Seeing the World

Published on August 15th, 2012

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New Zealand: Canada’s Home-Away-From-Home!

As a keen traveller I’ve spent years exploring faraway lands. On my journeys I’ve experienced culture shock on numerous occasions, as often a countries culture and customs have little in common with Canadian culture. So far I’ve only visited one country in which I truly felt at home. Surprisingly, this country is New Zealand, which is located half way across the world.

Although I spent a few months in New Zealand, I never once felt homesick. Perhaps this is because there are so many similarities between Canada and New Zealand.

Home-Away-From-Home: The Landscape

First of all, New Zealand’s wild landscape reminded me of home. Like Canada, New Zealand has plenty of remote areas in which tourists can get off the beaten track and truly experience nature. There are mountain ranges, lakes, lush forests and beaches, all of which are waiting to be explored. I really felt at home hiking in New Zealand’s national parks.

If you want to witness the best of New Zealand’s diverse landscape, why not take a scenic train journey? Many tourists claim that New Zealand’s scenic rail network, rivals Canada’s famous Rocky Mountaineer rail network.

Home-Away-From-Home: The Activities

I also felt at home in New Zealand as I could participate in hobbies and activities that I took part in back home. Skiing and snowboarding for example are extremely popular in New Zealand as New Zealand boasts a variety of world class ski fields.

The resort town of Queenstown in the South Island is home to three ski fields, Coronet Peak, Cadrona and Treble Cone. When it’s summer in Canada it’s winter in New Zealand. Many Canadian skiers find that it’s an attractive option to fly to New Zealand for a vacation, once the snow in Canada melts.

Home-Away-From-Home: The People

New Zealander’s themselves also remind me of Canadians and I found it incredibly easy to make new friends while in New Zealand.
Perhaps one of the reasons why Canadians and New Zealanders get on so well is that we can both relate to having much larger neighbours. New Zealanders have a friendly rivalry with their Australian neighbours. Just as we Canadians have a friendly rivalry with our American neighbours.

New Zealanders are also extremely welcoming. At the end of the day what makes a country home are its people and its atmosphere. If you visit New Zealand you’ll probably be invited out by your new friends to have a drink at a bar or to watch a sports match.

New Zealanders are just as passionate about sport as Canadians are. While you probably won’t be able to watch a hockey match, you might be interested in catching a rugby game. If you visit New Zealand be sure to make an effort to purchase tickets to a rugby or netball game, as they are New Zealand’s national sports. The crowds get just as excited as hockey crowds.

So if you’re planning a vacation, why not book a flight to New Zealand? While a trip to New Zealand is an adventure of a lifetime, you’re also likely to feel more at home in New Zealand than any other country you’ve visited. There’s definitely a reason why so many people compare New Zealand to Canada.

CC Chris Gin

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