Article content
The rugged rugby-loving citizens of New Zealand, that oft-overshadowed chunk of Down Under forever trying to distance itself from swaggering Australia next door, have long coped with isolation through a passion for foreign travel.
Young Kiwis have for decades crossed “the ditch” — the Tasman Sea — to work and play in Aussie metropolises like Sydney and Melbourne, and going “OS” — overseas — is a rite of passage for thousands of gap-year backpackers.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
New Zealand promotes its splendid isolation Back to video
They’ve perfected the art of the working holiday, serving fancy coffee at Covent Garden in London, pulling pints at pubs in Dublin and fitting out skiers at Whistler/Blackcomb resort on British Columbia’s West Coast to fund vacations that can stretch for months if not years.