Here's my favorite picture from New Zealand. This was taken from the air, obviously, as we flew into Auckland. Doesn't it look like a beautiful country? I had to take it slantwise to get everything in, but it works well, I think.

New Zealand is a beautiful country that I intend to visit again, for a REAL visit.

I did talk to quite a few Kiwis (as the New Zealanders call themselves) and learned some interesting things. One was that they all expect you to see all of NZ in one go, by staying there at least six months. I was told that it is common practice for kids from elsewhere in the British Commonwealth to come to NZ for six months to year, to work and explore the North and South islands, as part of their gap year. There are even huge car flea markets set up outside Auckland and Christchurch every weekend to help facilitate this. New folks will buy a car, drive it all around for 6 to 12 months, and then return to the huge used car fairs to sell it on to the next group for about what they bought it for. It is an elegant system.

One funny thing about New Zealand is you have to bribe them to let you out of the country. OK, that's not exactly true, but they do have a funny way of working it.

See, most international airports have "departure fees" which are usually bundled with the price of the ticket. It is really a tax, a way for the city/country involved to make more money. Since it usually comes with the ticket it is largely invisible.

Not in NZ though. Here everyone pays the fee separately. They have several banks with branches right in the airport. You go to them and withdraw 25 $NZ, which you immediately hand back to them in exchange for a sticker they affix to your ticket. That proves you have paid the fee. You can even pay directly with your credit card an get your sticker that way. Interesting system. I'm not sure why they do it that way. So save 25 $NZ for when you leave. That way you can just go to the bank, give THEM the money and get your sticker. They won't let you out of the country without it.

Really though, NZ is lovely, and full of nice people, and I must return soon. I liked my stay there, despite the run-around I got from Air NZ. You all remember how the thought my ticket was counterfeit. But in the end I made it on the plane and home, and I got all my money back from the insurance company, (though that took some doing). I want to give NZ another chance. I think I would have fun.