Terry,

I'm in NZ by choice- I've lived in the US and Europe over the years.

>>Are Hobits still living in the forests of NZ?:)

Large parts of the inaccessible interior have never been visited by humans. All over the place there are bones of an large ostrich-like bird called the Moa that is probably extinct but every so often there are sightings in the back country. There are also mysterious spiritual beings called "Taniwha" that are never seen but wield huge power, preventing roads being built near their lairs. So yes, there may be hobbits in there somewhere.

>>is the water cold - like the pacific coast in California - or is it warm like the waters around Hawaii?

The north part of NZ is subtropical, the south can be very cold. You can swim in the sea in most places in summer but it can be a bit chilly in winter except in the North. But there are hot springs in lots of places... there is a beach called "hot water beach" where holes dug in the sand quickly fill with steaming water and other places like kerosine creek in the middle of a national forest where a gentle waterfall pours hot water into a warm pool. Suffice to say that few NZers have even seen a snow plow and houses in Auckland (9main city) are often weatherboard with no insulation.

>>Don't let me Wallabee spree mate - Just tie my Kangaroo down!

Sometimes it is good to be able to attribute people or actions to the Aussies!

Regards

j.R