forget the zoo, another awesome spot to take the wee ones.
Wellington the home of the ‘cake tin’ and the ‘bee hive’. The Cake Tin as I have referred to is known as the newly built stadium where many of the rugby matches are held between NZ teams and Aussie teams. Rugby is NZ most popular sport so if you’re into that kinda stuff good to go to the cake tin! The Bee Hive on the other hand is Parliament. Te Papa, NZ’s most well known museum. Come on you gotta tell me you’ve heard of that! Great museum, the kids love it, well I know my little sister does. Botanical Gardens is another spot...again not to my liking but hey drop the oldies off while you and the girls or guys take a walk on Lambton Quay for some shopping.
Unless you can handle the revolting smell of sulphur, Rotorua place of the mud pools and geysers, is the place for you my friend! This town although smaller than Auckland and Wellington is the place for an adventure, great fun for the family. The geysers and mud pools are a must see especially the champagnes pool, but there are other things to do like going on the Gondolas and going on the luge (a small car) down a steep hill. There are places like the zoo, one of which is called Paradise Valley Springs. There’s a place also where you can see the different trout fishes…you can feed em too! I mentioned before about the sheep and farms. Come to Rotorua and you can see all of that here just go to the many agro domes (farm shows). You’re probably feeling real buggered now so why not relax when you got to the Polynesian spa’s…although a bit on the expensive side I do suggest this as a rewind down activity.
Taupo famous for Huka Falls. Very scary place. I don’t like to get too close with this kind of nature but the views are astounding. The water coming out of the fall is a refreshing aqua colour. As the water comes pumping out of the fall you get an adrenaline rush from just watching! The water is so fast that when you stand on the bridge small droplets of water come and gently kiss your cheeks! PLEASE HOLD YOUR KIDS HANDS! Oh and you can get boat rides as well. These boat rides go right up to the end of the falls, make sure your wearing your life jackets! My parents went at night on this very freaky journey. God knows how they did that!
If you’re one of those people who just love to blob out, just calm down and unwind then the Bay of Islands is yet another place to go. As you can see New Zealand isn’t just about sheep and farms! The Bay of Islands very small and everything is just of walking distance…I mean everything. There are cafes, museums and fishing kinda things in the Bay Of Islands. It’s also known for it beautiful beaches…I thought I’d be nice and tell you to beware of the sharks!
I hope you all get to come to this charming country one day, I’m sure I’ve tempted you all to the various things Aotearoa holds.
Comments always welcome