Kiwis

 I love New Zealand! The people have been great! So nice, safe, diverse - and there's Starbucks. What more could you want?

I have found New Zealand very much culturally similar to the US. Probably more so than Australia. There's not all the crazy, colorful lingo and slang here. And the accent is easy to understand. It would be so easy to assimilate here. 

Less than 24 hours in Auckland is just not enough. I will have to come back. I had time to see my NZ friends, Linda and Graham. We met in Turkey in 2010. They are the sweetest. They actually live in Christchurch, but happen to be in town for a wedding. It just worked out that we planned to be here at the same time, because Christchurch was not a part of my tour. We walked the harbor area and took a ferry across to Davenport Island.

Headed to the airport for flight #6. Tonight I'll be in Melbourne. 

* Trivia- NZ was the 1st country to allow women to vote. 

*How do you tell an Aussie from a Kiwi? 

Get them to say "Fish & chips"

Aussies say  "feesh & cheeps."

Kiwis say  "fush & chups."

Cheers!