New Zealand (2)

About 1300mm of rain falls in Vancouver annually, 2500mm in North Vancouver, and about 11300mm in Kauai. Parts of New Zealand see 5000mm and we, apparently, experienced much of that first hand. Other detractions arose too: prices are high and the environment is certainly not perfect. It has been ravaged in the past: 31 of 39 flightless NZ birds are now extinct, including the giant, ostrich-like Ewa that the Maoris wiped out. The current campaign to eradicate possums (they eat too much forest grass) seems odd next to the millions of acres cleared for the constantly munching sheep. A better crusade would be against the horribly ravenous sandfly: a tiny, ever-present pest with a nasty bite which ruins many outdoor occasions. Still, not a bad country overall. Just wait ‘til India.