Paladin

Hi Everyone!

My OH is into the "alternative" stuff - Reiki healing, Crystal healing, Shamanism, Organic foods, Steiner schooling, NLP, etc etc. She is not what you would call a full-on "earth mother" type - you cant really if your favourite place to shop is Karen Millen!

Was just wondering if anyone could recommend areas or places in NZ that have more of an alternative poulation or alternative culture reputation?

Hoping we can check it out a bit on our month long trip in January!

(In fact I might just leave her in one of these places and go off diving for the whole month!)

Cheers in advance for your replies!

Dave

jueinnz

Dave,
Would love to help but haven't got a clue what you are talking about, so can't ...sorry, alternative healing over here is when the kiwis say "she'll be alrite" cause they don't want to pay for the doctor!!!

Genesis

I have heard that Nelson has leanings in this area..by contrast I would be surprised if parts of the Northlands are not also given to the same.

Paladin

Cheers, yep i had heard Nelson had leanings to the "alternative" side - my Kiwi friend here says we should visit there, apparently Nelson's a pretty nice place to live, lots of sunshine hours due to its location for some reason.
I noticed Mazi mention Raglan on one of his posts on the negative NZ thread but I don't know anything about that area.
We'll be in Northland on our visit in Jan/Feb so will be checking that area out!
Thanks,
Dave

IainW

The tip of the Coromandel, around Whitianga is pretty hippyfied. The real alternative bunch used to live on Waiheke Island until the JAFAs kicked them off, then they moved to Great Barrier Island.

For the ultimate in hippy culture, check out Jerusalem on the banks of the Whanganui river - that's where James (Hemi) K Baxter did his commune thing in the early 70s.

Paladin

Cheers!

Clare will love this info - much appreciated. Personally I'll be happy as long as I can go diving lots and there's a decent cafe serving quality coffee and preferably a good Indian take away/restaurant nearby!

Although I have a few Buddhist attitudes to things(except money LOL!) I wouldn't put myself in the hippy category - don't know many hippy currency traders!
Clare's the one really into the alternative stuff - gotta find a balance there somehow!

I'm also possibly setting up a business in NZ to train people to trade the FOREX(currency market) so need to be able to get to Auckland, Wellington at least fairly easily in order to run courses/seminars!

Thanks again!
Dave

mazi

Ah, that's not fair. Come on, I mentioned Raglan on the 'everything's great' thread (twice!)! Raglan is indeed a bit new age, full of people who got lost on their way back from Glastonbury, and all the more exciting for it BUT (sorry this is a bit negative) it's too close to bleedin' Hamilton for comfort which is the most unalternative place on the planet.

And please note, I'm a laydee...

mazi

Lots of the Coromandel is alternative - they have workers' cooperatives and communes (but they don't advertise the second thing and hide in the bush). They seem to grow a LOT of their own fruit and veg, which they sell in the workers' coops, and another strange-looking green plant, which they don't sell in the workers' coops.

And they wear orange and red and purple and green and sky blue, they paint and make, make and paint...and they are very jolly indeed.

Paladin

OOPS! My mistake(genuine mistake, honest!) - apologies on 2 counts then!!!

My OH is doing a Shamanic Healing course in Glastonbury currently - sounds like she'd love Raglan then!!!

Paladin

Oh good grief! Are you sure you're not describing Stroud in the Cotswolds where I live!!!

Heaven help me!!!! My OH every so often has a yearning to live in a yurt, which I have so far manged to resist!!! Thank god!! Sounds like she could have her yurt fix up in Coromandel!! I prefer somewhere with running water personally! :scared:

Cheers Lady Mazi!!!!

Dave

mazi

No problem!

Does your OH have a large stick that she carries evrywhere? Because it's the law in Glastonbury.

Slight word of warning - the average Kiwi (Sorry for the generalisation! I'm taking the average of the people I encountered.) does not 'do' or like alternative or different. Do not expect them all to find you interesting (the odd one will; trying to be very careful here about not upsetting the ones who do embrace the 'other'), you will mostly be expected to toe the conservative line. I'd say more but it's not the negative thread.

Paladin

ROFL!!

She may be fairly alternative, but not like some of those crazies you see on Glastonbury high street in her defence! I wouldn't classify my beloved as a hippy for sure - more your middle class designer clothes kinda alternative!

dave

mazi

Not in NZ, pal!

What's ROFL? I think I get the FL part but what about the RO? (Bit fick sometimes.)

Paladin

Rolling On Floor Laughing

mazi

ah. Fick, see. Got hit over the head with a Glasto stick many moons ago by a chap who took umbridge when I told him that "The trees are for everyone, man. You shouldn't take them for yourself.". Or maybe it was the special cake in the Rainbow's End cafe that did for the brain...