Kia Ora New Zealand!

Kia Ora means hello! in Maori language.
The Maori language is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand.


Before I take you on this magnificent journey even below down under, let me brief you on why I have chosen this country for my individual assignment. Firstly, New Zealand is a country where I have always dreamt of going on a holiday. My ideal vacation has got to be somewhere tranquil, somewhere where I can experience one's native culture and basically just awing at every picturesque angle that Mother Nature has to offer. From the wilderness and cosmopolitan cities, to the breathtaking landscapes and fascinating Maori culture, New Zealand has got a lot to offer in terms of bringing out the true essence of culture and tradition.

What is New Zealand Known for?

So what comes into your mind when you think of New Zealand? Is it the rough and tough men from the Kiwi Rugby team? Or is it the countless sheep covering the mountainous green hills? Well, I have asked a few of my  hoa, that's Maori for friends, on what is the first thing that pops into their mind when they think of New Zealand. After all, what better way to answer the question of, "What is New Zealand known for?" than asking it from the people themselves.

1. Glenn Gomez (20 years old, polytechnic student) said, "I'm into sports, so when I think of New Zealand, I think of their Rugby team, the 'All Blacks.' Their one of the world's best Rugby teams."

New Zealand's Rugby Team, The "All Blacks"

Fact: It is true. Firstly, this inaugural tournament was first held in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand, and it is contested once every four years. The tournament is one of the largest international sporting competitions in the world and to no avail, the All Blacks (New Zealand) became the first ever champions. Now, New Zealand is gearing up to prepare to host this BIG event again as the 2011 Rugby World Cup draws near.



2. Marcus Heng (19 years old, working part-time at Ben & Jerry's @ The Night Safari) said, "Kiwis always associates with New Zealand. The bird, that is, not the fruit."

A Kiwi Bird

Fact: Indeed, the Kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand. In fact, the association is so strong that the term Kiwi is used, all over the world, as the colloquil demonym for New Zealanders.The kiwi, as a symbol, first appeared in the late 19th century in New Zealand regimental badges. It was later featured in the badges of the South Canterbury Battalion in 1886 and the Hastings Rifle Volunteers in 1887. Soon after, the kiwi appeared in many military badges, and in 1906 when Kiwi Shoe Polish was widely sold in the UK and the USA, making the symbol more widely known.

 During the First World War, the name "kiwi" for New Zealand soldiers came into general use, and a giant kiwi bird (known as the Bulford Kiwi), was carved on the chalk hill above Sling Camp in England. This has now been spread to all New Zealanders overseas and at home, making them referred to as "kiwis."

The kiwi has since become the most well-known national symbol for New Zealand, and the bird is prominent in the coat of arms, crests and badges of many New Zealand cities, clubs and organizations.

Coat of arms of Auckland, New Zealand

The New Zealand dollar is often referred to as "the kiwi dollar."

Relating information back to culture
 Maori traditionally believe that kiwi are under the protection of Tane Mahuta, Maori for God of Forest. Kiwi feathers are particularly important to Maori, as they are used for Kahu-kiwi, Maori for ceremonial cloaks. Today, while kiwi feathers are still used, they are gathered from kiwi that die naturally or through road accidents which by the way happens a lot, or through predation. Now, Maori no longer hunt kiwi, but consider themselves their guardians.

3. Charlene Hendricks (26 years old, wedding planner at Cappella Resort @ Sentosa) said, "Sheep! Because they have more sheep than people."


Fact: As astounding as this sounds, it is a fact. In 2010, the population of New Zealanders stands at 4.17 million humans and the population of their sheep is almost ten times as the humans, standing at 39.3 million sheep. In fact, many sheep jokes associates with New Zealand.

Sheep in New Zealand

For example, "When a tourist coach passed through a small country town in NZ one of the passengers noticed a sheep tied to a lamppost on the corner in the main street. "What's that?" she said.
"Oh that," said the guide, "that's the Recreation Centre""

-Adapted from http://www.finnsheep.com/

Sheep joke

Charlene also added on saying that, "Another thing I love most about New Zealand is that it was the place where they filmed one of the most well-known blockbuster hits, 'The Lord of the Rings.' I'm obsessed with the LOTR and so when I think of New Zealand, this is what comes to my mind. Beautiful country."


Fact: The commanding figure in NZ cinema is, without doubt, the director and screenwriter Peter Jackson, whose successful completion of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was not only a boon to the local industry but a significant morale boost to the country as a whole. 


The effect of his famous trilogy: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Two Towers (2002) and the Return of the King (2003) films on NZ was unparalleled. The country embraced Jackson and his Rings with a passion. Wellington, the capital city of NZ, was renamed Middle-Earth for the week of the Fellowship release in late 2001, a Minister for the Rings was named in the NZ government and Jackson was made a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services in the film industry. The frenzy continued for the second and third films, especially when the world premiere of the Return of the King was held in Welligton in December 2003, and of course went to win a record 11 Oscars.


The effect of the Rings films was not only a boost to a national morale but the films' effect on NZ'a economy was enormous. Of the $650 million spent making the films, much stayed in NZ.

Spot 'Disney'
Disneyization is potrayed as a globalizing force. In other words, the principles with which it is associated are gradually spreading throughout the globe. The dimensions of Disneyization include:


Theming- "Wellywood"

Wellywood sign in Wellington, NZ

The film industry has gone from strength to strength, with the filming of other Hollywood and local blockbusters prompting Wellington's new nickname, Wellywood. This is an example of Disneyization as this "Wellywood" sign has had a growing influence from the "Hollywood" sign in Los Angeles, California, USA. 

Performative Labour
The growing tendency for frontline service work to be viewed as a performance- many Kiwis contributed to the films' success: In all, about 2,000 New Zealanders had full-time jobs working on the Rings films, and that's in addition to all the 'extras' (15,000 of them, including a few hundred NZ Army personnel pressed into armour and drafted into battle scenes for Fellowship). Travelling around NZ, it sometimes feels like every man and his dog had some part in the movies, or wants to tell you about a relative who did. 


Merchandising- Middle-earth Tourism
Middle-earth Tourism or also known as Tolkien Tourism is a phenomenon of fans of The Lord of the Rings fictional universe travelling sites of film and book-related significance. It is especially notable in New Zealand, site of the movie trilogy by Peter Jackson, where it is credited as having raised the annual tourism numbers.

Hobbiton

A nearby farm in Matamata, NZ was used to create Hobbiton (the place where hobbits live) and thousands of the film's fans have been taking the tour to visit the setting for the Hobbit village. Just enough for your imagination to fill in the holes, and the guides are full of stories about the making of the film. Also, strangely enough, in the 14th season of America's Next Top Model, part if the season was filmed in New Zealand. In addition, one of their challenge was to pose in front of the hobbiton house door to see how well they could pose in a small frame. They had to work their bodies to fit in the tiny door and yet still look photogenic. Here's a video for you.

Mount Ngauruhoe in the day

Mount Doom, Mordor (Mount Ngauruhoe in the film)

Mordor's Mount Doom (instantly recognisable as towering Mount Ngauruhoe) was another prominent feauture in the trilogy film's. 
These are just a few of the places that were filmed in the trilogy film's. If you're serious about finding the exact spots where the scenes were filmed, traveler's can buy a copy of Ian Brodie's nerdtastic The Lord of the Rings: Location Guidebook, which includes instructions, and even GPS coordinates, for finding all the important scenes. Many of the locations where parts of the movies were filmed have become destinations for curious travellers. However, since many of the most famous locations were on public lands (and the rules of use for the filming stipulated that the sites be returned to their natural state), only a few, like "Hobbiton" in Matamata retain any traces of the film sets. Since only these places were retained for The Lord of the Rings enthusiasts, this is part and parcel of promoting New Zealand on a whole. Sales of goods such as the Lord of The Rings: Location Guidebook in the form of or bearing copyrighted images and/or logos of the movie itself contributes to the Disneyfication of the place.


According to www.geekosystem.com , Universal Studios is planning of incorporating the theme of the Lord of the Rings into a theme park, just like the Harry Potter and the Wizarding World at Universal Studios, Orlando, USA. If this is done so in New Zealand, then it is meant to draw attention to spread the principles exemplified by the Disney theme parks. Hence, more Disneyization will be seen in the future in NZ...