Lifestyle and Culture in New Zealand
Interestingly, New Zealand is the most peaceful place on earth, and also one of the freest and least corrupt nations on earth. One unique fact about this country of many islands is that every single place in New Zealand is never more than 87 miles from water.
The country is very big on preservation and keeps a close eye on their environment, for this reason, the country presently houses 3 UNESCO world heritage sites.
New Zealand has so many amazing things going for them, first of all, its indigenous people are known famously around the world and the first person to climb Mount Everest is from the country. Add, of course, other things they are known for which includes; surfing, skydiving, bungee jumping and basically anything outdoor. They are often referred to as the ‘outdoor country’ of the world.
Kiwi people are very warm and kind-hearted and have a community type mentality, foreigners notably find the people very simple to fit into and the culture very easy to adapt to.
The people are incredibly conflict-avoidant and have a hard time saying no which might be odd for people from more direct cultures. Being an extremely happy country, the people are very light-hearted, positive and generally optimistic as well.
Rugby is very huge with New Zealanders and it is the national sports of the country, they have won more Olympic medals per capita than any other country in history. Kiwis are sports-obsessed more specifically for rugby, it has grown to become sort of a religion and a huge part of their culture and bonding. Imagine an entire country mourning over the loss of a game? That's how obsessed they are.
Some important local cuisines that every foreigner must try include the traditional ‘Hangi’ of the Maori people which is a meaty meal that is combined with healthy vegetables and oven-cooked.
With the many water bodies surrounding the country, it is not surprising that they are heavy seafood lovers; with staples like crayfish, kina- a type of edible sea urchin, paua- large snails, and a lot more. For desserts, a worldwide favorites ‘Pavlova’ has been arguably claimed to have originated by the Kiwis. Whether this is true of not be sure to find creamy dessert at any typical gathering or dinner party in New Zealand.
Overall New Zealand society is something that is quite open-minded and modern- the first country to allow women to vote, which is a testament to how progressive they are.
In general, they are very open and accepting and do not have very deep-rooted ideologies and things that can impede progression.
