The NZ-based ponderings of Miss Robbins...

If you were to listen to the backpackers on the East Coast of Australia, you could easily be led to believe that all New Zealand is good for is bungee jumping and sky diving. Well, as the more senior section of the backpackers (you may scoff, but half of them don't remember Thundercats!), we have avoided most of these adrenaline junkie fuelled activities, mainly because of lack of funds, and poor Si's vertigo. And to be honest, we have seen a different side to this place. New Zealand is usually bunched together with Australia, but bar their geography, these places are worlds apart. It is only in recent times that New Zealand has been promoted to a 'developed country', which initially seems ridiculous, but has become more understandable the longer we are here. A pilot on Air New Zealand has recently come under fire after announcing on a flight that "We are now arriving in New Zealand, please set your watches back 25 years". This unprofessional scamp has hit the nail on the head. New Zealand is, in a funny way, how I remember home being when I was growing up. You can't really go shopping on a Sunday, if you run out of milk in the evening you will just drink black tea and a highway means it has tarmac, not that it is a motorway.

For all these reasons, I love this place. Where else in the world can you live in a caravan in the snow, and be happy. And the locals think it is normal.

Clare
xx