If you've recently relocated to New Zealand, there are plenty of obvious ways to get to know the country: the beaches, mountains, native bush, food and wine.
But some of the more interesting clues to New Zealand life can be found in the everyday things that have been around for generations.
One of those is the TV programme Country Calendar.
First broadcast in 1966, Country Calendar is New Zealand’s longest-running television programme. It tells the stories of people working in farming, fishing, forestry and other parts of rural New Zealand.
That might not sound like the recipe for a long-running television hit. But 60 years later, it remains a much-loved programme.
For me, it is also a very familiar part of growing up in New Zealand.
As a child, Sunday night was scheduled viewing in our house. We watched Country Calendar, followed by A Dog’s Show, another Kiwi classic. It was simply part of the weekend routine.
Why does Country Calendar still resonate?
New Zealand is a highly urbanised country, but you don't have to go far from our cities to see how important the outdoors and the land remain in New Zealand life.
Country Calendar gives viewers a glimpse into a part of the country they may not otherwise encounter. The pace is usually unhurried, the people are often understated, and the focus tends to be on what they do rather than on self-promotion.
You’ll see farmers trying new ways of managing their land, families running businesses that have been passed down through generations, people working in remote parts of the country, and businesses finding practical ways to deal with the challenges of farming in New Zealand.
There is also an increasing focus on sustainability and the responsibilities that come with working on the land.
For someone arriving from overseas, Country Calendar can therefore be an interesting window into a side of New Zealand that isn't always visible from our cities.
From number 8 wire to agritech
New Zealand’s rural industries have also helped shape the country’s approach to practical problem-solving.
The old idea of "number 8 wire" is often used to describe the Kiwi habit of making, adapting and fixing things rather than waiting for someone else to solve the problem. It comes from a very practical reality: in a relatively isolated country, particularly in rural areas, people have often had to find their own solutions.
That mindset has not disappeared just because farming has become increasingly sophisticated.
In fact, some of New Zealand’s most interesting technology businesses have grown directly out of practical problems faced by primary industries.
Halter is a good example.
The New Zealand company has developed GPS-enabled collars for cattle that allow farmers to manage where cattle graze using virtual fencing. Farmers can move stock between areas without traditional physical fencing and monitor individual animals remotely.
It is highly sophisticated technology, but the problem it is solving is distinctly practical: how do you manage livestock and land more efficiently?
That combination of practical thinking, agriculture and technology is an interesting part of New Zealand’s business landscape.
A different way of getting to know New Zealand
For newcomers, understanding New Zealand isn't only about learning the geography or finding the best beaches.
It is also about noticing the everyday things that have become part of life here.
Country Calendar is one of those things.
It is a television programme about farming, fishing and rural life, but after six decades it has also become a small piece of New Zealand culture.
You can view current and historic episodes on demand for free at Hyundai Country Calendar or Hyundai Country Calendar: Celebrating 60 Years (Noting this is only accessible once you are in New Zealand)
So, for a novel, and very Kiwi, way to get to know New Zealand, take a look!
Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand!
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