People.  Most New Zealanders are incredibly nice.  In general, they're kinder and more civilized than Americans.  They're how Americans used to be maybe 30 or 40 years ago, before the U.S. became so loud, pushy and "in-your-face."

Motels.  The motels in New Zealand are wonderful.  They don't have a lot of large-sized chain motels here, like Holiday Inns or Best Westerns.  Instead, New Zealand motels are mostly small (5-15 units) and family-operated, often run by middle-aged couples.  Unlike the U.S., most of the motels here are "self-contained," with full kitchen, refrigerator, and dinnerware, which is a real treat.  The owners take a lot of pride in their establishments, much more so than in the U.S., and they are truly concerned that you enjoy your stay.  In the U.S., they just want your money. 

A few other differences:  many proprietors here insist that you inspect the room before taking it, most motels have laundry facilities (often free), and you pay when you check out  -- in the U.S., you don't get the key until you hand over a credit card, drivers license, birth certificate and first-born child.  And, perhaps it's a bit quirky, but when you get a room for the night here, the desk clerk will give you a small bottle of milk for your tea.

Scenic Diversity.  I've always thought that the U.S. is the most scenically-diverse country in the world, and perhaps it is.  However, in the two weeks that I've been in New Zealand, I've seen places here that have reminded me of almost every state in the U.S.  Within a few hours, I've driven through areas similar to Hawaii, Alaska, the Maine coast, Florida, southern California, the northern California wine country, the Oregon coast, the Washington forests, and even the Nebraska sandhills.  It's as if all the scenery in the U.S. has been scrunched down into an area the size of Oregon.

The Weak NZ Dollar.  Last year, the New Zealand dollar was worth about 50 American cents.  Today, it's worth about 40 cents and it continues to fall.  Consequently, food and lodging is very cheap, about 30% to 50% less than in the U.S., while most imported goods, including cars and gasoline, cost about the same as in the U.S.  Every time I see a price, I first gasp, but then I multiply it by 0.4 (having spent many years in college, I can do that in my head -- usually) and realize, "Hey, that's not very expensive after all."

Quirky-but-Practical Items.  Each AC outlet in New Zealand has a little toggle switch next to it that you can flip on or off.  Cute -- I like it.  And many toilets have two flush buttons that provide you with either a mini-flush or a maxi-flush.  Americans are much more egalitarian -- if a bit less practical -- with one flush serving all purposes.

Small Towns.  I love the layout of the small towns in New Zealand because they're pedestrian-oriented, not car-oriented.  They're compact with most businesses located adjacent to each other on one or two long blocks.  Towns here aren't spread out like they are in the car-crazy U.S. and strip development, which is so common in the U.S., is negligible here.  No Wal-Marts here either, which is a plus. 

Accent.  The Kiwi accent is very pleasant, though I still have trouble figuring it out.  It sounds like the English accent except they convert the short "e" to a long "e."  For instance, "best" is pronounced "beast," "check" is pronounced "cheek," and "west" is pronounced "weest."  So if you head out weest, you beast have some traveler's cheeks.  Most distracting, of course, is that when they say "seeks" they mean "sex."  Dang, now I know what that cute woman in Hastings was asking me... (har, har).

Driving on the Left Side.  At first, I was a little nervous about driving on the left side of the road but I've gotten comfortable with it, and in a surprisingly short time.  In fact, now when I watch American movies on TV I think how odd it looks to drive on the right side of the road.

Roundabouts.  There are lots of roundabouts (traffic circles) in New Zealand, instead of four-way stops or signalized intersections.  Roundabouts take some getting used to but they make a lot of sense.  Just remember to yield to traffic entering from the right and to all traffic in the roundabout.  And remember to exit at the right place, like I sometimes forget, or you'll have to go around another time or two, like I sometimes do.

Cricket.  Rugby is the big sport in New Zealand, but it's cricket season now.  They've been showing a lot of cricket on TV and I'm starting to get hooked on it.  Cricket is something like baseball except there are only two bases and no foul balls and the entire team bats until everyone's out, instead of alternating like in baseball.  The bowler (i.e., pitcher) runs for what seems like a quarter-mile, then throws the ball into the dirt (and on purpose, to make it harder to hit).  You can read an entire novel before a batsman is retired, and it's not unusual to hear the announcer say that a team is leading by "only" 342 runs.

Negatives (or What I Miss Most About the U.S.)

Family and Friends.  This goes without saying and it's what I've missed most during my trip, though I have met a lot of nice people here.

American-style Campgrounds.  I really miss the campgrounds found in U.S. National Parks, State Parks, and National Forests with their designated sites and picnic tables at each site.  Being a person who enjoys solitude in the outdoors, I haven't warmed up yet to the "communal camping" philosophy of New Zealand with wall-to-wall tents.  Related to this is...

Solitude.  Even the hiking trails are busy this time of year, so it's been hard to find anyplace in NZ that has a semblance of solitude.  I can always find places that are peaceful and quiet in the U.S., even during the summer, but hopefully things here will improve.

Pickup Trucks.  In the world of trucks, single-cab pickups are the norm in the U.S., so I decided to buy one when I got over here.  Fat chance.  In New Zealand, for some reason, there are very few single-cab pickups (or "Utes," as they call pickups here).  There ARE lots of dual-cab pickups with a tiny bed, although that doesn't help me.  I like my single-cab Toyota truck because I can drive in it by day and sleep in the bed at night.  I couldn't find anything like it here, so I rented a Corolla and have been staying in motels.

History.  Being a history buff, I've been disappointed with the relative lack of interesting historical sites, signs, and attractions here.  I don't know if that's because there isn't much history here compared to the U.S. or if it's just not documented well.

Wide-open, Uncrowded Roads.  Because I'm visiting during the summer holiday season, most of the roads here have been pretty packed. 

Spicy Food.  New Zealand food is something like English food and, compared to American food, it's pretty bland and spiceless.  I really miss Doritos, salsa, chili, and bratwurst (though not all at once).  And forget about relish -- the stores here sell a dozen kinds of relish including tomato relish (huh?) and corn relish (huh???), but not pickle relish.  Go figure.

Dollar Bills.  Instead of dollar bills, New Zealand uses one- and two-dollar coins which are a hassle to deal with.  They end up all over the car floor after traveling each day and all over the bedroom floor at night.  Now I know why dollar coins have never caught on in the U.S.  On the positive side, New Zealand has abolished pennies which is something I wish the U.S. would do.