New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[Stretched@Birth]

20 hours ago, hayleyearth said:

Was wondering what is happening still on this thread... Not much over summer it seems with only one page for me to catch up on since I was last on here about 7 months ago!!

 

The weather has been great, anyone been riding? 

I'm thinking off actually buying property in Rotorua, for short term rentals   that should be a good reason to get down there more often!

 

You've been pedaling a bike a bit, saw some pics of you out riding with Jay and his family.

[Wayne Potgieter]

On 3/4/2025 at 3:36 PM, patches said:

 

Plus I was rude and missed Wayne's question about how a recent Melbourne trip was

 

My delicate sensibilities!!!

Thats all good. 

[Wayne Potgieter]

My Mrs is in AU for a couple of weeks for work, and for the first time since we arrived in NZ, we are increasingly becoming tempted by AU. 

• Change of scenery
• Weather
• Slightly lower cost of living
• more places to adventure

 

[davetapson]

On 3/5/2025 at 4:16 PM, Wayne Potgieter said:

My Mrs is in AU for a couple of weeks for work, and for the first time since we arrived in NZ, we are increasingly becoming tempted by AU. 

• Change of scenery
• Weather
• Slightly lower cost of living
• more places to adventure

 

Weather...

My step-daughter has just started a job with Daily Mail in Sydney - $24/day bus fare and current hour and a half commute from Frenchs Forrest where she is staying with family friends.

Seems a decent single room will cost close on $500/wk.

Can't say I'm not slightly jealous tho!

Edited March 12 by davetapson

[davetapson]

Quiet on this thread, ay?

Agree with we don't enjoy the gulf as much as we should.  Had a meeting with self last weekend and did a circumnavigation of Rangitoto/Motatapu in an inflatable that I don't use enough.   Did some fishing in the Rakino channel and that looks like it's going to become one of my new favourite spots.

I see that trailer sailers go for effectively free - it would make more than a little sense to buy one and go 'camping' in the Gulf.  A slight (not) altercation with the tax man means that I'll not be doing this for the next year or two.

Speaking of investment properties - I've always hankered after a mini-commercial unit.  Doing a bit of W.A.B the other day, I investigated the really really nice units around the corner from work in Orbit Dr.

The last one that was sold went for $770k in 2023 and there are adverts to rent it from the normal estate agencies for $36k / yr.

So an immediate, real return of over 4%. 

Not that I'd want to rent it, because I want to build boats / cars / motorcycles in it.

If I was a young single bloke, I'd buy one and live in it! 

Edited March 12 by davetapson
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[hayleyearth]

On 3/12/2025 at 1:41 PM, davetapson said:

Quiet on this thread, ay?

Agree with we don't enjoy the gulf as much as we should.  Had a meeting with self last weekend and did a circumnavigation of Rangitoto/Motatapu in an inflatable that I don't use enough.   Did some fishing in the Rakino channel and that looks like it's going to become one of my new favourite spots.

I see that trailer sailers go for effectively free - it would make more than a little sense to buy one and go 'camping' in the Gulf.  A slight (not) altercation with the tax man means that I'll not be doing this for the next year or two.

Speaking of investment properties - I've always hankered after a mini-commercial unit.  Doing a bit of W.A.B the other day, I investigated the really really nice units around the corner from work in Orbit Dr.

The last one that was sold went for $770k in 2023 and there are adverts to rent it from the normal estate agencies for $36k / yr.

So an immediate, real return of over 4%. 

Not that I'd want to rent it, because I want to build boats / cars / motorcycles in it.

If I was a young single bloke, I'd buy one and live in it! 

You can invest in an investment offer from ANZ for 4.3% garenteed for your option of time and amount. I also thought of buying a small place and renting it out and when I did the maths it was better to put the money away for now. 
 

Have your kids got into sailing yet, I think they are a bit older than my eldest who we have doing swimming lessons so she can be a confident in a sailing boat soon  she is also showing interest in triathlons, which might get my lazy as going again!

In Brisbane this week again, will probably be an every 2nd week thing almost for the next couple of months.

 

[patches]

On 3/12/2025 at 3:51 PM, davetapson said:

Weather...

My step-daughter has just started a job with Daily Mail in Sydney - $24/day bus fare and current hour and a half commute from Frenchs Forrest where she is staying with family friends.

Seems a decent single room will cost close on $500/wk.

Can't say I'm not slightly jealous tho!

My wife grew up in Frenchs Forrest, haha!

As for commuting though, if your step-daughter moves somewhere on the metro line... that's first prize! 🤩

The Sydney Metro is amazing! Currently 52km+ of new rail. Six new architecturally astounding stations, drastic reductions in commute times, a new harbour crossing... and all built in less time than Auckland has been stuffing around with the CRL 😐

[davetapson]

On 5/5/2025 at 7:37 PM, hayleyearth said:

Have your kids got into sailing yet,

We sent them on three day sailing holiday activity thing just after we arrived, at Murrays Bay Yacht Club.

I'm not sure what happened, but it turned them both off.  

I have a boat, but loading it up on to the car roof is unwieldy - I've just not managed to overcome the inertia to get it and the kids out.  It's somehow just easier to call a mate and go fishing in the inflatable.  But I need to get on to it.

 

[Slowbee]

All I wish to add is that Christchurch has some problems with water at the moment. It's all over the bloody place!

[Slowbee]

As an aside, to all things South, what would be the import duties for a 2nd hand bike? Other than the usual 15%?

 

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

My in laws have just recently retired and are planning spending 6 months touring NZ.

I am contemplating either kitting out a vehicle with rooftop tents, awnings etc, or buying a Jayco Swan Outback camper trailer and letting them loose.

Dont know if I can handle six months of house guests

Anyone on this thread into this sort of thing?

[Wayne Potgieter]

My in laws have just been selected for the Parent Visa Category. 

Might be time to move on from NZ LOL.

[patham]

On 5/5/2025 at 5:37 PM, hayleyearth said:

In Brisbane this week again, will probably be an every 2nd week thing almost for the next couple of months.

 

Hi Hayley

I was visiting a clients offices in James Street, Fortitude Valley, and thought I glimpsed a sign to Asahi in the same office block. Do you end up there at all  - it’s literally just across the block from where my office is?

On the plus side of work travel, at least Brissie is no longer a “feels like 1000 degrees” temperature as the humidity has dropped for winter.

[patham]

On 5/8/2025 at 12:24 PM, patches said:

The Sydney Metro is amazing! Currently 52km+ of new rail. Six new architecturally astounding stations, drastic reductions in commute times, a new harbour crossing... and all built in less time than Auckland has been stuffing around with the CRL 😐

Don’t think all of Aus is as jacked up. Brisbane has seen billions spent on projects by both city council and state government, that both compete with each other and just service areas with good public transportation anyway. The costs involved to service new areas are just so high that no-one here has the gumption or funding to bite the bullet and commit to a really long infrastructure campaign, they just fritter away money on the edges of the problem.

[patham]

On 5/13/2025 at 6:44 AM, Wayne Potgieter said:

My in laws have just recently retired and are planning spending 6 months touring NZ.

I am contemplating either kitting out a vehicle with rooftop tents, awnings etc, or buying a Jayco Swan Outback camper trailer and letting them loose.

Dont know if I can handle six months of house guests

Anyone on this thread into this sort of thing?

I am not a camper at all, but here in Aus the camper trailer seems to be the weapon of choice, unlike in the RSA where rooftop tents on the double cab was supreme. Maybe less petty crime, so people are more OK with leaving a trailer at a camp site? Also free camping is not encouraged here, that might be a differentiator to NZ where I remember little camper vans parked up everywhere. In that case maybe convenience is better with a rooftop, saves trying to find a trailer park when doing a run to the nearest dairy.

[hayleyearth]

20 minutes ago, patham said:

Hi Hayley

I was visiting a clients offices in James Street, Fortitude Valley, and thought I glimpsed a sign to Asahi in the same office block. Do you end up there at all  - it’s literally just across the block from where my office is?

On the plus side of work travel, at least Brissie is no longer a “feels like 1000 degrees” temperature as the humidity has dropped for winter.

I'm with Suntory Oceania now, not in beer anymore. I was with Lion, so competitors of Asahi.

 

I flying in to Brisbane tomorrow again until Thursday.

Edited 4 hours ago by hayleyearth