Ah, the seasons are changing again – the trees are changing color, the nights are turning colder, and hedgehogs are giving way to bush-tailed possums as the most frequently seen road kill.
But squashed wildlife isn't the only interesting thing to be seen on New Zealand's byways – there are also the poo signs.
Yes, Kiwis take a keen interest in poo (large bags of chicken poo are featured at the farmers markets) but you don't have to wait until the weekend for your poo fix - the equine variety is for sale on almost every rural road. Sadly, there is also the unwanted poo of the dog and human variety. The biggest controversy being debated in the halls of government and the editorial pages right now is how to stop “freedom campers” (tourists who overnight in non-toilet equipped campervans) from using New Zealand's pristine roadsides as unofficial poo stops.
Another frequent sight along the road is the organic lawnmower. The most popular model is sheep with a close second being the miniature horse. They're quiet, the only human intervention required is moving them from one area to another and - as an added bonus - their activities produce more poo!
New Zealanders also like their roads to be decorative and to that end they plant interesting shrubberies and get creative with their mailboxes.
Our thoughts are somewhat preoccupied with roads right now because we've been resident in New Zealand for over a year, which means our California drivers licenses are no longer, strictly speaking, valid. And so we are assiduously studying the NZ Road Code – all 178 large format pages of it – in preparation for taking the driving test. Since the code contains vital information on what and what not to do in the event of encountering livestock (frequent) and how to maneuver through multiple entrance and exit roundabouts (constant), it is proving to be riveting reading.
And now the second in our series of “Things common to New Zealand that you will seldom, if ever, see in Santa Monica.”
A letter like this from the electric company:
“Now that you've received your first bill, we thought we'd stick our head over the fence to see if everything's ok.” Enclosed was a beautifully designed tea towel with their “Declaration of Neighborliness” on it. Oh, and they also sent us a Christmas check for $100 because they'd made too much money the previous year.
And this ad from the Nelson Mail placed by the airport authorities:
“FOUND at Nelson Airport: Red framed reading glasses, black pair of ladies gloves, car key, black scarf. Please contact Security at Nelson Airport on phone 03 547-9372.” (this is a direct line, which will be picked up by a human being who actually knows where the items are located and will cheerfully return them to you).
We'll leave you now with the first of our “Favorite Kiwi Commercials” featuring a drive along some of New Zealand's more urban roadways (North Island - what can you say?).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_pJbl2aQf4
And now the second in our series of “Things common to New Zealand that you will seldom, if ever, see in Santa Monica.”
A letter like this from the electric company:
“Now that you've received your first bill, we thought we'd stick our head over the fence to see if everything's ok.” Enclosed was a beautifully designed tea towel with their “Declaration of Neighborliness” on it. Oh, and they also sent us a Christmas check for $100 because they'd made too much money the previous year.
And this ad from the Nelson Mail placed by the airport authorities:
“FOUND at Nelson Airport: Red framed reading glasses, black pair of ladies gloves, car key, black scarf. Please contact Security at Nelson Airport on phone 03 547-9372.” (this is a direct line, which will be picked up by a human being who actually knows where the items are located and will cheerfully return them to you).
We'll leave you now with the first of our “Favorite Kiwi Commercials” featuring a drive along some of New Zealand's more urban roadways (North Island - what can you say?).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_pJbl2aQf4
Brrrrr – winter is coming!
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