The Land Down Under--New Zealand

Our final stop is on the far side of the world—New Zealand. It’s in the “Land down under,” and Bill and Frances Flaws, natives of the north island, recall with fondness eating the practice of Christmas dinner on the beach. The traditional dish is roast lam with new potatoes, plum pudding (with a real silver nickel inside if you’re lucky), and fresh peas and carrots.

The Flaws described the national sport of rugby and evenings of listening to the radio in a quiet country town while they were courting. They broke the usual racial divisions to become friends with the Maori, the native people from whom originated the famous pre-football game “Hakka” dance. They were very loving and family-oriented once you got to know them, Flaws said, but that was difficult.

Bill Flaws said that New Zealand has more freedom—fishing and hunting are simple and easy there. This is probably because there are so few people though. After a moment’s thought, Flaws said, “I once heard that there were more sheep there than people, and it was probably true.”

 The Flaws were more somber in recounting the availability of education in the land they left. There were only four universities in New Zealand while they were growing up, and so they were highly competitive. Frances Flaws had wanted to be a teacher, but her experiences with fierce-some nuns in a Catholic college (like high school with an extra year, but emphasizing math, science, and English) “put her off.”

The couple came to the U.S. after they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They wanted their children to have more opportunities to associate with youth of their new faith. Still, they would like to travel more. Bill Flaws wants to see the famous Scottish battlefield of “Braveheart” where his mother used to play. Frances Flaws would like to get back to her Irish roots.

“Don’t get me started on immigration,” Bill Flaws said warningly when I asked about government.

“Well, it took us seven years, and it’s irksome,” his wife added. They have little patience for the hot debate in illegal immigration in Arizona, the state they now call home.

The Flaws were happy to talk about the beauty of the land they left. They described the beaches, the solitude, the cable cars going up the nearby mountains, and the famous Pahutakawa, the “Christmas tree of New Zealand.” They had books full of pictures that made Hawaii look dull.

“It was a beautiful place to grow up,” said Frances Flaws.

“This is where you want to go on your honeymoon,” added her husband