Our last full day in New Zealand, I rented a Ninjette from the folks over at nzbike.com. $70 for a full day, maybe $90 with petrol included. I headed north from Auckland on 16, found mile after mile of well-paved, well-paced roads with good cadence and spectacular scenery. Enjoyed getting completely lost in a generally northeasterly direction, hit the eastern coast, took in the surf, and hugged the coast south. It’s all farms: one lane bridges over creeks, limestone hillocks, and the occasional jaw-dropping valley opened up in the sun. Hit some dirt, a few dead ends, and generally had a grand time of it.

Everyone, everywhere, was thrilled to say hello, tell me about their farm or flower shop, and give directions. I don’t think I met a single unfriendly soul in the whole darn country. Even petrol station attendants grinned, warned me about storms to the north and pointed a better route. Maybe it’s a factor of size, maybe it’s purely cultural, but I wish the rural US were anywhere near this friendly.