What I hadn't known was that Kiwis take excellent care of everything else as well. I don't know if their conservation is the result of their environmental awareness or the result of the unbelievable prices here. I am going back to the States for a few weeks and on my must-buy list are such homely items as emory boards, toothpaste, and just about everything else I can cram into my overstuffed suitcase. Why? Because everything is horrendously expensive here and generally inferior in quality to what I can get at my local Costco.
I'm not trying to knock New Zealand. I love it here. I love being with my family, I love the Kiwis who are generally incredibly nice, and I love the natural beauty. So, this having been said, it is very expensive to live here. So expensive that the Kiwis' favorite shopping place is an online store called "Trade Me". You only buy retail when you can't find it used and it is absolutely necessary. You never throw anything away. You recycle, reuse, repair, and in the end, put it out to the sidewalk for someone else to use.
One of our neighbors here at the farm keeps that Kiwi philosophy going (see picture). I don't know how old that tractor is but my guess is that it was tracking when I was still sucking my thumb. Dan borrowed it for the day and I can attest that it worked well, ran smoothly, and did all the hauling we needed done.
This habit of taking care of things is one of the many things I love about this country. If they care so much for an old tractor, just think how well they'll treat an old lady. Just planning for the future! And since my granddaughter insists that "You're really old, Gramma", I think that future is just about here.
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