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Thanks man. Got the flu again also - 3rd sickness for this winter, and I consider it a good one. Last winter I was sick 8 times.

I'm moving down to whakatane today. So what do I do? Log on to the Hub, of course, because moving's a piece of p1ss. Except it's not. Man what a kek job.

Damned cheeky Mainlanders. You can keep your mountains and the flipping freezingness down there . The BAD: I struggle big time in NZ winter, feel like I am coming down with yet another cold. This will be the 3rd one this winter, and it is going well - the first, I managed to train through. The second was definitely flu and meant a layoff. This one, too early to call. But it's kek cold and these multiple day wind and rain storms aren't that lekke. Makes you really appreciate summer though!

Ha ha, me and Mrs J have had that discussion too - Saffas think they are such hard workers, until they find out that people here have to work hard at work and just as hard at home!

Fair enuff; LBS is a good idea because there will almost certainly be small, free 'local' events after work or on weekends where you can get stuck in and meet the people who will get you plugged into the scene. For example, there is 'Wednesday Worlds' up Silverdale side, and also (I think) a North Shore criterium series. Search for these on facebook. With the days being so short in winter, these events typically run in summer only....

Talk to your LBS...

That's a 'yes and no' one there. Definitely, housing is crazy expensive, but mortgages are dirt cheap. But having been here 5 years, the Rondt value of our savings has more than doubled, while we've also added 'theoretically' by having owned a mortgaged house for about 4 years. It's about leverage (and making sure your boat/cars/bikes and other 'bad' debt, vs 'good' debt (ie mortgage) is eliminated. We've paid plenty extra into the mortgage, even though at around 4 percent, that's cheap money. The Auckland housing market is, in my opinion, very risky right now because of the overinflation of the prices. But, you do want to get your hands on some of that cheap money floating around, so what I would do (actually, I have done this) is buy a(nother) house in the regions and let it, so most of the mortgage is serviced by the tenant. Get a good agency to manage it for you. Try to pay a deposit of $100 000 or more on a $450 000 property, so it will be 'almost' cash flow positive, or break even and you pay the rates/maintenance. In other words, longer term, in Rand and probably in absolute terms, moving here makes very good financial sense. But it takes quite a lot of adjusting and the MAJOR kicker is that you won't FEEL richer at all. Quite the opposite, really.

$4 grand a month in Auckland will require you and your Mrs to be working to get by. You need about $10k after tax to be OK here, I reckon.

This is Hobbiton, not Mordor.

Probably helps that you're a hot South African chick. Kiwi men appreciate SA ladies big time

I don't think so, no. What I have noticed is that while you can afford it, you won't necessarily be prepared to pay for it. So, for example, we used to have a fast food treat at least once a week in SA. Here, almost never. It isn't because we can't afford it, it is because it isn't worth spending $60 or $80 for KFC or what have you. Same goes for beers, especially out in town. At around 8 bucks a brew, you could easily have 5 or 6, but you think about the cash it costs and it doesn't seem worth it. So, you'll have maybe 2. A box of beers is about $25 (I think, I don't really check prices) for 20 or 24, so if you really want to get on the p1ss, you tend to do it at home. It takes a LOOOONG time before you stop converting, though. And there is always the thing that you think, well, 50 bucks, that's bugger all. Except 50 bucks is 'haffajee' in Rondt terms, so it can be easy to blow out some serious cash PDQ.

Ha ha expensive beer does sort of reduce consumption but only if you are middle class or rich. Doesn't seem to slow down the poor by any measurable amount.

On that note, and for all on here too, check this out: http://www.motuchallenge.co.nz/ http://www.motuchallenge.co.nz/#!riverlock-motu-160/c4orw I'm doing the 160; have started it twice in the past, and finished it only the one time (the second time there was a 'weather bomb' so I bailed after the MTB stage - didn't want to ride 100km in a torrential downpour + gale force wind...go on, call me soft). Come join, that way you can check out the Eastern BoP for yourselves ;-).

Tauranga is nice

It takes all sorts; of course, don't like Mike, you don't have to watch him. Although, I still force myself to occasionally read the trite rubbish coming out of the deluded leftists like Bradbury and co.

True story - many Kiwis are decidedly reserved. I know this because I interview lots of people day in and day out and Kiwis don't generally give good sound bites. The Aussies, of course, now they are a whole different kettle of fish..

Hehe, Mike Hosking is a bloody legend, love his perspective, aligns with mine, except I'm probably a bit more right wing than he is...

Two hours from Orcland...#justsayin

Damned video games.

Sounds good but I am going to be out of Orcland by then ;-)

I'm moving back to Whakatane end July - so looking good; August also good...

Wellies is fun but the weather is astoundingly bad. On a good day though...beaut.

Mind you, the 7900 was even better looking than the 9000...

That crank though...gosh it is fugly. And the 9000 so pretty.

Thought the threshold was $400; you may well receive an invoice from Customs later on which you will need to pay. I did when I bought a bike from CRC some years ago - the customs invoice arrived about 2 weeks after the bike did...