Last night on David Letterman, John Key (New Zealand’s Prime Minister) read out the Top 10 reasons you should visit New Zealand…
10. Auckland Airport now has a Cinnabon – really? what’s that? Oh… cinnamon rolls
9. We have the loosest slot machines in the Pacific Rim – hmmm maybe that’s why we have such a gambling problem in this country…
8. Only a convenient 20-hour flight away – you have to be motivated to come here
7. It’s like England, but without the attitude – obviously they haven’t met my co-workers, they have ATTITUDE!
6. Down there, Leno’s on at 9 o’clock – I didn’t know we got Leno…
5. Get the whanau together, stay at a bach, crack open the chilly bin and slap on your jandals – pure bliss as long as the whanau isn’t the FOO
4. Visit in the next 30 days, I’ll (John Key) will pick you up at the airport – I don’t think so…
3. 70% of our energy is generated through renewable hydropower – look they don’t all have to be jokes – well it is a joke when we have a drought
2. We drive on the left hand side of the road, like the British and Lindsey Lohan – most of us have her driving skills as well 🙂
1. Unlike most of the world, we still like Americans
By the way, my accent isn’t anything like John Key’s 🙂 Well OK, maybe a little… but not much…
Scattered Pieces 
Though not as amusing I can think of a few more reasons… Wellington (shopping, food, cafe culture), the Coromandel, Milford Sound, Queenstown, and wonderful people … such a beautiful country you live in. One of my favourite places! 🙂
I lived in Wellington for nearly two years and loved it for the cafe culture and the harbour – not many places in the world you can watch dolphins play while you’re on the bus going home 🙂
You missed out the Marlborough Sounds, they’re stunning… as is Mount Maunganui…
I’ve only been to Melbourne once and loved it – except it rained the entire time we were there 🙂 But Chadstone was great and the different cultural events were brilliant.
New Zealand have one of the most beautiful landscape and nature in the world!!!
But the most important one: the people in NZ are friendlier and more openly as in my country. Many have told me this, when they have visited your country.NZ is one of my favourite place too 🙂
As with any country, we have friendly and not so friendly people. But we are such a small country and so isolated that I think it makes us more willing to go out of our way for others. Every place in the world has it’s advantages and strengths… Saying that, I’m very glad to live here 🙂
How wonderfully funny.
Was that all he did though? He wasn’t a guest?
PAul
I’m not sure if he was a guest as such, I have a feeling he just did the Top 10 bit, but I’m not sure. He really is a very likeable man, very affable and approachable – he signed the mother’s cast when she broke a thumb during the election campaign 🙂
He’s over in America for the UN talks etc. Doing a Top 10 list is one way to increase awareness about NZ. Even if most of the audience wouldn’t know what he meant by whanau (family), bach (beach cabin), chilly bin (esky/cooler bag) or jandals (flip-flops) 🙂
Britney Spears a few weeks ago just did a top 10 list, and in a bikini.
Number one on the list should be that you are there.
Kate
Hi Kate 🙂
Really? Britney Spears in a bikini? Well at least John Key had a suit on 🙂
Take care,
CG