[lettie]

Originally Posted by Doug

I agree wholeheartedly lettie. Tell me did you find these qualities on your visits to Whakarewarewa and Hell's Gate in New Zealand.

Commitment to education, a strong sense of responsibility instilled into the local community and above all else a strong sense of partnership, respect and dedication to its people by the local authorities. What is it that we are missing here?

All those qualities are very evident in NZ. The population are largely immigrant and are entitled to nothing. If you emigrate there, you have to be able to support yourself therefore people work hard and value living there. Many jobs are created looking after the natural surroundings and a most of the thermal reserves and other attractions charge a small fee for entry, thus providing wages for staff. Children are educated in a safe environment, bullying is rare and my nephew loves his school. They are taught how to care for the environment, how to protect themselves from the sun/heat. Outdoor activities feature largely in a childs education and gives them an appreciation for their natural surroundings. When a child starts school they are given a mentor (an older child in that school) This older child is responsible for the integration of the younger child into the school so the younger children are looked after and never bullied.
Legal action is rare, if you have an accident it's because you're gormless, ambulance chasing lawyers do not yet exist there. Nobody ever sues anyone and there is no money grabbing culture.
They do have their share of problems, the NZ nationals complain about the amount of immigrants, the Maori are brassed off due to land issues and tend to live in the poorer parts of the cities and find it difficult to get jobs, alcoholism is quite widespread amongst some Maori communities and leads them into trouble, but on the whole it's a very civilised country and provides a lovely lifestyle for those fortunate enough to be able to emigrate there and appreciate it.