In any discussion of our anxious historical moment, its apprehensions of decay and collapse, New Zealand was never very far from being invoked. It was the ark of nation-states, an island haven amid a rising tide of apocalyptic unease: a wealthy, politically stable country unlikely to be seriously affected by climate change, a place of lavish natural beauty with vast stretches of unpopulated land, clean air, fresh water. For those who could afford it, New Zealand offered at the level of an entire country the sort of reassurance promised by Vicino’s bunkers.
