Third World tag upsets village supporters

Whakarewarewa Village Charitable Trust chairman James Warbrick has hit back at criticisms from a former Rotorua man who described the attraction as a "Third World slum".
Peter Richardson, now living in Australia, went public about his experience at the tourist attraction, which he and his guests paid $28 each to walk around.
He was disappointed to be told there was no penny-diving anymore and said he saw overflowing rubbish bins, rundown houses and what he called "gardens of neglect".
"Whakarewarewa is now nothing but a Third World slum of dilapidated houses [and] people standing drinking alcohol around old cars on the main street," Mr Richardson told the Daily Post.
Village elders are looking into some of Mr Richardson's complaints. Mr Warbrick said he supported Whakarewarewa Thermal Village Tours chief executive Grace Neilson, who said that had Mr Richardson taken a guided tour, he would have been better informed and left appreciating how things had progressed since his last visit.
Mr Warbrick said there were still penny divers but that was always subject to the condition of the river.
The village homes were privately owned and the owners experienced some challenges in maintaining them due to the unpredictable nature of the thermal activity in the area, Mr Warbrick said.
Meanwhile, he was at "a total loss" about Mr Richardson's comments about people standing around drinking alcohol.
The village's main street was pretty narrow and as such "would be hard-pressed to accommodate one lone car, let alone people standing around it drinking alcohol", he said.
"You also have to take into account - how many times have you sat with your neighbour over a friendly drink? The only difference is when you do it, visitors are not in your front or back yard watching you."
People had the opportunity to go to one of two concerts a day, have a hangi meal as well as access professional guides and staff in a unique environment where they could see people going about their daily lives without any facade, Mr Warbrick said.
He believed the village offered a "great product" - an opinion he said was supported by feedback from clients.
"It is unlikely that there will ever be pristine gardens and houses in Whakarewarewa and should there be we [will have] lost our authenticity. It is not the pristine gardens and houses that most people want to see, it is our people, our lifestyle and our culture."
Mr Warbrick wasn't the only one to speak out in support of the village since Mr Richardson's comments were made public.
British woman Julie Stonestreet wrote to The Daily Post and said she disagreed strongly with Mr Richardson's impression of the village as a "Third World slum".
An experienced traveller who had lived in Africa, Asia and Europe, she said she had seen many Third World slums and Whakarewarewa Village resembled none of them.
"Possibly some buildings could do with some maintenance, but this is a village where people are living and, like any village in the world, some properties are pristine and some are not," Ms Stonestreet wrote.
"My overall impression was of quaintness and charm ... I do feel the tour is an integral part of the Whakarewarewa experience. Our guide, Anita, was highly informative and enthusiastic; she spoke in gentle tones and added humour to many aspects of her talk. Another guide we saw was articulate and humorous also; both worthy ambassadors for their village. We learned a great deal of Maori customs, beliefs and of the history of this place," she said.
Ms Stonestreet said the cultural performers were "brilliant" and the entire experience was "a pure delight from start to finish".
"My only complaint was that it all ended too soon.
"I came away with a very positive opinion of Maori traditions and customs and the efforts of the present generation to honour and continue these despite the pressures and excesses of the modern world. I had a wonderful day in this place.
"If I had read the article prompted by Peter Richardson and made a decision not to go, I would have missed one of the highlights of my trip so far ... in my humble opinion it is a wonderful place," she said.