1/15/01: Waiheke Island, New Zealand

NZ dairy is a big international enterprise, and ice cream is the national prize. In fact, Kiwis are the world’s #2 per-capita-consumers of the sweet stuff.

They empty the freezers of the corner food shops (called dairies), whose exteriors are emblazoned with colorful ice-cream logos. They argue about the best brand and flavor. (Our son favors a concoction called Hokey Pokey.) And they come running when they hear the happy sound (Ta ra rah Boom-dee-yay!) of the ice cream truck that plies Waiheke’s streets and beaches daily. (P.S. The #1 per-capita ice-cream consumption nation? U.S.A.! U.S. A.! U.S.A.!)