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New Zealand
2007
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Epilogue
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4,100 kilometers (2,400 miles) of car travel and over 100 kilometers of
hiking allowed
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us to see the many sides of New Zealand. No road corner or continuous
hike did not present
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yet another vista of the country's magnificence. "Never
ending" beauty is a very true statement.
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Differences between the North and South island sometimes seemed like two
countries. Since
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only a quarter of the populace lives in the South, towns were widely spaced
and low density.
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"Southern Hospitality" was advertised. Another population
fact was that 40 percent live
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in the city of Auckland.
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Road infrastructure is a challenge. With the exception of motorways
into and out of Auckland
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or Wellington, all the main highways were two lane roads. And
since mountains are plentiful,
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many are winding with tight curves. With a total population of only 4
million, the tax base will
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not provide enough funds. Yet, it can be viewed as part of the
charm. Would imagine their
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logistic costs are higher than "autobahn" based countries.
Their one lane bridges could be
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viewed as the covered bridges of Pennsylvania. As a whole, the road
surfaces are in great
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shape.
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On the flora and fauna side, the shift from woodlands and rain forests to
open pasturage
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in the early 1900s forever impacted the number of bird life. Also,
introduced small animals
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(possums, rabbits, etc) has impacted the balance. It's a sense of
pride when a possum is
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run over. The irony is that some kiwi bird souvenirs are actually made
of possum. Lack of
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large animal life in the mountains means very clean water to drink. Oh
yeah - no snakes is
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always appreciated. Now the 40 million sheep are the known image.
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New Zealand is the must see for the nature lover. Hard to select just
a short list of sights;
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however,
here is our top 10 plus 1:
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01 - Milford Track
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02 - Waitomo Lost World Abseiling (Rappelling)
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03 - Abel Tasman Kayaking
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04 - Franz Joseph Glacier
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05 - Waipoua Forrest Kauri Trees
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06 - Baylys Beach
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07 - Marlborough Wine country
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08 - Christchurch English overtones and Botanic Garden.
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09 - Lost Highway
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10 - New Plymouth Pukekura Garden
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11 - Any road - anywhere.
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Return to New Zealand? it's a given because the hiking trails are
called "Great Walks" for
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a reason. However, next adventure is Greece.
Last Updated 2007 March email@ellerberoad.com