One Year Away

Joseph

We’ve only been here for less than a
week, but in that time we’ve driven almost the whole length of the
country.  My impressions of the country so far?  Well, at least much
as can be made from the front seat of a speeding vehicle…

* New Zealand is a large and absolutely
gorgeous sheep farm. It seems that every flat part of the country is
used to make hay for the sheep, and all the hills are used to graze
huge flocks of sheep.

* Some of the roads here are straight out
of a sports car commercial.  They twist and wind following mountains
or the coast.  Huge waves from rough seas crash into black sand
beaches just feet from the highway. The roads make me wish I was
driving something more glamorous than an old 4 cylinder Nissan
station wagon.

* The Kiwis are seriously devoted to
classic cars.  We’ve passed more in a day than I have seen in an
entire year in Toronto.  The drivers are usually dressed for the part
too, wearing leather caps and red
scarves for example.

* This country has great scenery at every turn.  If we stopped everytime I wanted to take a photo we’d never get to where we were going. 

When we make our way back north I’m
sure we’ll have a more accurate and useful impression of the country.
But these are a few of the first things that have struck us about New
Zealand.