Discussion
TLDR; This post is just out of curiosity, nothing more.
I really know very little about NZ, apart from what I see on TV/internet; but from what I have seen it’s staggeringly beautiful and the people seem very genial. I can certainly see the appeal of living there, yes, I understand it’s expensive, but that’s down to location.
One thing that stands out, how long (time wise) to travel elsewhere, a quick search of the internet, I was in for a shock. I expected Europe and the US to be a long old schlep, but Asia, Tokyo, KL or Hong Kong all around 17 hours, that’s long haul, even Fiji is 10 hours away.
I expect (maybe wrongly) Australia will be a bit too similar, where do Kiwi’s like to go for a vacation? A lot of people will have roots elsewhere, so I guess there may be a bit of a bucket list thing going on, although that will diminish over time.
I really know very little about NZ, apart from what I see on TV/internet; but from what I have seen it’s staggeringly beautiful and the people seem very genial. I can certainly see the appeal of living there, yes, I understand it’s expensive, but that’s down to location.
One thing that stands out, how long (time wise) to travel elsewhere, a quick search of the internet, I was in for a shock. I expected Europe and the US to be a long old schlep, but Asia, Tokyo, KL or Hong Kong all around 17 hours, that’s long haul, even Fiji is 10 hours away.
I expect (maybe wrongly) Australia will be a bit too similar, where do Kiwi’s like to go for a vacation? A lot of people will have roots elsewhere, so I guess there may be a bit of a bucket list thing going on, although that will diminish over time.
Auckland to Fiji is closer to 3hrs than 10!
A lot of Kiwis holiday to Aus or Pacific Islands (Rarotonga etc), or just within NZ - even a couple of hours drive is often far enough away to be a quite different landscape/environment for a change of scenery.
Its pretty common to go camping or own / borrow / rent a holiday house at a lake / beach / forest a couple of hours away for a holiday.
A lot of Kiwis holiday to Aus or Pacific Islands (Rarotonga etc), or just within NZ - even a couple of hours drive is often far enough away to be a quite different landscape/environment for a change of scenery.
Its pretty common to go camping or own / borrow / rent a holiday house at a lake / beach / forest a couple of hours away for a holiday.
My post was based on flying from Wellington (because capital) times quoted are from the internet, so probably not that accurate. Using Wellington most likely not a very good example.
I certainly get the staying in NZ, as it can be very different within a small distance, nothing short of stunning; add to that, unlike other tourist destinations it’s probably less crowded.
I can see the appeal of Rarotonga etc, looks a lovely part of the world, (have the Europeans/Yanks got that far East/West as tourists), likely quieter that the usual tourist destinations, like Bali.
I certainly get the staying in NZ, as it can be very different within a small distance, nothing short of stunning; add to that, unlike other tourist destinations it’s probably less crowded.
I can see the appeal of Rarotonga etc, looks a lovely part of the world, (have the Europeans/Yanks got that far East/West as tourists), likely quieter that the usual tourist destinations, like Bali.
Major tourist destinations like Queenstown, Mt Cook, Milford Sound can get pretty crowded at times, but there are plenty of other quieter places for locals to relax!
Most long-haul overseas flights leave via Auckland, once you take into account domestic connections etc as well the time (and cost) starts adding up quite fast. I went to Ontario for a family wedding a few years ago and IIRC that ended up well over 30hrs combined travel time. I went via Houston but it would have been similar via Vancouver - flying Auckland to either of those is about 14hrs long-haul flight.
Most long-haul overseas flights leave via Auckland, once you take into account domestic connections etc as well the time (and cost) starts adding up quite fast. I went to Ontario for a family wedding a few years ago and IIRC that ended up well over 30hrs combined travel time. I went via Houston but it would have been similar via Vancouver - flying Auckland to either of those is about 14hrs long-haul flight.
The UK is fairly well positioned; the outer edges of Europe can be reached within 4 hours, East coast of America 8 – 12 hours. I think the limit for most holidaying Brits is somewhere like Thailand 12 hours, beyond that they start to get a bit phased.
Compare that with NZ/Aus/SA or the likes of Argentina, some serious travel involved. I have friends in Eastern Russia; anything administrative involves a flight to Moscow 8 – 9 hours.
The Cook Islands look lovely, but not particularly cheap. From a quick internet search, everything seems to close very early, could be I’m looking in the wrong places. Are there many European/American tourists? Or is it mainly Asia /Australasian tourist?
As for New Zealand itself, I guess like any touristy locations, they will get busy; but I’m sure there is a lot that don’t, from what little I’ve seen it’s certainly spectacular.
Compare that with NZ/Aus/SA or the likes of Argentina, some serious travel involved. I have friends in Eastern Russia; anything administrative involves a flight to Moscow 8 – 9 hours.
The Cook Islands look lovely, but not particularly cheap. From a quick internet search, everything seems to close very early, could be I’m looking in the wrong places. Are there many European/American tourists? Or is it mainly Asia /Australasian tourist?
As for New Zealand itself, I guess like any touristy locations, they will get busy; but I’m sure there is a lot that don’t, from what little I’ve seen it’s certainly spectacular.
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