Helen Oakes New Zealander’s love using slang and another one in the arsenal is Tiki Tour. All kiwis grew up using this term which is still used regularly to this day.

The meaning of tiki tour is when you take the scenic route or long way to get to a destination. It is akin to taking a scenic tour of an area. It can mean you are taking an extensive tour of a town to inspect it and have a good look around. The phrase also means you are going on a journey with no destination in mind. You drive or wander aimlessly and you end up where you end up, which could be anywhere.

The origin of the term tiki tour seems to come from 1946 when the New Zealand Government Tourist Bureau organised low-cost tours and called them Tiki Tours. There are numerous tour companies now that use this phrase which is synonymous with traveling within New Zealand.

We use to use the term a lot when our Dad drove somewhere and got lost. He would say we were going on a tiki tour. So if you need to cover your bases when you get lost or you are wandering and you don’t know where to go, just say you are on a tiki tour.

There has even been a television series called Tiki Tour which takes viewers on an adventrue around the country on a tour bus. New Zealand Post have put out a stamp edition of 24 stamps called Tiki Tour. It features national icons around the country.

Enjoy the journey as much as the destination and go on a tiki tour, you don’t always need to take the fastest route to get there.

As a photographer I’ve always had a passion for creative art and recently I have started to feature some Kiwiana Digital Prints with sayings, words, phrases and colloquialisms.

If you’re a home sick Kiwi living abroad, my artwork may just be an ideal solution for a dose of New Zealand artwork to decorate your home or office.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! Click the link below and add “Tiki Tour” to your cart now:

Purchase here.

Thank you for being a part of this artistic journey with me. Your support means the world, and I can’t wait to see “Tiki Tour” adorning your walls!

🌟 Embrace the kiwiness. Own “Tiki Tour” today! 🌟

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