TravelMole is (almost) ready for take-off to NZ
Graham McKenzie reports from the departure lounge as he waits to embark on his journey to New Zealand:
"Well I am here sitting in the departure lounge waiting to embark on the first leg (if you ignore complete tedium and frustration on the M25) of what will inevitably be a long trip to Auckland.
Why New Zealand ? Why now? As to a lot of baby boomers , to me New Zealand has always seem like the promised land. A land so far away that it was totally inaccessible yet we knew a lot about it . Kiwis are very like us Brits; farmers, rugby players, cricketers. New Zealanders speak English and have locals called Maoris, they do strange dances and jigs before rugby matches, but as for a long time their land seemed out of reach.
However, I am from the chosen generation of post- war Britain. I have the education, the nurturing, the information, the confidence and also the relative affluence to now fulfil a long held dream. As The Who would say ‘I want go before I get old’ or something like that. I want to visit while I have the energy and physical capabilities to fully enjoy all that it would appear to offer. Literally a trip of a lifetime.
What will New Zealand be like? I have yet to meet anybody who has said they have not liked it there. I’ve heard said, ‘It’s like Scotland but bigger’, ‘You can see the Isle of Wight in it ‘, ‘Think of the sixties and that’s New Zealand’, ‘The people actually speak to you’.
In a few days I will be finding out for myself. First though it’s a two-night stopover in Dubai and I reckon that may be somewhat different from a highland version of the sixties.
If you have any questions about New Zealand, please feel free to ask away. Just add them to the Comment box at the end of this article, but for now …
E noho rÄ (goodbye in Maori) and Kia pai tÅ rÄ (have a nice day)"
To learn about New Zealand and be certified for your knowledge, you can take Tourism New Zealand’s online training modules here: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/trade/training/training-modules/training-modules.cfm
For free resources and details on New Zealand places and product, go here:
http://www.newzealand.com/travel/trade/trade-homepage.cfm
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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