Dunedin, New Zealand: Zeitgeist and Couch Burning (cont.)

These agitating events plague the city’s older (and considerably more conservative) citizens every year, and many claim the students are getting worse. While this classic generational power-struggle is not unique to university towns, it is interesting in that it seems to reflect a more generalized popular sentiment of “old-world conservatism” vs. “new-school antagonism” throughout New Zealand as a nation.

Over a recent game of pool at one of Dunedin’s local pubs, The Southern Break, I asked my new Kiwi friends if they wanted to live in New Zealand indefinitely. Several of them initially shrugged, exhibiting stereotypical Kiwi insouciance. Yet as the evening wore on and the alcohol levels went up, a markedly different attitude surfaced.

“You just feel so trapped here,” one of them confessed. “It’s such a small island, and it’s easy to lose perspective.”

“We have an expression, ‘world famous in New Zealand,’” another added. “It’s a bit of a joke, really, but at the same time it says a lot about Kiwis. We front like we’re such an important country, but of course we know that we’re not.”

“Many of the younger ones want to leave, but they probably never will. I don’t know why. Too much trouble, I suppose,” another noted.

Then perhaps the Scarfies’ hyper-masculinized antics are simply a subconscious compensation for a deeper sense of repression or isolation? Which begs the question, “why not just leave?” To quote my favorite local barista, who spent years overseas in Melbourne and London before returning to Dunedin, “I can drink my tap water here and traffic jams don’t exist. It’s the lifestyle, more than anything, that brought me back.” Perhaps he’s onto something.

As a microcosm of Kiwi culture, Dunedin offers an intriguing glimpse into New Zealand’s multi-faceted sense of cultural identity. This is a young country in an old world—a place where generational and social conflicts are amplified. It is a small island on a big planet—a national community that takes extreme pride in its accomplishments and recognizes the criticality of its indigenous artists and creative icons. It is certainly, as I had hoped, an ideal place to relax, slow down, and indulge in life’s calmer pleasures. I am happy to report that I have consumed more tea and biscuits over the past five months than I have in the past five years—and I have no intention of stopping. Yet it is far from a rusticated bit of nostalgia—it is also a place for fire dancers, motorcyclists, punk rockers, student activists, film buffs, vegan gastronomes, performance artists, and cutting-edge fashionistas. New Zealand’s charm lies in its ability to surprise even the most jaded traveler. And if one so desires, the faster, darker, more complex aspects of contemporary culture are there, amidst the lush green country hills, awaiting exploration.

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