[MollieMoo]

....he may actually have a few valid points.....

I've been to Taupo a few times - seems a bit dull to me......a big lake and a few mediocre shops....can't see what all the fuss is about......after half a day you would have seen everything there is to see...then what do you do......and its in the middle of no where.......I reckon Mr Fallowell has a point.......in fact I think he might have a good few points actually......face it people......there is a lot wrong with this country......sure.......there's a lot wrong with other places too.....but THIS IS NOT PARADISE.....its NOT clean and green, its not 'a great place to bring up kids' (HELL NO!) and its so PC its gone banana's - if another teacher tells me my kids have to learn Maori I'll flip - I'd rather they learnt something useful like French or German or Spanish. GET REAL and MOVE ON!!!!

Fallowell also writes about the demise of Wellington's old buildings.......I'd agree there too.......have a close look at townships and little towns all over New Zealand - they are a mess - thrown up out of cheap materials, falling down, pealing paint, rusting corrigated crap........its a shocker....it all looks like what it is......CHEAP

By the way, if anyone has any ides of where to go for a weekend away in NZ I'd love to hear them - we struggle to think of anywhere apart from going to Oz. We wouldn't want to go to Auckland....don't like it......Christchurch, nope...not much there; Dunedin - nah...not worth the trip; Masterton/Gretown - yep, been there - nice, but small; Nelson - yep - nice area......but all not as thrilling as Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane or Sydney.