This is not the country I had planned to move to. I was looking for an emerging economy with a new and distinct culture. Not Britain in the sunshine. But New Zealand has got completely under my skin. It is so much more than Little Britain. It is a country full of stunning landscapes that has spent the last few decades forging its own path, independent of its colonial ties. The cultural links still exist – in language, legal systems and democratic institutions. But the embracing of Māori as an equal (sometimes more-than-equal) stakeholder in democratic development and a growing confidence of their place on the world stage delivers an alternative interpretation of my original criteria.
The thing I love the most about this country is also the one that confuses me the most. The embracing of Māori culture. The language is being learnt by a growing number of Pākehā and even those who are not learning, use common phrases in everyday life. The values of conservation and respect for the land are both ancient Māori values and 21st-century conservationist ones. Place names are overwhelmingly Māori – perhaps understandably as a nomadic culture that originally lived off the land. There is a growing interest from Pākehā in learning and recognising Māori culture as an inherent part of the country’s national identity. I love and respect this. However, sometimes it feels like there is a drive to atone for the past by reinstating Māori as the dominant culture. Yet this doesn’t represent the current make-up of the country: only 16% of the population identify as Māori and far fewer are of pure blood. The Waitangi Day celebrations commemorate the coming together of two (equal) cultures in one nation. In many ways they are not yet equal. But the dominance goes both ways.
But it is this embracing of Māori culture that appeals to my anthropological interest. It is unique in comparison to other colonised countries with indigenous peoples. And it is this feeling of a bold dual-heritage future that is so special. I have had a few ‘moments’ where I have felt almost overwhelmed by the possibilities that holds. But equally, it sometimes feels like a reset is needed – two cultures, one shared future. The past is the past. It is the future that is important.
Nature is something else I have a new-found interest in. Despite growing up in a small market town, my excursions into the countryside were relatively limited. Here, I have combined my more recent love of walking with the Kiwi love of the outdoors. I love the rainforest. The vivid greens of ferns and mosses, the sounds of the cicadas and endemic birds. I love the tui. Their exotic and smile-inducing call is matched by the beauty of their feathers. I love the coastline. With c.90% of the population living within 10km of the coast, the Kiwis are water babes by nature. Kayaks, SUPs and various foiled vessels float amongst the hundreds of leisure boats out enjoying the summer weather. But for me it is the coastline itself that I love. The sandstone cliffs mingling with volcanic lava at my local beach, the wild waves crashing onto the East Cape, the tiny coves of azure blue water, the miles of empty beaches even on a summer’s day.
I have also come to appreciate their attitude to conservation. Most publicly-accessible land is owned and managed by DOC, the Department of Conservation. As NZ has been an isolated ecosystem for 65m years with human settlement for a mere 0.0007% of that time, its flora and fauna have developed unimpeded. Native is seen as best and is actively encouraged. Native flora & fauna are protected; non-native are either managed in the form of farms and logging or in the form of pest control. With no native mammals (except for a couple of bats), NZ is fiercely protective of its flightless birds, indeed of all its native creatures. Pest control includes several introduced species that are commonly regarded as pets at home. Rabbits, koi, stoats & weasels are humanely trapped and killed; rural cats are viewed as pests although they draw the line at killing these! As an island nation, I feel the UK could learn a lot from this attitude to conservation and native rejuvenation. Wouldn’t it be lovely to see forests full of oak instead of pine, to see native birds and insects thriving instead of depleting each year? It feels like a huge undertaking in the UK but even a shift in approach to conservation and native superiority would be nice to see.
Before I came to NZ, I was warned it was like going back to the 60s. It is. But only in the very best way. Respect is still a thing. People say thank you when they get off the bus; cars stop at the pedestrian crossing long before the pedestrian actually gets there. I love that politics talks of kindness. Whatever is happening in the world, they approach it with kindness first. Hard to see BoJo or Keir advocating kindness first when there is a political point to be won. I love that it is so safe – no need to look out for poisonous snakes/spiders/insects or dodgy men with ill intentions. The fact that any attempt at deviant behaviour hits the national headlines, means it is rare enough not to worry about.
And then there are the little things. I love that all the houses are different. No sprawling estates here (although a few new ones are popping up to help solve the housing crisis). People build their own home in their own style, adding to the diverse style of the neighbourhood.
I love the vibrant markets, full of local vegetables. The honesty boxes at the ubiquitous roadside produce stalls. The tiny community libraries in roadside compartments. The personalised mail boxes at the end of the driveway. The sense of community that each of these things represents.
I love the lack of litter. And the sparkly-clean public toilets. Even in the middle of nowhere. Again, it’s that matter of respect.
I love some of the linguistic anomalies that have developed independent of their British roots. Who doesn’t smile at the thought of a sausage sizzle? Jandals? Or hokey pokey?
I’m not saying everything is perfect. Their green credentials only go so far. Their appreciation for living in a beautiful country borders on arrogance. Their maternalistic attitude to their Pacific neighbours is both endearing and quasi-colonial. But the good definitely outweighs the bad. This is a beautiful country with enviable values, health-inducing weather and a constant link to nature.
This may not have been the country I planned to come to. But I have come to realise it offers me the things I was looking for. Plus it offers so much more. It has come to feel like home and I am gutted to be leaving. My next home needs to deliver these same things – can I find a way to come back to New Zealand? Or is there somewhere else that can replicate all the best bits and add a twist of its own? Watch this space…