Frommer's New Zealand
Chapter One
The Best of New Zealand
Back in 1979, New Zealand cartoonist and satirist Tom Scott, writing in NZ
Listener magazine, had this to say about New Zealand: "Terrible tragedy in the
South Seas. Three million people trapped alive."
The big news in 2003 was that we hit the four million population mark, and
more than half of that increase was due to immigration. Given that we have
around 44 million sheep, one New Zealander still equates to a whole lot of fresh
lamb. Look beyond the farm gate, though, and you'll find we've caught up with
the rest of the world. We may bob about at the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere,
but it would be unfair to consider the country a backwater.
New Zealand has notched up a record year in tourism, welcoming more than
two million visitors a year for the first time, despite international upheavals like
terrorist attacks and SARS. Visitors contributed more than $5 billion to the
country's economy, making tourism one of New Zealand's biggest overseas
income earners. And we're better equipped for tourists. Efficient visitor centers
abound, and accommodations range from budget to exclusive. You can shop
7 days a week, whoop it up at clubs and b ... read full excerpt from Frommer's New Zealand, 3rd Edition ebook
