Trailblazers: The New Zealand StoryFirst pain, then gain New Zealand is a place of great natural beauty and resources, of pioneering immigrants from the Maori to the more recent settlers. Theyre fierce, hardy, and strong, able to withstand challenges like the massive economic challenge they faced in the mid 1980s. With their economy unraveling, they made huge, controversial changes, including doing away with farm subsidies and protectionist import controls. At first, it hurt. A lot.