Sandflies: The One Thing Separating NZ from Paradise

There's a tiny problem with New Zealand. Actually more like a billion tiny problems.

Sand flies.

These little bastards are about three times the size of a gnat, and they really bite. And their bites itch. For days.

Think of the last mosquito bite you had, multiply it by about five times--both in terms of annoyance and itchiness--and you'll have a sense of what it's like to meet up with a few sand flies.


And nobody ever makes the mistake twice of going out into sand fly territory without insect repellent. Fortunately, we were warned (actually, a friendly woman in a cafe that morning shrieked at me, "you'll be eaten aloive!!"), so we bought some before our first day out in Fiordland.

According to Maori legend, sandflies were created by the gods to keep humans from lingering too long in the paradise of the South Island. Aside from the strangely suspicious cows, this is about the only imperfection we've found with life down here.