Since we were in New Zealand for such an extended period of time, we couldn't help but notice all the humorous signs and sights around us. Once we got used to driving on the left side of the road and negotiating our way through roundabouts from the other direction, we got a real chuckle out of the Give Way one lane bridges. We couldn't imagine how this would work in another society where manners weren't a priority. We could imagine autorickshaw drivers in India charging onto the bridge straight into oncoming traffic. We had never before seen dogs riding along under semitrailers filled with sheep. Kiwis have some very interesting toilets (and outhouses are called 'longdrops' which we thought was right on). We saw lots of unique animal signs. There are tons of rental vehicles driving around New Zealand and many of them are very brightly and creatively decorated. Not all of them are this political, however. In the land of the Hobbits, painting your car is not that unusual. You can't travel more than a few kilometres without seeing some kind of a warning sign about drunk driving or speeding or drowziness. We didn't know the army had such a sense of humour.
We had to get used to some new terms like togs, bathers, jandals, singlets, etc. There are many interesting words to wrap your tongue around here. We figured this coffee shop was seriously lost and wondered how enticing 'my'restaurant sign would be. We got a good laugh out of these quotes and wondered if this sign really helped sell McGregor's Pies. We found some rather large 'flower pots'and wondered if Bubble and Squeak was really the best title for a dish (the prices weren't as funny). Somebody decided to have a little fun with this tiny rapid and there is no end to the strange names given to restaurants, takeaways, and bars.
