New Zealand Offers Visitors a Polynesian Flavor

Glaciers next to subtropical rain forests. Entrees and main courses as part of the same meal on menus.

These are just two of the surprises that travelers may encounter during a visit to New Zealand, which is quite different from Australia, also an English-speaking country in the South Pacific.

“People assume that Australia and New Zealand are the same culturally, but this isn’t entirely the case,” said Marion Fisher, a spokeswoman for the New Zealand Tourist & Publicity Office in Auckland.

“New Zealand has less of a European base and more of a Polynesian flavor, especially the North Island. But as you go further south there is less of a Maori or Polynesian influence and more of an English and Scottish base.”

Different Idioms

On the other hand, English idioms used in New Zealand don’t surprise Americans as much as some vernacular expressions might in Australia. “We’re not quite as inventive as they are in Australia,” Fisher said.

But if you see signs on the road about a “housie,” this refers to bingo, not real estate or an open house. “Paddocks” is used for large fields, “dairy” for a corner grocery. And if you want to enhance your sightseeing, it’s worth picking up some key Maori prefixes. Wai is water, O means place of, and pae is a perch or hill.

Geography and topography hold other surprises for visitors, especially in the glacier areas on the South Island, where visitors don’t expect to find such huge chunks of ice in a temperate zone.

“Travelers are often astonished to see glaciers next to a rain forest, and some are disappointed at how warm it is,” Ralph Fegan, who runs the Glacier Store at Franz Josef Glacier, said.

“During an average summer day, locals may wear short-sleeve shirts, and there is no need for visitors to get specially warm clothing or to bring, buy or rent anything special to walk on the glaciers other than sunglasses and a pair of warm shoes. But because you are entering a mountain environment, you should be prepared for quick changes in the weather. Using layers of clothing is the best approach.”

Many Walking Tours

Glacier walking tours are also subject to some misconceptions. “As long as you enjoy walking and don’t have a health problem, there is no age limit. And you can always quit at any stage,” Fegan said.

Terminology may mislead people as well. For example, Milford Sound is a fiord and not a sound, says Gary Duncan, who runs Fjordland Travel’s Milford Sound, a ship that sails through the ruggedly scenic fiord close enough to steep hulking cliffs to see basking gray seals. Wind-borne mists protrude from waterfalls like vertical ladders in the sky.

“A sound is carved out by a river, while a fiord is created by ice; this is really a fiord,” Duncan said. “It was originally called a sound and that name stayed.”

Confusion sometimes also occurs at restaurants. The custom here is to offer an entree as a sort of second and larger appetizer, with the main course really the primary part of the meal.

And the sign “Fully Licensed” means the establishment can serve liquor. “BYO” signs mean you have to bring your own liquor, with the restaurant likely to levy a corkage charge for wine.

Few Gas Stations

While bars and pubs generally close at 10 p.m., hotel lounges stay open for guests, with bartenders not always asking if you’re a guest at the property. Stores generally close at noon on Saturdays, but some places in tonier areas may stay open to 4 p.m.

Driving around New Zealand also takes some forethought, as there may be few gas stations along the road. Mercifully, no billboards spoil the sylvan beauty of the country and such vistas as endless numbers of sheep nibbling on grassy fields against the backdrop of thickly clumped trees arching toward towering mountain peaks.

Vivid hues of green, from light shades in bushes to darker pines, and bright red and violet flowers, make ordinary driving seem like going through a national botanical/agricultural garden. But on the downside you may see quite a few run-over animals, primarily possums.

Participating in a home-stay, especially on farms, calls for extra planning. Different sorts of farms, including sheep, dairy, beef cattle, deer, goat and fruit growing/orchard places, are available. I even saw a snail farm in New Plymouth. Some properties combine more than one type of farming.

Variety of Interests

“We can match people better if they let us know what they’re interested in,” said Mike Turner, who coordinates farm-stays in the Taranaki area of the North Island.

“Many visitors aren’t sure what they want to do, and by the time they find out, there may not be enough time to do it. Farms are different, and there are various things to see, both at the farm and nearby.”

Getting up early is a trade-off, but it’s worth it to see typical farm activities. “Often guests come in the evening and leave after breakfast the next morning, and they’re too tired to get up early in the morning to get a good picture of how the farm operates,” said Malcolm Turner, a dairy farmer on the North Island.

A 6 a.m. call while staying at the Turner farm allowed me to see eager calves squeeze together while slurping hungrily at a trough, and then to visit a nearby piggery where an enormous sow, nearly the size of a Volkswagen, was feeding an octet of squealing piglets.

I also visited a rotary cow shed, where numbered cows stood in booths on a moving platform while being automatically milked.

Visitors to farms/homes should realize that their stay includes more than just accommodations; their hosts are generally eager to chat. As a rule, making a profit isn’t the hosts’ main objective in having guests. They really do want to get acquainted with their guests and exchange stories and viewpoints on a variety of subjects.

Guides Are Candid

The candor of New Zealanders is another characteristic that may take visitors by surprise.

Some passengers on a sightseeing bus threading through winding mountain passes to Milford Sound were struck by the driver-guide’s frank warnings, including specific examples of avalanches and other disasters, plus the dangers of the road and of seeking vantage points for taking pictures during stops.

While you should exercise caution on the stunningly picturesque but potentially dangerous terrain, picture-taking opportunities are excellent, especially when kias (native parrots) hop tamely between visitors like avian waiters.

Another version of candor comes from reactions to comments about New Zealand being a laid-back destination. “We don’t mind being considered slow-paced,” one local said. “We think we’re the lucky ones.”

And an airport shuttle-bus driver at the Auckland airport even repeated one of the standard jokes, with relish: “Leaving New Zealand, are you? You can set your watches forward 20 years now.”

Don’t forget, in preparing for your international flight, to leave yourself $10 New Zealand to pay the airport departure tax. And if you’re transferring from the domestic part of the airport at Auckland to the international area, figure on a $2 New Zealand tab for the shuttle bus.

More information is available from the New Zealand Tourist & Publicity Office, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1530, Los Angeles 90024, phone (213) 477-8241.