Kiwiana

Very New Zealand, the jandal. But it's been updated for the '90s. Look at that, a chic wedge heel like you'd wear in Milan. And there's one more modification: Made in Taiwan.

– Ginette McDonald

I think pavlova in New Zealand is something like pumpkin pie in America. It's something that truly is a national dessert and when people come here they've never heard of it, they're really excited about it and want to eat it and it brings out a certain pride in us as New Zealanders.

– Marilyn Kemp, from company Cowell's Pavlova

If it weren’t for your gumboots, where would you be? You’d be in the hospital or infirmary, ‘cos you would have a dose of the flu or even pleurisy, if you didn’t have your feet in your gumboots…

– Famous ode to gumboots from major fan Fred Dagg (John Clarke)

Probably a good example of an ad campaign we’ve done that captures the New Zealand identity, if you like, is the Instant Kiwi series, say the bungy jumping ad — I  think the reason that works is we managed to capture what New Zealand humours’ all about; if you capture a country’s humour you’re probably on to what the country’s all about.

– Kim Thorp from Saatchi and Saatchi on a famous series of 1990s TV ads

As we get to the end of the twentieth century, we find that New Zealand things that you probably groaned about have suddenly become collectable … I’m always testing the boundaries of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ taste, one man’s junk is another one’s ultimate collectable item.

– Auckland antique dealer Peter Rogers

Well, the birds are blind and have got disgusting nocturnal habits and are indiscriminate sexually, and are under threat, aren’t they? They’re a dying breed. Make of that what you will.

– Character actor Ginette McDonald wonders about Kiwi as the choice of our national bird