patches

Tell me about it! Imagine having R10,000,000 of debt. TEN MILLION RAND!! It sounds ludicrous to us Saffers, right!? If I had to imagine such a thing in SA, it would seem impossible to pay back in a lifetime. But based on salaries, interest rates, equity and all the other things that differ between SA and NZ... R10m debt is still mental... but $1m is doable (it just took me about 6 months to get my head around it )

A colleague has just finished building an amazing mansion of a house up in Kerikeri. He bought the land, then hired a builder. He took out a building loan, carrying a slightly higher interest rate than a regular mortgage. Due to covid and a number of other supply-chain issues, his programme blew out by 15 months. He said those 15 months of extra interest and delays cost him nearly $50k. His advice was if you're going to build, use a builder that is established in that area. He used a master builder with loads of experience, but he has just started his own branch of a franchise in that town, and without the established relationships with subtrades, small delays turned into big ones. Classic NZ though... it's all about who you know, hahaha!

Sorry to hear. Was this at an auction? I remember when house hunting around 2yrs ago, it was highly annoying that agents won't even give hints of the expected price range. They act like they don't know, but there is no ways the vendors don't tell them what their target price (not reserve) is. The agents try lead you on saying "what is your budget" and even if you tell them a figure a fair bit lower than what the vendor may be expecting, they'll reply with "oh, you're totally in the ball park", just to coax you into registering and building up that auction interest/frenzy. They also purposely list them on TradeMe in price brackets lower than they expect, just so they show up in more people's searches. Intentionally misleading. Damn market! Damn agents!

hmmmm, very interesting! I have noticed that some have a number plate on the front. The fact that they don't require a bike license, or the crazy rego fees associated, is likely why they're gaining in popularity.

Interested to hear how the RC's hold up. One of the big cycling and adventure sport retailers here in NZ has slowly been reducing their 5.10 stock and their shelves are filling up with RC offereings. I'm a big fan of 5.10's and as you say, they are not all equal. I've had 8 pairs in total over the years: 1x Impact Sam Hill Editions - First pair. Life changing being on proper flats. Loved them, but clunky.2x Red Barons - Was I was a big fan. Soles wore thin in the ball area though, so bought 2nd pair.1x VXi Elements - Least favourite 5.10 flat I owned. Smooth sole idea sucked and delaminated after a while.1x Maltese Falcon - Tried to do the clip thing. It's not for me, so these got very limited use.2x Impact VXi's - Probably my favourite overall. Stiff sole, grippy as hell (loved the Mi6 rubber), light, and dry incredibly quickly between rainy/muddy riding days. Sadly they both wore out and have been discontinued, and didn't get the best reviews.1x Sleuth DLX - These were actually bought as casual shoes, but after retiring my last pair of Impact VXi's, these have become my riding shoes. Decent overall, but suede isn't the most practical for muddy trails.As per above, with the Impact VXi's discontinued, I am trying to decide which flats to go for. I'm leaning towards the Impact Pro (as they have that rigidity I like), but they aren't exactly light (about 30% heavier than the Impact VXi's were). The Freerider Pro is also an option, but I want something a little burlier. I never thought I would say this, but maybe it's time I try something other than a FiveTen

I've seen a couple of the 3 wheeled scooters (Yamaha and knock-offs) around Auckland, and in the bike motorcycle parking at work. Whilst I personally don't get them, there is a huge inexperienced motorised commuting culture here (due to traffic and parking) and if the dual front wheel offers some extra stability or traction (particularly on Auckland's wet roads) then I guess they serve a purpose. What I don't get are able-bodied people who buy those Can-Am Spyder/Rykers. They have all the disadvantages of a motorcycle (exposure to elements and minimal collision protection), and none of the advantages (like easy parking, lane splitting feathering, convenient commuting etc). Plus they cost an absurd amount.

hahaha! I could say I was testing an ebike to completely confirm that I think they are ridiculous and I never in 100 years would purchase one In reality I looked at the demo bikes on offer and asked myself, what is the most different from the bike I have. Try something completely new, not just same-same-but-different. Plus NotSoBigBen, the hills here are real... years of riding the Spruit didn't prepare me for them

I used Stephanie Tait from Conveyancing Centre (based in Mt Eden). She was very thorough, and is one of those people that takes their time to properly discuss during a consultation, in stead of trying to push numbers through the door. Extremely knowledgeable. I think her fee was about $1750, which including the review of 2 property files. I don't the she charges just for checking LIM reports, (provided it's like 3 or so), she only charges on settlement.

I did some basic sums (the financial types on here will cringe), but here's a basic outline for getting a sweet batch on the South Island Referring to the above, lets say one buys an Auckland property for $1,000,000 with a 20% deposit. They then pay down the principle at 3.5% pa (achievable, at about a 20 yr rate). Then taking into account an appreciation in value of 5% (not unrealistic). After 5 years (not that long) they would be in a position to leverage about $416,000 of equity to purchase a second property, which if a 40% deposit (conservative) is required, that gives them approx. $1,040,000 of buying power. So yeah, that's my basic plan. 1.5yrs down, 3.5 to go

Dammit, I wish! I am conscripted to another weekend of installing gib. Plus I sold my soul to test a Pivot eBike at Woodhill on Saturday

I was chatting to a colleague the other day regarding the house prices and the current surge. This was the train of thought. Lets say I have save up $200,000. That's a fair amount of cash, but not impossible. If I want to buy a house with that $200,000, the bank will lend me another $800,000 (providing lending criteria is met, and all that mumbo jumbo). Let's say at an interest rate of 3%. If I buy a house for $1m, and over the space of a year it appreciates at 10%. Yes, that's high, but not impossible if one looks at the past year on Auckland's housing prices. So not only has my $200,000 has made $20,000... sweet deal... BUT my borrowed $800k has gained $56,000 (10% increase minus 3% interest). So all in, I'm up about $76,000 (or $6333 pm) TAX FREE (equivalent of earning a salary of $102,000pa) Yes, this is based on favourable interest and appreciation rates, and yes, rates, etc have not been taken into account. But still... owning a home is almost a license to print money using mostly someone else's money. Where else can you do that?! No wonder there are cries for CGT and the like *Disclaimer: I am by no means an economist, financial guru, or even a financially responsible adult

Really getting insane now: 'Average' Auckland bungalow sells for $1.9 million, $500,000 above CV Meanwhile, this is what slightly less will get you in Houghton I know it's not comparing apples and apples, but makes one think!

Also don't think you can go wrong. Some very nice new suburbs around Millwater.

Decided that I finally needed some new riding shorts, and managed to get these for half price https://nz.monsroyale.com/products/virage-shorts-black-mens-ss20 I may have then accidentally purchased some riding glasses too... Adidas Kumacross 2.0 with vario (photochromic) lenses

Here are some pics from the recent adventures... "home" for the next few days. Last bit of the Paparoa Great Walk. It ends across the road from the campsite. Paparoa is the latest addition to the great walks, and as a bonus, this one can be mountain biked. 3 days to walk. 2 days to ride. The campsite had numerous muddy trial bikes, belonging to riders who had just completed the journey. And based on their feedback, it was well worth it. I've already added MTB Paparoa to my bucket list. Hokitika Gorge. I've done this short walk a number of times before, but the water colour gets me each time. Blue Pools, Mt Aspiring National Park. Obligatory pic of that Wanaka tree (even though I have a dozen previous ones) A waterfall from a walk. just next to the road on the way to Milford Sound. Le Milford Sound (not the best weather, but could be worse). Part of the Kepler Track (another one of the Great Walks) just outside Te Anau Luging in Queenstown All in all, it was a whirlwind of a trip with too many scenic vistas, clear streams, green forests or majestic mountains to mention. Despite being in a campervan we made sure to get out and enjoy nature (averaging over 18,000 steps a day). If anyone ever sees a sweet deal on camper rental (I think we got ours for $75/day excl RUC and insurace)... DO IT! It's an awesome and convenient way to see large portions of this beautiful country (despite my love for tented camping, I think the van has ruined me )

Whew! Just got back from 12 days of camper-vanning around the South Island. Can HIGHLY recommend! Here's the rough route we took. (a few detours and repeats and day trips not shown, but we totalled about 2350km) Pics from trip to follow. Still trying to wake up after getting home around 11pm last night.

Not too sure on that first one. NZ has only just opened up a 1 way bubble with certain states in Australia. South Africa's risk profile is too high for the government's liking so it may be a while. I would say anything before April next year would be highly optimistic. On that second one, generally SA teachers are very well liked here, and most of the SA teachers I know that have moved have found jobs really easily. Some even before their partners (who were the breadwinners back in SA). Pay is reasonable, and ranges from about $50,000 upwards, depending on experience, what type of teacher (primary, secondary etc), and any specialties can pay a little higher. I knew a high school guidance counsellor in Christchurch who was on about $100k.

That brings to mind an observation... Are swimming pools common in Brisbane? I'd imagine with the heat they would be. They're not very common in Auckland. And funny enough, even speaking to a friend who grew up in Perth, he said they're not that common there. In JHB it's pretty common for middle-to-upper market houses to have one, and at one stage it was almost weird if a house didn't.

The big corporate employers work like this. Often they won't hire foreign talent for the same salary packages as the local equivalents. Many Saffers (including myself) get sold short when they first move over. BUT it's not the worst thing in the world, and here's my reasoning behind it: The employer is taking a chance on you. You live on the other side of the world. In many cases the only "meeting" is a skype interview. You likely have no NZ work experience and will often require some sort of visa sponsorship and relocation package. It's a foot in the door. Getting here is the biggest hurdle. Work hard and moving up the ladder is not that hard. Employers will soon realise that although they took a chance on you and paid you below market salary, they will need to rectify that in order to keep you. I moved over for a liveable, but very modest package. However incremental increases every 3-6 months had me at 1.5x my initial salary, within 18months. Employers know you have to pay to keep good staff, which leads into the next point... People chop-and-change jobs in NZ like all the time. As Saffers we are so used to the mentality of clinging to a job for dear life, and also being so grateful the our employers, like they're doing us the biggest favour. Here (in many professional sectors) it's open season on head-hunting. I was headhunted after 2yrs in NZ (more than doubling my original NZ salary). A little bit of work experience in NZ does wonders. And even if one's visa is tied to their accredited employer, another accredited employer is often willing to buy that person out of their bond to the original employer, just to get good employees. My brother-in-law has just done this. Moved over as an eDiscovery expert for one of the big 4 (in Feb this year). Within 8 months of immigrating, another employer head-hunted him, offered more pay, better role, and paid the original employer the $18k odd worth of visa & relocation costs they had bonded against him. At first he felt terrible for leaving the employer that gave him a chance. But I told him that it just works different here. It's a small market. People move all the time. And bridges aren't burnt that easily. I know a number of consulting engineers that have done the rounds and ended up back at a previous employer.So yeah, if you get the chance to move and the job pays a liveable package (even though it doesn't allow one to have the luxuries they're accustomed to in SA), I'd still recommend making the leap.I'd rather be here and have more ladder to climb, than be stuck on an upper rung in SA. In SA, I had a fairly decent job with a great company. But my progression was slow and limited. I look at where I am now (about 4.5 years later), and that change in tack from SA to NZ, although initially backwards, has opened up doors that didn't even exist back there.

Sorry to hear Wayne. Last weekend I was down in Christchurch and Hanmer Springs and I had a very similar chat with my better half. Our list was: South IslandOutdoor lifestyleWithin 1hr of an international airport (her parents are in Sydney)Decent healthcare (ideally an acute services hospital within 1hr)Good schools (for future rugrats)Decent university (not essential, but when future rugrats grow up, they have the option to stay at home and study if they want. Although Kiwis love to study "out-of-state).Then my additions A Bunnings/Mitre10 (also not essential, but will make life a lot easier as I am always busy with something)Accessible dirt bike trails.within 1hr of a shuttle/lifted bike park.Taking all that into account, there is only really 1 place which checks ALL the boxes... Christchurch (I may have skewed the criteria to favour Chch ) But Forgo the uni then Queenstown (incl. Frankton and surrounds) and Wanaka are options Forgo the hospital, uni, Bunnings, and settle for acceptable schools then Tarras, Cromwell & Alexandra are an option Forgo the international airport then Nelson & Richmond are options. Our wish lists are not too dissimilar. Christchurch may not be the most attractive or have that "sought after town" appeal, but it can check all the boxes. My area pics would be Huntsbury, Cashmere, Merrivale, Fendleton, or maybe even over the Port Hills and somewhere like Governor's Bay. Although I know you looked at Christchurch and schools were the concern. A 4ha+plot of land in Cromwell (or a house in Mt Pisa) would also be high up on my list.

Oh I just made those number up Just kidding! As you say, it is largely industry dependent, and my point of reference is consulting engineers. Some professions here (like construction trades) get paid a lot more (not only as an equivalent, but also proportionate to others). I must also add that I am about 5yrs out-of-touch with SA salaries so did rely on an online source for that R750k. So all that in mind, here are some indicators that may help. As you can see in the above, the range is vast. From senior engineers being the closest (at about 1.6x) to minimum wage showing the biggest disparity (at over 13x). Other factors should be taken into account, like the fact that the NZ effective tax scale is lower, expenses like insurances are a fraction of SA, and in the case of medical aid, it isn't even considered essential as the public health system is very capable. And schooling is basically free. But all that aside, I guess the general idea is that the higher up the SA payscale you are, the less drastic the the jump will be when moving to a similar role in NZ. Teachers (and nurses) are a noteworthy one though. These are professionals with essential careers, who have 3yrs+ study under them, and their salaries can jump 3-4x in NZ. And believe it or not, they are considered underpaid here! So teacher's salaries in SA are outright criminal! Once again, these are just estimates from searches and experience, and I am pretty out of touch with salaries and cost of living in SA, but the data above was as accurate as I could find. I've often estimated that cost of living in NZ (with the exception of housing, especially Auckland) is about 1.5x that of SA. So again, those higher up the payscale will not notice a massive upgrade in disposable income and luxury lifestyle. Some even notice a slight downgrade (but there are other benefits that money cannot buy).

Yeah, I remember when first moving to Christchurch, I was amazed at what a former colleague (and his partner) had achieved. They were both 23, at the start of their professional careers. Both would have been earning about $60k annually. Both drove old klunker cars (his was older than him, and not in a cool vintage way). BUT, they bought a brand new, 3 bed, 2 bath, double garage freestanding house. It cost them about $450k ($150k land, 300k building costs). He ate ham & cheese sandwiches nearly every day, just to keep within budget to pay the mortgage. But in the long run it was all worth it. he soon climbed up the ranks (as he is a hard worked and brilliant young engineer), and now they're pretty comfortable, 27, and firmly on the property ladder? I understand that no grad couple in SA will be able to afford a R4.5m house, as equivalent salaries are lower and interest rates are higher. BUT banks in NZ also work off a 20% deposit as standard, anything less and they hike up the interest rates, or can simply say sorry, loan denied. So smart financial decisions are required, long before one applies for a loan. Auckland however... it's stuffed! hahaha! Viva la Christchurch!

From what I remember, Hosking didn't make the final cut that was actually shown on flights

Oh yeah, the Air NZ safety videos are quite novel... at first. But like you guessed, they get a bit old after watching the same one a dozen times or so. They used to change them every quarter, but between Covid, and some videos not ageing well (like the 2019 RWC All Blacks one, or the one the stupid It's Kiwi Safety one), they revert back to old trusty ones (like the Rachel Hunter/Northland one previously mentioned). They've had all sorts. Multiple LotR versions, MIB, Richard Simmons, Sports Illustrated swimsuit, Antarctica, and many more.