Lifestyle and Leisure
Reasons to move: Leisure
Picture the scene: it’s Friday night, you’ve had five days glued to a desk while the sun shines outside. All you want to do now is either relax, or let out all of those frustrations with a night on the town.
So what are your options?
A quick scan of the local high street shows the usual suspects, large groups of scantily-clad girls on a hen party standing shivering outside Wetherspoons goading male passers-by.
Maybe the cinema is a better option, some escapism from a week of work? But you know that the result could be frequent mobile phone
ringtones and faceless hoodies sitting menacingly at the back of the cinema, daring anybody to tell them to be quiet.
If you fancy going to a club, the smoking ban has meant that instead of coming out bathed in a sea of cigarette smoke, now the club smells of sweat, and you realise that this is worse than the smell of smoke.
Maybe Saturday in the UK will be better? The centre of town will be a nightmare on a Saturday, so maybe a walk in the countryside, followed by a nice meal in a pub should be the order of the day. That is until you realise that engineering works have meant that there is only one train per two hours and the pub has a three-hour waiting list to be served.
You may as well have stayed indoors.
In contrast, a Friday in New Zealand could consist of a meal at one of the many restaurants covering most countries of the world. Such is the mulicultural nature of New Zealand, most tastes are satisfied in one small area of the city.
Follow this with a trip to an ice bar if you are in Auckland, a swiss-style chalet in Queenstown, or a back-street bar to hear some music in Wellington.
Over on the other side of the world you could go sailing on Saturday morning in Auckland's Harbour, or perhaps take a stroll around Christchurch's Botanical Gardens.
Tramping is also a popular kiwi weekend pastime, and is the perfect way to wind down after a week of work. After all that walking, why not treat yourself to a mud bath in one of Rotorua's spas.
Wine-tasting is also a popular option. There are plenty of vineyards to choose from, especially if you are close to the Hawke's Bay region, which is famous for its wines.
Depending on where you live in New Zealand, the leisure opportunities are many and varied. The lack of crowds when compared with the UK mean your weekend is more relaxed. The sporting nature of the country means that outdoor activities are never far away. Why not go and catch a rugby game, either in the stadiums themselves, or soak up the atmosphere at the pub.
The more adventurous among you could seek out the nearest bungee jump, rapids or zorbing hill.
Best of all, there is not a hen party in sight!
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