If you ignored the statistics on abuse, violence, and sexual assault, as well as the methamphetamine epidemic, failing welfare system, joblessness, and increasing poverty, you could say New Zealand is not doing too badly these days. For those in the know, New Zealand metal is doing OK, too.
Of course, no matter what those beautiful tracking shots in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit might suggest, New Zealand has just as many problems as the rest of the world. True, you’re never far away from some spectacular scenery, but while picturesque panoramas may nourish the soul, they won’t fill your stomach.
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