New Zealand

The Fruits of My Research - New Zealand

New Zealand was first discovered by Captain Peter Jackson who arrived there from England on HMS Bounty in 1769. He it was who rejected the native name for the country; “Land of the Long White Cloud” as being too artistic and “girly” and replaced it with the more functional and inaccurate “New Zealand” after a flat piece of Denmark or Holland. He brought with him a rag bag of English, Welsh, Scottish and Hobbit settlers to exploit the new territory’s wealth.

Aboriginal people were discovered living there in the 1960s.

Agriculture is important to the economy. The major exports are butter, lamb and rugby league players.

In characteristically uncreative fashion, the country’s national fruit, animal and rugby team were named all given the same name, after the national fruit – the Ugli fruit.

Tourist visits to New Zealand have increased dramatically in recent years thanks to the abandonment of the “It’s the Wales of the Pacific” advertising campaign. The new adverts featuring the slogan “It’s good for your ‘elf” have attracted many fantasy fiction fans to the islands.

As a partner dance, the Haka , lacks the passion of Argentina’s Tango, the sensuality of Brazil’s Lambada or the sexual expressiveness of Cuba’s Salsa. This may explain why the birth rate in New Zealand is much lower than in these other countries.

One of the most popular, if easy-listening, musical sounds of recent years originated in New Zealand’s capital Hobart. “Crowded” House Music grew out the ashes of punk/ new wave band “Spizz Energi”. Under a number of guises, the Finn brothers (Dorsal and Tail) have had a string of climate-based hits; “Take the weather with you”, “Four seasons in one day” and “Why does it always rain in new Zealand?”

Famous New Zealanders
Chay Guevara, Dame Nelly Melba