Then again, this may not apply to some of the Kiwis that gathered in London on Saturday for the Waitangi Day pub crawl. Apparently, they misbehaved a bit. There were reports of them urinating on the footpath and on historic monuments such as Westminster Abbey and allegedly assaulting Korean tourists with snowballs.
A Kiwi in London, Dylan Clements, complained to the Prime Minister and High Commissioner and said the misbehaviour has shamed New Zealand.
Last month, Mr Clements wrote on the event's official Facebook page that it was a shame that locals and tourists of London would have their first impression of Kiwis performing a haka drunk. "Have fun embarrassing our country," he wrote.
The pub crawl is one of the highlights of the year for many Kiwis in London, and is attended by thousands.
Several Londoners also reported, via Twitter, that they had seen thousands of Kiwis drunk - but those on the pub crawl reported that they were having an awesome time, and London police said they were unaware of any issues.
On the Facebook page, many participants thanked the organisers and said they had a great day.
Social media has taken away many barriers, as it has given people the opportunity to have their say on whatever they like. Whether it is annoyance or exhilaration, the easiest way to reach a big crowd instantly nowadays would have to be Twitter.
Since I have an iPhone, I have been tweeting and changing my Facebook status while out and about. At the weekend, I even tweeted live from SummerFest.
Nobody was drunk and disorderly there, and that was a little different from most of the outdoor festivals I've visited. It was an alcohol-free, family-focused event and I was very impressed by the way everything was organised.
The ticket prices were more than reasonable, which made it affordable for anyone to come and enjoy some of the biggest names in Kiwi music.
The day was warm and the tunes were groovy. Before the madness of Stan Walker and the great sounds of Midnight Youth, I especially enjoyed the Aaron Saxon Band and watching local artist Owen Dippie work on a painting of John Coltrane.
There were recycling stations everywhere, water fountains, plenty of toilets, and a great selection of activities and food stalls. Well done, Creative Tauranga and Tauranga Round Table, and thanks for making this idea a reality for the people of the Bay. I hope to see SummerFest return in 2013.
The weekend before, I got a last-minute invite to Mills Reef Stars Under The Stars, where Creedence Clearwater Revisited rocked a huge crowd.
While there, I was reminded of another thing I love about Kiwis. They dance.
Here in New Zealand it doesn't matter where you are, what you look like, or how old you are. If there is great music playing and the atmosphere is right, people will happily get up and have a bit of a boogie.
I haven't seen such spontaneity anywhere else in the world, and I absolutely love it.
Next on the agenda is the Classic Hits Winery Tour, featuring Avalanche City, Gin Wigmore and The Mutton Birds.
That's three festivals in three weeks and I'm enjoying every minute of it.
Probably the last one that I'll be going to this summer will be Flavours in the Bay on March 10, the Bay of Plenty Times' first boutique wine and food festival. That should be yet another great day out, and if you'd like to join us, there is plenty of time left to get your tickets.
To find out more, go to www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/flavoursinthebay.
