3 Facts About New Zealand I Didn’t Know Until I Moved Here
Everyone knows NZ has lots of sheep and stunning landscapes, but as an American turned Kiwi I got a few surprises about my adopted home.
Unique Kiwi Cuisine
New Zealand is famous for wine and Hobbits, but no so much its cuisine. Unless they’ve been here, most people probably can’t name any unique Kiwi dishes. But when I arrived, one really stood out: fryders (fried spiders).
When I told friends back home about fryders, they thought I was joking. I’m not. Just take it from dozens of Kiwis.
I find incredulity about fryders to be culturally myopic. Spider is eaten in many parts of the world, such an inland China, the central Asian plateau, and on several Pacific Islands, including New Zealand. “Normal” food is relative. After all, there are many people in India horrified at the idea of eating cows.
When I asked the guy behind the counter at my local “spidey and chups” shop in a touristy area if he’d heard any anti-arachnid sentiments, he rightly pointed out that it’s hard to argue with such a delectable snack:
“People from other cultures really are heavily biased against eating insects and the like. Then they have a whitebait fritter with a bit of tunnelweb mixed in, and they suddenly change their tune.”
To understand why fryders are so embedded in Kiwi culture, you need to understand some of the historical background.
Before humans arrived here, the lack of mammals made it a paradise for birds. Over millions of years, endemic avian species evolved into specialized arachnid predators, maintaining a delicate spider-bird balance.
The first settlers, the Māori, brought a number of non-native pests and predators with them. As humans and animals hunted the birds, the spider population grew accordingly. Later, European settlers introduced yet more pests and predators, and caused the extinction of a number of uniquely adapted bird species. Spider numbers rose out of control.
Compounding the issue, European settlers found that introduced livestock could not thrive on New Zealand’s volcanic soil, which is naturally deficient in certain minerals (these deficiencies were later solved through feed supplements, enabling New Zealand’s now well-known sheep farming). So they had only one option: eat the spiders.
By the time other protein sources became readily available, spiders were firmly embedded in the local epicurean culture. To this day, the yearly spider-baiting season is considered a quintessential part of growing up in New Zealand, and many Kiwis have fond memories of getting their first frying pan and heading out into the bush with their parents.
Kiwis are proud to share their unique culture with newcomers: when I first moved here, I was kindly invited by new Kiwi friends to go spidering with their family over Christmas break. Spidering is so popular that the Department of Conservation (DOC) has issued limits on catching them too young. During the summer months, when they’re breeding, you’re allowed to catch the adults if they’re more than 12cm (five inches) wide.
That’s not to say all Kiwis are fryder fans. When a vegan friend of mine heard I was writing this article, she insisted I include the other side as well.
I can not describe to you how frustrating it is living as a vegan in New Zealand. When I lived in America the only thing I really had to worry about was like, milk solids in corn chips. But here it’s like every single granola bar has fucking “Desiccated Funnel W 044” or whatever in it. And you don’t even always know the names of all the different spiders either so you can’t tell. WTF New Zealand!
So, when visiting New Zealand, take extra care if you’re a vegan, but otherwise be sure to enjoy a traditional fryder meal!
Dangerous Animals
New Zealand is well known for its stunning natural wilderness. However, it’s important to remember that nature must be treated with respect and caution. Without large predatory mammals and poisonous snakes, some visitors incorrectly assume they don’t need to worry about local fauna. But if you’re heading to the bush, it’s important to be aware of giant birds.
A moa is a large, flightless bird, bigger than an ostrich, that can reach 3.6m (12 feet) in height and 230kg (500 lbs) in weight. These birds instantly remind you how closely they’re related to dinosaurs. They are quite timid and unlikely to attack unless threatened, and while they once roamed everywhere, today they inhabit only the deep wilderness. However, with adventure tourism continuing to increase, humans are coming into contact with moa more frequently.
People come to New Zealand to view the beautiful scenery but they need to be aware of the dangers. I have no sympathy for those who don’t adequately prepare for unexpected moa attacks.
— Steven Munter, DOC ranger
Locals grow up knowing the dangers of moa and how to take precautions. Your average Kiwi is confident about tramping (hiking) in wilderness despite the possibility of encountering a giant aggressive bird, because locals know when egg laying season is, and how to tell if a moa is going to charge or run away.
But visitors should not be foolishly cavalier. Trampers heading into the deep wilderness are advised to visit an outdoors store after arriving in New Zealand to acquire a moa repellent kit. Moa repellent can be toxic if not used correctly, so kits are generally kept behind the counter. You can be trained in their use by the shop that sells one to you, or at any DOC visitors centre with a qualified ranger on duty.
The catch-22 of the NZ bush: hunters need to see you, so you wear hi-viz gear to avoid being shot, but moa are attracted to bright colours. Most moa are just curious, but some juvenile males will get aggressive. There’s two or three documented attacks every hunting season.
— Nizz Leson, NZ Hunter Magazine
Another dangerous large bird evolved as the moa’s natural predator: the Haast eagle. It’s the largest eagle in the world, with a wingspan up to 3m (10ft) and 10cm (4in) talons. Imagine what kind of bird could swoop from the sky and take down a moa. They dive at 80kph (50mph) in total silence, and the impact is said to be like dropping a cinder block from an 8 story building.
Haast eagles were thought to have gone extinct with dwindling moa numbers, but as urbanisation has extended into previously unpopulated areas, run-ins have been reported. Just last month, a Haast eagle attacked a dog park in the outskirts of Auckland, chasing down and carrying off a full grown labrador retriever.
If you’re wondering why such attacks don’t make the news, it’s been suggested that Tourism New Zealand runs campaigns to bury reports of attacks so as not to disrupt the tourism industry (although they deny this of course). The other theory is that DOC doesn’t want word to get out that the eagles are not actually extinct, in order to protect an already threatened species from backlash. I’m honestly not sure what to believe at this point.
You generally have no need to fear giant eagles in populated areas. They avoid cities, since their wingspan makes it almost impossible to navigate average urban streets. They’ve learned to keep mainly to wilderness and rural areas, where they can feed off sheep and the occasional tourist. But trampers on the Milford Track have been officially advised to carry hand held sirens to scare off aggressive eagles they may encounter.
We were out fishing on Milford sound over Xmas last year, and about 5 of them came over the terrain in a flying V formation, swooped down into the water and took several barracuda each before executing a perfect turn in the same formation, and flying back over the hills into the bush.
— Wanda Rah, Christchurch resident
Agricultural Policy
This is another one that sounds crazy at first, but makes a lot more sense once you understand the historical context.
New Zealand is an agricultural society that had extremely close economic relations with the United Kingdom from the time of European settlement until relatively recently. Over 65% of New Zealand exports once went to the UK, which is incredible considering the distance.
When the UK joined the EU in 1973, the special trade relationship ended, and the New Zealand economy took a massive hit. What pulled the country through this challenging time was Kiwis buying produce grown in New Zealand soil. There was a huge sense of coming together and supporting domestic commercial agriculture, and this was soon enshrined in law.
It’s illegal to plant anything on your personal property unless you are a licensed commercial producer. Gardens are banned to ensure the economic stability of the agricultural sector.
The law is not draconian — if grass happens to grow in your yard naturally, that’s fine, but seeding and watering your own grass is punishable by a fine and the grass patch will be poisoned, stopping it from naturally growing back. If you think this is extreme, consider that local authorities have banned home gardening in many places in the US. It’s not that different.
Anyone who has flown into New Zealand knows how strict customs is about bio-security at the border. A single plant or seed coming in to the country has the potential to become a garden, a dangerous risk that is not tolerated.
The gardening ban has become so normalised in recent decades that younger Kiwis may not even know what a garden is. Yet, it’s still largely unknown overseas. Why? I blame the movies.
Many people in other countries know little of New Zealand except what they see in Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson actually spent quite a bit lobbying the government to allow them to use real grass and foliage in the films, and was ultimately successful (the so-called “Hobbit Law”). This gives foreigners a skewed view of reality.
That’s not to say home gardens have been completely eradicated. There is a certain subset of the older generation that never accepted the ban, and practice what’s commonly referred to as “Plant Piracy”. So-called “green thumbs” build a shed over their garden to make it invisible from the road.
These covered gardens have in some cases resulted in the remarkable evolution of vegetables bred to grow in low light. For example, Broccoli turns totally white and begins to taste like banana,while cauliflower turns bright purple and somewhat surprisingly begins to taste like beef. So, if you’re ever invited into the home of someone above the age of 65 in more rural areas, you may be surreptitiously treated to a cauliflower roast!
These days, however, with drones becoming commonplace, many of these sheds are being discovered and destroyed. The same goes for illegal garden plots hidden in the forest. Recently there was a big bust that made the news, where they confiscated tens of kilos of illegal herb (marjoram). The agricultural police sometimes let people off with a verbal warning for small potatoes, but they really go after the dealers and growers.
When I first arrived in New Zealand, I was aware of the gardening ban, but failed to take it seriously enough. I was looking at renting a house that had a nice yard out the back, so I half-jokingly said to the estate agent, “You could put a really nice garden in there, haha!” Stupid. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get the rental, and they green-listed me with the local estate agencies. I did manage to find a rental directly from a private landlord, and I now own a house so it’s not an issue, but it certainly taught me not to mess around.
If you’re that interested in gardening you should do it the legal way. Get licensed and go work for a government farm. Stop trying to undermine our economy with black market gardening.
— Courtenay Placedrinks, Dominion Post letter to the Editor
In 2016, a shortage of commercially grown avocados fueled a crime wave in New Zealand. People were so desperate for guacamole that more of them than ever were willing to risk violating the garden ban. The crisis hit a crescendo when an image of a normal looking mum in front of her illegal avocado tree went viral on social media, spurring a crackdown by agricultural authorities.
Despite scandalous incidents and glorification of “green thumbs” in rap music, average Kiwis take the gardening ban quite seriously. Watching last year’s award-winning documentary Dark Green, which shined a light on lives ruined by gardening, helped me learn to respect the ban.
My uncle lost an arm in the 1981 Spring Bok-choi Riots. My sisters were discovered re-potting gardenias. Every day I am alienated by my community for having relatives marked by the Green Thumb.
My dad was in caught up in Moutoua Gardens protest. He still wakes us up some nights screaming that he can’t get the soil out from under his fingernails, or he’ll have a panic attack if he sees anything even resembling a grass-stain.
I can’t vote anymore ‘cause I got caught growing strawberries. You may think its cool to grow your own vegetables, maybe get into some pickling or jam making, but let me tell you this is not a scene you want to be involved in.
— chilling quotes from the 2017 documentary Dark Green (the speakers remain anonymous for their own protection)
Further Reading and Sources
My sources for a lot of this info and most of the quotes:
- Moa attack on tramper caught on camera
- Are there a lot of spiders in NZ? and a followup discussion thread
- Can you have a garden in New Zealand?
- New Zealand’s absurd gardening ban once again makes us the laughing stock of the Internet
- Avocado shortage fuels crime wave in New Zealand
- Mum flouts the law growing avocado in her illegal garden
