Sometimes, it’s a bit of a curse to travel somewhere, see a newer, better way of doing things, and then have to come home again. Here are a few things I saw in New Zealand that I wish we could import directly to the United States.
1. More adult recreation – Here in the States, it seems perfectly acceptable to get married, pop out a bunch of kids and then sit on your butt for the rest of your life. Most recreational opportunities are geared toward kids. Don’t believe me? Allow me to point to my local adult soccer leagues. There are barely any, whereas kids can pick from hundreds of teams to fit their skills and aspirations. Just because I reach adulthood doesn’t mean I want to sit aroundbeing boring.
2. More fitness opportunities in general – I live in the nation’s fifth-most populous city, which is Phoenix. For a city of its size and economic base, its city gym and pool facilities are an absolute laugh. A 50,000-person New Zealand town like Rotorua puts Phoenix to shame with its incredible, modern and very large aquatic center. My wife and I actually drive to a neighboring city to get a decent pool for swimming laps.
3. A better restaurant culture – Most of my time in American restaurants is spent waiting: for someone to seat me, for someone to take my order, to get a glass of water, to get the check and get out of there. The time not spent waiting is spent being enticed to plunk down for alcohol and desert. I like the New Zealand system better – The Thirsty Weta was my favorite example. You walk in, pick a seat, walk to the bar to place your food and/or drink order, eat, order more if needed, or just pay and leave. Want some water? There’s a fountain with glasses, and you can help yourself. That’s pretty typical at most New Zealand restaurants, not just The Thirsty Weta. And it’s a huge time saver.
4. Easy help for travelers – Nearly every town, even those situated farthest in the Wop-Wops, have something called an i-Site. This ranges in size from a kiosk to a few thousand square feet. Regardless of size, each has information about the local area geared toward helping travelers find lodging, activities, directions and food. At some, you can book tours or get souvenirs. They’re always situated in a central, easy-to-find spot. In fact, it’s almost impossible to get through any town without seeing its i-Site.
5. Savory muffins - Here in the States, muffins come with sweet stuff, mostly, though I have seen one bacon and cheese muffin here. Just about every cafe in NZ has a selection of muffins made with stuff like feta, spinach, mushrooms, ham and the like. Brilliant! I also dig that every single tiny town seems to have at least one really top-flight coffeehouse that can hang with just about any you’d find in a city.
Tell me none of these could make your hometown a bit better!
Related posts:
- Mixing Coffee and Travel I think it’s really fun to find quality microbrews while...
- MBAA Seeking Off-Road Hand-Cycle Racers Attention, hand bike racers! The Mountain Bike Association of Arizona...
- Chipping Away at Iceland Travel Plans Planning a trip to Iceland is really hard. Only one...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
I could not agree more. I mean, I’ve never been to New Zealand, but if Peoria, AZ had some areas for growth, it be the things you listed!