observations on life, specifically the kids of NZ

During our treks so far we have seen more unsupervised kids on the street than I’ve seen for years in Canada. And I’m not talking teenagers, I’m talking kids in the 8-10 year range. I saw a boy about 9-ish playing a violin on a street corner, and 4 hours later he was still there; not a parent in sight. And there was this really great group of girls in the 8-10 year range just wandering down the street together, giggling like mad at pictures of male models in shop windows. Little four and five year olds were walking multiple meters away from their parents and running up to talk to them before wandering off again. I found 3 kids about 4-5 years old in a toy aisle in the Warehouse playing with the stuffed toys, no where in sight an adult. “New Zealand would be a great place to raise a kid”, said Blaise. I’m inclined to agree.