I am from Oz, but went to University of Otago in Dunedin, South Island for four years in mid seventies. Actually I prefer the south, nice and cold, good skiing with a couple of glaciers and fiords etc...magnificent walking scenery.

Plenty of good folk music when I was there, and I doubt it has changed..New Edinburgh Folk Club Dunedin, Phil Garland et al in Christchurch, great stuff. Also, was incredibly inexpensive - like eight dollars a week for a room in a shared student house, and the cheapest scotch whiskey in the world..yes, cheaper than Scotland! We made our own entertainment,the best kind eh? The kiwis, especially maoris, generally magnificent musos and singers at parties.

And the best of all..very left wing politics..no capitalist trash culture in those days..could not buy Japanese or Yank stuff, mostly British..most cars were like Humbers, Vauxhalls, Austins and for some reason, plenty of drop head Citroens..kept going by loving bush mechanics. Now with the loathsome gloabalisation, a lot of Kiwis have fallen for the sucker bait...but it is still one of the most adventurous and left wing developed countries. And generous...they take the reugees Australia refuses.

More power to the Kiwis, one of the best places on earth for sure. Just don't tell too many people about a place with great friendly and unsophisiticated people, with superb educational facilities (much better than OZ, and I went to three unis in Oz as well), no pollution, magnificent country, and decent politics!