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by
Greg Scowen
Tips
for getting the conversation started
1.
Look lost. Trust me on this,
Kiwis always feel sorry for someone who looks lost, and because
we love to show how well we know our land, chances are we will
walk over and offer help.
2.
Go into the nearest open store
and ask for directions, making sure the shopkeeper hears your
accent. This is particularly effective if English is your second
language.
3.
Be honest. Simply walk up
to someone, tell him or her you are a foreign tourist, and you
would like to discover the real New Zealand. They will probably
call in some assistance from friends and family and plan the
rest of your New Zealand holiday with you.
Good
places to find the real New Zealand
Northland.
Do
not confuse Northland with the North Island. Northland is basically
comprised of all of the land north of Auckland. Northland stretches
from Orewa, a popular beach village 20 minutes north of Auckland,
to Cape Reinga, the northernmost point of New Zealand. Northland
offers many beautiful unspoiled beaches, wonderful diving, and
some of New Zealand's most important history. Add to this that
Northland embodies a full Maori culture and you have discovered
an open doorway to the Real New Zealand.
East
Cape.
Getting
off the beaten track is easy to do on the East Cape. Driving the
road that leads from Whakatane, in the sunny Bay of Plenty, around
the easternmost tip of New Zealand to Gisborne is one trip not
to miss. This lonely and rugged land is home to hardened farmers
and fishing families who have worked this land and water throughout
New Zealand's history.
I
will never forget driving this road in 2002 over a three-day
weekend and experiencing a more real New Zealand than I ever
knew. It is crazy for me to say this because I was raised in
Whakatane and never really discovered this treasure before.
The
people are amazing, the scenery and landscape is incredible,
and our experience there, on the whole, was just perfect. It
was the real New Zealand.
(CONTINUE...)
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