New Zealand has a non-tipping service culture. It is surprisingly pleasant. People making a minimum wage of over $15 an hour in jobs they are happy to perform. Customer satisfaction is the goal, not the expected tip. We didn't spend enough time off the cruise ship in 2006 to notice this. In that vein, they are proud of their transparency. The price is the price, no added taxes, fees, service charges, etc. The exception is that almost uniformly they will tell you there is a 1 to 2 % service fee for using a credit card. That is taking some getting used to.
History of the Maori is much shorter than I had understood it to be the last time we were here.
Kiwi birds are not only flightless, but also wingless.
Silver ferns, a symbol of New Zealand, have been less commonly seen by us than tree ferns.
Ferns bring us to another New Zealand symbol that is the koru. It is a spiral shape that is supposed to originate from what looks to me like a fiddlehead fern. See photos in tree fern links above.
Hokey Pokey is a favorite New Zealand flavor it is a kind of hard toffee. It comes in their famous ice cream mixed with vanilla. We have had it scooped now and it is delicious. Which brings us to dairy being one of New Zealand's top exports. They produce something like 30% of the world's milk.
New Zealand's North Island is of volcanic origin. The South Island is formed by 2 tectonic plates and shaped by glaciation. They look completely different!
New Zealand has only 2 indigenous mammals. They are both bats!
New Zealand has no native deciduous trees, only evergreens.
Little Bob hits the road
Little Bob hits the road
