Forget Tyra Banks, forget Nigel Barker and forget the talented young women who made it through to the big OE courtesy of ANTM.

Guess who was really ‘the star’ of the show?

That’s right, according to Tourism New Zealand it was the Land of the Long White Cloud (aka that little country above Canada, the one with the loosest slot machines in the Pacific Rim) But we think that the sheep deserve a star too, if for nothing more than their ability to induce sleep (Now you know what the ‘Z’ in NZ stands for)

“New Zealand Stars Before an Audience of 3.9 Million”  Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said

“Bringing shows like America’s Next Top Model to New Zealand to film allows us to build on the ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ campaign by showing Americans what they can actually experience when they come here on holiday.”

We wonder if 1080 drops were suspended during the show’s visit in order to preserve that ‘100% Pure’ image abroad. For more about that see posts tagged 100% Pure myth

And as for the clean, green and pure image? perhaps you should read “Pure Nonsense” in the New Zealand Listener by Brian Turner:

“I wonder how many of us are sick of the extent to which New Zealanders delude themselves, and are willing to believe many of the most outrageous lies they are told. Like, for instance, this is a “clean and green” country, a place that is “pure” and often “pristine”…

For more about what some American tourists have experienced click HERE and learn how to avoid the pitfalls.

Catching ‘Z’s

You know it’s important to know how to interact with sheep in New Zealand!