January 30, 2026
We had been in Auckland for two days. Two days of unremittent rain and high winds. In the past 24 hours, nearly four inches of rain gusting to 40mph. It’s summer here, remember.
As a result, we have not been able to do very much. But that’s OK! There isn’t very much to do in Auckland! Shopping is middling, found it difficult to find a movie to go and see, no cultural or similar evening events (I’m saying none).
We had fun at the All-Black’s Experience (rugby). Not a world class thing but an hour steeped in rugby and that culture. Enjoyed New Zealand oysters and the Dim Sum, Hong Kong-style. So, the restaurants were good and prices reasonable. We went up to the top of the Sky Tower (1076 feet) to see a panoramic view of the city and harbor, but honestly, it looked like Canada…clean, pleasant enough but unremarkable.
We have found the people laid back and friendly. A very chill feeling wherever you go. Just…nice. We thereby assumed they have squared away their race issues (whites vs Māori vs Asian immigrants, mostly Chinese) but we were wrong. Quite the opposite. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that racial protest gathered steam, over the issue of whites taking aboriginal lands…we’ve seen that conflict before.
The Māori found their voice, and the social struggle continued. AI:
New Zealand does grapple with significant racial inequalities and tensions, particularly regarding the relationship between the Māori population and Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent). The statistics reveal persistent disparities – Māori New Zealanders experience worse outcomes across health, education, employment, incarceration rates, and wealth accumulation compared to the general population. The prison population is disproportionately Māori, and life expectancy gaps persist. Pacific Islander and Asian communities also face discrimination and systemic barriers, though these receive less political attention than Māori issues.
There’s ongoing tension around the Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between Māori chiefs and the British Crown. Debates continue about its interpretation, implementation, and what it means for governance and resource allocation.
Here is a picture of the All-Blacks rugby team in 1925:
More accurately, the All-Whites?
No real comment to make other than to note that we are not the only country and people struggling with race and all its manifestations and issues. And, that we are not the only country that has made progress but still has work to do. The work will get done, but it takes time and it is never fast enough.
The All-Blacks in 2025:
Better, definitely. Progress.
We spent time in Napier, a city devastated by an earthquake and then entirely rebuilt in the Art Deco style. We did a two-hour tour of the architecture. Very nice but gives you an idea of what there is to do in New Zealand.
Time at the hot springs and volcanoes…the North Island is a geologically active area. As a matter of fact, I think it fair to say that the only thing that has happened here in New Zealand over the past few hundred years were occasional earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
If we had the trip to do over again, we’d skip the North Island entirely. Just not worth the effort. For sure, it was fun touring the sets of Lord of the Rings…the Shire is an actual location on a large farm out in the countryside. And this rekindled our interest in the Tolkien experience.
Fair to say that New Zealand has co-opted the entire Ring thing because so much of it was shot here in New Zealand. Much as the Italians have ridden Pinocchio for a hundred years, the Kiwis will be riding the Ring for the next hundred years. But its fine…the Ring cycle should not be orphaned with no country sponsor. Good to remember if your county has Hobbits as kind of the national character, you’re probably not welcoming Gucci and Hermes here for mega stores. And they haven’t.
So, the North Island, somewhat boring and ordinary, IMO.
New Zealand is what I would call a non-aspirational country. Comfortable to be sure. Friendly people very laid back and easy. But the median wage here is $30,000 and that is reduced via taxes and fees and so forth. Taxes peak at 39% at incomes over $100,000, and as you would probably guess, pretty much everything is provided by the government. The usual…health care, education…
So, its capitalist, but the capitalist oomph just doesn’t exist here…diluted with a veneer of Socialist nanny cooing. To be clear, that’s not a strong condemnation, but it sure isn’t for everyone (I raise my hand).
New Zealand exports butter and milk and imports crude oil and petroleum products. That’s not a fair fight, economically speaking. The Kiwi is roughly 57 cents to the US Dollar, so the currency gap is no doubt a result in part of that imbalance in trade. They are building a tourist business (Frodo and all) and that helps, but the economy and the people and the cities seem to lack, I don’t know…zip? Things don’t ‘jump’ here.
That’s fine if that is what you like. Me, I’d go bonkers it in a few weeks, so put me down for “Not moving to New Zealand.”
We have relocated to the South Island now and I’m writing this from Christchurch, a city of 400,000. We have a 10-hour tour tomorrow (that presses against mild punishment) but hopefully the guide will have English as a first language. You can’t always count on that.
The South Island is reputed to have wonderful, world-class vistas and scenery and we are very much looking forward to that. I really want to like New Zealand but I need New Zealand’s help to get there.
But you know, you can’t live your life visiting a spectacular mountain over and over again. There’s got to be more, at least for me.
Thus, I wonder…James Cameron has moved here. I have no clue why.
Thoughts, questions, or reflections? I’d love to hear them. You can reach me anytime at anthony@workingprofit.com
