What Europe can learn from New Zealand

New Zealand, with its rugged wilderness, variety of landscapes, friendly locals and absence of creatures that may potentially kill you, is a joy to discover when you're solo-traveling. I traveled through this country for two months and realized that there are a few things us Europeans should take notice of.

KIA ORA!

Firstly, the friendliness of kiwi's is not a cliché nor is it exaggerated. I was absolutely amazed by their friendliness, manners and positive attitude. Everyone, from the cashier at the grocery shop to the roadworker and bus driver, will greet you with a big smile. They'll ask how you're doing, will help with something if you need it, will give you tips even if you don't need it and will often tell a joke. When I was hiking in the Abel Tasman National Park, a group of school kids walked by and at least 5 of them greeted me with "Kia Ora" (meaning "hello" in the Maori language). This to me was very strange, even shocking. Back home in my experience, school kids would laugh at you, make jokes or just ignore you. I thought to myself "how sad is it that I'm actually shocked by friendliness?", because it means that there is a lack of it in Europe. I'm not saying there aren't any friendly people, however, it's not as culturally ingrained as it is in New Zealand (or Australia for that matter). 

Aside from the friendliness, I also enjoyed their 'relaxedness' and slow pace of living. It comes as no surprise then that the sentences I heard most pronounced in respectively New Zealand and Australia were "You'll be alright" and "No worries, mate". It was definitely a breath of fresh air. Especially in Northern Europe and the capitals, the pace is fast, the stresslevels high and the focus is on ourselves. What ever happened to widespread solidarity, closeness to neighbors and greeting strangers on the streets? I'm not sure, but I for one will try to take my newly found inner calmness and upgraded social skills back home.

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PICK UP YOUR TRASH!

Secondly, I want to mention how kiwi’s treat the environment, because that's also something we could definitely learn from. One thing that I noticed is that wherever you’re walking, be it in the city, the countryside or on the hiking tracks, you’ll see nearly no - if not none - litter laying around. I’m sure there’s some thrown around, but considering it caught my eye, it means that I am not used to seeing no litter back home nor in other countries I’ve visited. In lots of places (in nature) you won’t find any rubbish bins, only a sign that says 'take your trash with you’. And people actually do. It seems that locals really appreciate and respect the nature they’ve got. New Zealand attracts mostly tourists and backpackers that come for the nature, so they naturally have more respect for it as well. The 'Department of Conservation’ or 'Papa Te Atawhai’ is also visibly present everywhere you go.

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ANY NEGATIVES THEN?

The great thing about traveling is that you also learn to appreciate the good things you've got at home. For instance, the architecture of bygone ages in Europe, the multi-culturality and the great food. Mind you, the fruits and veggies are way more tasteful in New Zealand, however going out to a restaurant is not really worth the money. And then there's the driving. No, I'm not talking about driving on the left, but about the fact that both in New Zealand an Australia the car is king. There are nearly no crosswalks, no bike lanes nor is precedence given to pedestrians at any time. And as a pedestrian you have to wait ages at a traffic light before you can cross. Moreover, not the buildings but the cars were from bygone ages, spewing out black smoke. That really frustrated me and I was glad I lived in a country where pedestrians are respected, or at least where the law makes sure of this. It's not all bad in Europe (wink). 

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