New Zealand is unlike any other place on this earth because it separated from the rest of the land masses before mammals were around and humans only found it in the mid 1200's.
So its flora and fauna evolved in isolation from all other areas without human intervention. The separation meant that birds filled many of the ecological niches that mammals did everywhere else on earth such as:
- Large Herbivores: Giant Moas instead of deer, elk, elephants, moose, etc.
- Small Herbivores: Takahe, Kea, Kaka, Kereru instead of rabbits and other rodents
- Nectarivores: Bellbird, Tui instead of hummingbirds
- Insectivores: Kiwis, Fantails, Kakapo, South Island Robin instead of hedgehog, mole, etc.
- Omnivores: Weka instead of raccoon, possum, fox
- Predators: Haast's Eagle (extinct), Ruru owl instead of bobcat, bear, wolf, etc.
Because the only predators were birds, all other species evolved to watch out for predators from the sky, not from the ground. So when ground predators were introduced, they decimated the local birds and many are endangered.
A side effect of this is that everywhere you go there are bird calls and songs. And I mean everywhere - in rural areas, parks, cities, towns, along roads and trails. You hear all kinds of different bird songs. Some soft, but most of them pretty loud (even with my deafness, I had no problems hearing the birds).
When westerners arrived, they often introduced non-native species with the idea to create new industries or for sport such as:
- Fir and pine trees to create a logging industry
- Fur possums to create a fur industry
- Sheep, goats, cows for wool, meat, and milk
- Red deer, rabbits, and wild pigs for hunting
- Stoats to keep the rabbit population in check
- Chinook Salmon and Rainbow Trout for fishing.
- Rats as they follow humans everywhere
Of these species, stoats, possums, rabbits, and pigs are causing the most problems today as they eat plants the native animals need (possums, rabbits, pigs), destroy habitat (pigs), or eat the eggs and young of birds (stoats, possums, rats). After a massive effort to kill off the wild deer, Red deer are now mostly confined to farms like sheep, goats, and cows and are raised for venison. The fish are doing fine in a few lakes and rivers on the south island (the only place in the world where Chinook Salmon live outside their native home in America and Canada).
New Zealand has a goal to be predator free by 2050. They are doing this by creating 'small islands of no predators in refuges on the south and north island. They drop bait from helicopters and you will see possum, stoat, and rat traps whenever you walk a trail in one of these areas. Many New Zealanders have bought into this idea so that when they see a possum on the road, they swerve to hit it.
Another major difference is that New Zealand native people and culture, the Maori who arrived in the mid 1200's have been integrated into the ethos of the country. The westerners came in the late 1700's and suppressed Maori's during the 1800's and early 1900's just like what happened in America. In the later 1960's the government managed limited Maori tourism, but it became a major draw for tourists and by the 2000's, the Maori had taken back control of their tribal areas and tourism. In many Maori tourist stops, the guides would talk about how tourism saved their culture. Many of their signs are in Maori and English.
The main points of Maori culture are (my understanding):
- Whakapapa refers to family lineage and your place in the world. It’s not just ancestry — it’s about your identity, your responsibilities, and your connection to the land. This deep-rooted connection explains why land and family are so important to Maori communities. This means that New Zealanders will often ask where you are from and how you relate to your home.
- Tapu refers to the sacred, and the concept still plays an important role in modern Maori life. Certain mountains, rivers, or even people are considered tapu, and must be approached with proper respect.
- Mana is a core concept representing spiritual power, dignity, and respect. It’s something you inherit from your ancestors but also build through your actions. Acting with kindness, honor, and generosity strengthens your mana, while disrespectful behavior diminishes it.
- Mauri is the energy which binds and animates everything in the physical world.
These concepts are embedded in the New Zealand culture through the government's Department of Conservation and in how the people interact with each other and foreigners. By having this connection to and respect for nature, New Zealand is a lot like Japan. A side effect is that everything was clean and worked correctly. I really liked how New Zealand was able to integrate their native people into their society - it is so different than what you see in America. It is summed up by the word Tiaki which means "to care for people, place, and culture".
New Zealand is different from Japan in that they are so darn friendly. They want to know where you are from (whakapapa) and help you to learn about their country. If you stand around looking a bit confused, someone will stop and ask if you need help. Hiking on trails (tramping in their words), you say hi to people and they often ask where you are from.
The topography of New Zealand includes just about everything you can imagine:
- Rolling farmlands with crops, sheep, cows, and deer
- Massive plains that are irrigated for crops
- Massive mountains with some of the best skiing and mountain climbing in the world
- Rain forests
- Tussock highlands with unique wildlife
- Fjordlands like Norway
- Large lakes
- Volcanos and hotsprings
- Desert
The one thing New Zealand does not have is large cities and roads - it is a very rural society. They have one major highway (SH1) that runs north and south through the islands. Most of it is still just 2 lanes although they are gradually expanding it to be 4 lanes around urban areas. Many of the roads we drove on were paved in the last 25 years or so and some were still gravel. Many roads had one lane bridges as they are easier to build and maintain and the traffic density is so low. These are the main roads that connect people in New Zealand. Another thing is that cell phone access is often non-existent in many parts of New Zealand. The largest city is Auckland at 1.45 million people but it drops rapidly as there are only 6 other cities over 100,000 people. 1/3 of the people live in Auckland.
Overall New Zealand is a lush, vibrant country that is full of life. The amount of green everywhere was amazing along with the number of sheep. Much of the food is local and very, very good. The cuisine is a fusion of local and international and really surprised my foodie wife with its quality.
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