Lonely planet loves

Written By: - Date published: 5:53 pm, August 20th, 2008 - 13 comments
Categories: culture, Environment - Tags:

The Lonely Planet has a new guide on Godzone and has lavished praise on our beauty but also offers a warning on “the environmental cost, with extra visitors putting strain on the clean, green environment the country is renowned for.” So how are we planning to handle that? Not a bad question to be adding to examinations of political parties in the months ahead (note to self – overhauling the RMA is not likely to be especially useful for this).

But it was their insight into the national psyche that appealed to me – NZ as “that little guy at school when they’re picking rugby teams. . .Then, when he does get the nod, his sheer determination to prove himself propels him to score a completely unexpected try.

“When his team-mates come to congratulate him he stares at the ground and mumbles `It was nothing, ay’.”

Might be a little male-centric in it’s image (?) but it does capture the self-deprication we do so well in our bit of Downunder.

13 comments on “Lonely planet loves ”

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  1. Phil 1
    20 August 2008 at 6:00 pm

    … and yet we’re so quick to tear down our tall poppies, and look jealously across the ditch.

  2. Rocket Boy 2
    21 August 2008 at 8:31 am

    Really Phil are we? Says who?

    I would say that with the current success at the Olympics that we are anything but ‘tearing down our tall poppies and looking jealously across the ditch’.

  3. vto 3
    21 August 2008 at 8:38 am

    I agree part of our psyche seems to be quiet, keep the head down, don’t be loud and definitely don’t blow your own trumpet. How its got that way is historic, but it would be great to see those characteristics change over time.

    Was up in the snow yesterday and stoic kiwis were lining up for lessons quite quiet and reserved. In amongst louder and more confident aussies laughing and hooting.

    Mind you, if these are our bad points then it aint too bad I suppose.

    Re tall poppies – that is very true. You can hear it right now right across the country as this vicious downturn mows down some go-getters without hesitation. Makes those who never give things a go fell better.

  4. Rocket Boy 4
    21 August 2008 at 8:41 am

    vto – ‘vicious downturn mows down some go-getters without hesitation’

    Please explain…..Do you mean property developers and those that own finance companies??

  5. vto 5
    21 August 2008 at 8:52 am

    rocket boy – they are obvious examples. others include many other businesses severely struggling due to the money cogs graunching to a halt. Watch the construction and home-building sector come to a near instant stop over the next few months.

  6. Pascal's bookie 6
    21 August 2008 at 9:08 am

    “Watch the construction and home-building sector come to a near instant stop over the next few months”

    How is that a tall poppy problem?

  7. Rocket Boy 7
    21 August 2008 at 9:10 am

    But vto how is that the ‘tall poppy syndrome’?

    What you are talking about is the effects of the free market in a downward cycle.

  8. vto 8
    21 August 2008 at 9:16 am

    I was answering RB’s question.

    People love to see others fail (tall poppy thingy) as it makes them feel better for not stepping out themselves. What I was getting at is that plenty of people in business are in the process of failing right now and that is causing the knocking murmur to rise thru the land.

    Its another kiwi trait, probably tied up with the egalitarian thing. Something about success in business not being rated highly in our land as well.

  9. Phil 9
    21 August 2008 at 9:25 am

    You only need look at our behaviour on the road to see that – as Jeremy Clarkson best describes – jealousy “is not an emotion. It’s something you can touch, and see and smell” … Ever tried merging lanes in a new Mercedes or Porsche?

  10. randal 10
    21 August 2008 at 9:50 am

    who cares what some drunk in a hotel room writes about new zealand without even coming here. and if others have to read all about where they are going before they get there then they should stay home! has the whole world become totally infantilised?

  11. Rocket Boy 11
    21 August 2008 at 10:39 am

    vto & Phil – you are seeing what you want to see.

    Terms like ‘tall poppy syndrome’ and ‘PC’ are used so often they have become meaningless, you have just proved it here.

  12. roger nome 12
    21 August 2008 at 12:13 pm

    Clearly the writers of the lonely planet haven’t been paying attention to National’s “New Zealand Sucks” campaign.

    People should be aware that in the 1990s National slashed DOC’s budget, which mad it much more difficult to protect the natural beauty that now underpins the success of our tourism industry. The National Party is stacked with these budget-slashing ideologues from the 1990s, and if they’re put back in, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a repeat performance of the 1990s.

  13. Phil 13
    21 August 2008 at 1:12 pm

    Not withstanding the incredible work done by our tourism operators, I think you might be overstating the impact a tad, Roger.

    Sure, lots of people come to NZ and engage in an ‘environemntal’ pastime, but the way those surveys of tourism activities are structured and defined, it’s about as useful as saying ‘everyone who goes to France stays in accomodation’.