Nobody here has touched on possibly THE most relevant aspect of this whole discussion;
....the amount of GA going on in NZ per capita.
NZ has on its register the highest proportion of rotary wing a/c to population. Can't fixed be sure about fixed wing, but its got to be up there.
So with a population of 4 millionish, NZ has got to have one of the highest rates of GA flying anywhere. Mix in with that a bit of changeable weather,terrain, old technology and economically marginal operations, and the result appears alarming. But put into perspective, it unfortunately comes down to law of averages.
Add to that the nature of the beast, ie how many operators are there in Europe flying VFR round the mountains, on floats, strips, no radar, NPA approaches? They are there I'm sure, but in the context of the vast populations of Europe, the numbers are pretty weak and diluted. Contrast that with with the array of operators in NZ eaking out a living every day, with often relatively inexperienced drivers at the helm.
My point is, given NZ's size, there is ALOT of avaiation going on, and often in less than ideal conditions.
I'm not going to add kudos to the arguement of attitude/culture by bothering to discuss it.
27/09 makes a good point re insurance rates.