The other day at the beach, we were digging into the sand, and wondering where we would end up if we managed to dig right to the other side of the earth. Some voted Italy but I voted Spain, certain that it couldn't possibly be Italy, just because I would know if it were. And sure enough, where we were had been the antipodes of Spain. It turns out that New Zealand, along with France, have the most antipodal points than any other country in the world. Maybe that's why we feel so isolated, everything is on the opposite side. Less than 4% of land on Earth is antipodal to land, the rest is to ocean. The word 'antipodes' originates from the Greek language, from 'anti', meaning 'opposed', and 'pous' meaning 'foot'; the point diametrically opposite to a place on Earth. The world truly is fascinating, I desperately need to get a map to put on the wall, my geography is terrible.
