09-17 New Zealand 1994

New Zealand was on the edge of bankruptcy in 1984 and was forced to eliminate massive subsidies on sectors like sheep farming and forestry, and the ripple effect killed hundreds of thousands of small firms.
So, after the 21st International Small Business Congress held in Jakarta, I headed off to Wellington with the Morrows to try to understand what had happened and see the country. The photo with Bob and Mary shows Wellington in the distance.
We met with former government ministers, opposition leaders and senior officials, and it was interesting to realize just what a nation can do in a crisis. The complete elimination of every form of subsidy eliminated waste and inefficiency and forced massive private sector restructuring. And within a few years inefficient industries became efficient, the public health care system became a two-tier system, and a new revitalized small firms sector was created. But over time, the initial drastic policies were moderated, and New Zealand became again a well-functioning democracy. The photo is of the NZ parliament.
We started a tour of the South Island of New Zealand, and it was a spectacular experience. No one would want to miss the famous Milford Sound area and Mt. Cook. Love the photo of Bob taken while we cruised around the lake.
It is a country of 4 million people and 40 million sheep. We would see a mountainside carpeted with sheep all giving birth at the same time. It created a ripple effect which was a sight to behold. Those lambs that were born dead were all picked up and shipped to a local factory that used the skins to make kid gloves.
We saw Marino sheep up close at the higher elevations of the mountains. I remember my father saying that the finest woollens in the world are made from New Zealand Merino wool.
We loved the cities of Dunedin and Christchurch. Dunedin pioneers were Scots, and Christchurch pioneers were English. But these cities all looked like rural Ontario with a similar immigrant base. We took a shot of Mary outside a butcher shop in Dunedin.
Queenston was the most southern city in our tour, and it was a paradise for those who love hiking and bike riding in the summer and skiing in the winter. Great shot of Mary with Bob and Stacy.
Heading home, we went to the North Island and the principal city of Auckland, where we saw a more multicultural population. Early in the morning, we were awakened by the sound of jets taking off loaded with fresh lamb and heading to the capitals of the world. These were lambs butchered the night before.
I loved New Zealand, the people, the country and the culture. If there was one place I could live next to Canada, it would be New Zealand. I also loved watching the All Blacks play rugby on TV.