50 million sheep and 2 caniches d'hivers

live in New Zealand on over 25,000 farms. The T-Shirts here read "Baa Baa Baa Bar Bar Bar'.
Or as they say One tequila Two tequila Three tequila Floor.

Over three and half million people live here too. So it's two islands with a similar population to Ireland and a size a bit bigger than the UK. The immediate difference is that the stuffed toys are mostly sheep rather than bears.

We landed in Christchuuuurch, yes it was quite bumpy over the Tasman Sea.

NZ is very strict on the import of organic matter. Very strict, I said. This neccessitated the consumption of a banana in the queue up for customs. No fruit allowed in.

On the other hand the Post Offices here are wicked. An Post please copy. Everything you need in the one place; stickers, cardboard boxes, tape, silly postcards, padded envelopes (no cells yet), maps, and FRIENDLY postal agents. (Beara please ignore that last comment). Should we start some private post offices in Ireland?

Back to sheep; we lined up for ages to get in to the country but once through find the denizens exceedingly friendly helpful and laid back. They even use the 'no worries' beloved of Australians.

We hired a grand buzzer of a car, Toyota Starlet from the man in Christchurch who hadn't been to the Rod Stewart concert the night before. Rod had been quoted on marriage the day before. On asked would he 'go' again he replied. "I think I'll just find a girl I don't like and give her a house".

We headed South rather than North which, believe it or not, was the Belfast Road. We passed Hamilton Road. In OZ we saw Lingard Street and Goulding Road. Homely.