Musings on the land of Kiwis

As I sit in the lounge waiting for our flight to leave New Zealand heading to Melbourne, I have thought about our experiences here. So I'm just going to float about a bit and this post might be more for me than you. Just so I can remember everything!

New Zealand people are called Kiwis. They're named after the bird, not the fruit. Unfortunately, we didn't see any...........the bird, not the people. Kiwis are VERY nice and polite people. How refreshing is that?! When we ended up riding the airport park and ride bus at shift change, all the employees who got off the bus, thanked the driver. We never ran across one cranky person! No one ever acted like answering a question was a burden (Kelli, Kyle: think the opposite of the lady who wouldn't take our picture in the NY restaurant). They are all just a happy lot, having a good time at life! Cody, Bruce and I agree that if we all ever had to get the heck out of the US, this just might be the place to live!

I like the way they say some things. For example, when you thank them for doing something or answering a question, the immediate response is "No worries!" Everybody says it and they all mean it! Instead of finding a parking lot for your car, you find a carpark. I love their accent too. It sounds a bit British, but here they say their "e" like a long e. Example: the word exciting (we say xciting), they say eeksciting. So kids, we have a new way of doing our Friends "seven" bit. You'll see.

Bruce got his first taste of meat pies here. I know they're over in Australia too, so it won't be his last. 

The driving! We never rented a car in Europe, so this was our (or should I say Bruce's) first time driving on the left side in a right hand drive car. It's a little hard to break a longtime habit of which way to look when you're pulling out onto a road, or making turns, or even getting into the car! More than once we found ourselves opening up the wrong car door! Bruce has got it pretty down pat now though. He's doing an eekscellent job!

Their roads are built with lots and lots of roundabouts. We have a few, but here they're plentiful. And the good news is that they aren't like that huge one in Paris that scared the crap out of me just watching our bus driver maneuver it! Roundabouts seem, in fact, to be more efficient. Wish we could get on that bandwagon.

There is a bit of big brother, little brother rivalry between Australia and New Zealand. The Kiwis like to say that Australia is their west island. And that is where we're off to now!