As a sailor, NZ was paradise. I seriously thought about immegrating here to raise my family, but the economy is a tad small.

Still, this place is absolutely off the hook in terms of nice people, natural beauty, and a culture in relationship with the sea.

Lord of the rings is mostly the national park in the south island, from what I recognized. NZ has a heck of a lot more to offer in terms of lifestyle and good people than that movie could ever capture, though it sure is perty too. ;-)