1Pavlova Paradise Revisited After a distinguished career as British MP, author and media commentator, Austin Mitchell returns to New Zealand fourty years on to assess how our country has changed in Pavlova Paradise Revisited. Half a century ago C.V. Smith's 'From N to Z' portrayed New Zealand as an endearing, quaint little country. Today New Zealand sees itself as a modern nation, a world-class player and still leading the world, though now away from the welfare society it once led to. For six weeks he travels round from Bluff to North Cape visiting old haunts, meeting old mates (and enemies), weighing up modern New Zealand and comparing it to the country he knew and fell in love with. Pavlova Paradise Revisited contrasts life the 50s and 60s with that in the new century, weigh the changes and ask the crucial question: for better or worse. Over three parts, Mitchell looks at the theme of change. He starts off in the South, now a heritage museum of the New Zealand that was. He looks at education through the Universities, he describes as the outposts of English and Scottish traditions now Americanised, populated by eccentric dons and part-time students. Mitchell follows on with his observation of the weakened worker power and unions of old in the workplace, with a change towards smaller units and markets and IT and wraps that up with a look into Farming. He describes the South Island as 'a tourist factory with an outdoor plant'. His reference is to the manifold opportunities for death and daring in Queenstown - where you no longer need a map, you need a visa. It's an interesting recap from a foreign viewpoint as to the many changes in our country. The distinguished author also takes a look as what he calls 'Revolutionary Wellington' and 'Auckland - The new New Zealand' in this series.