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

[patches]

Got completely fed up with not being able to use the Netflix app in NZ - seems to be blocked, certainly on LG tv's anyway.  So cracked and bought vpn via vpnplus (I think) - cost somewhere about $60/yr, followed the instructions and viola, our tv thinks it's back in SA and downloaded the app.

 

It's not that hard - can give you a hand if you'd like to give it a go.

 

I know something similar happens when bringing an SA android phone over to NZ.

 

It won't allow the downloading of certain local apps (like the banking ones).

 

If I remember correctly (it was over 3 yrs ago) one needs to:

• change all their details on their Google account to reflect NZ
• change cards and billing address to be NZ based
• uninstall all updates on the Google Play app
• clear cache on Google Play app

That should now clear all remnants of an SA based account and allow one to install NZ specific apps on their Android phone.

 

As for TV's... I have no clue, haha! I'm busy fighting with my Android TV to try get my Google Home Hub to work properly with it.

 

FYI for cheaper tech, check out https://www.dicksmith.co.nz/dn/

 

Those who have been here a while will remember Dick Smith as the store that went under (I scored big time from their closing down sales, ). Some Aussie businessman bought the name and operates it as an online store only. Their pricing on things like Google Wifi and MS Surface etc is significantly better than JB and the gang. PLus theu sell things lik the Google Home products that one can't get at the major tech retailers here.

[hayleyearth]

Where is this? We also pay $50 per visit.

Mellons bay, East Auckland

Good old doctor

[Wayne Potgieter]

Whangamata you beauty.

 

[davetapson]

Where is this? We also pay $50 per visit.

So apparently East Coast is $50 odd, but if you drive inland slightly, like Albany, drops to $18...

[davetapson]

I know something similar happens when bringing an SA android phone over to NZ.

 

It won't allow the downloading of certain local apps (like the banking ones).

 

If I remember correctly (it was over 3 yrs ago) one needs to:

• change all their details on their Google account to reflect NZ
• change cards and billing address to be NZ based
• uninstall all updates on the Google Play app
• clear cache on Google Play app

That should now clear all remnants of an SA based account and allow one to install NZ specific apps on their Android phone.

 

As for TV's... I have no clue, haha! I'm busy fighting with my Android TV to try get my Google Home Hub to work properly with it.

 

FYI for cheaper tech, check out https://www.dicksmith.co.nz/dn/

 

Those who have been here a while will remember Dick Smith as the store that went under (I scored big time from their closing down sales, [emoji38] ). Some Aussie businessman bought the name and operates it as an online store only. Their pricing on things like Google Wifi and MS Surface etc is significantly better than JB and the gang. PLus theu sell things lik the Google Home products that one can't get at the major tech retailers here.

Yeh, trying to get Vodafone and ANZ apps on my phone was a trauma. Took about three months to get Google/my phone to understand that I'd changed countries. And apparently you can only change once per year. Seems pretty frkn clunky. Edited April 14, 2019 by davetapson

[Herman V]

Have any of you noticed how much broken glass we have on the streets of Auckland (North Shore)? I commute to work by bicycle on most days and it is ridiculous how much glass there is on the road - mostly beer bottles. They sweep the roads often, but it does not seem to help.

The broken glass is the one bad thing that I did not expect.

I do not understand why people feel the need to litter.

[patches]

On the topic of litter... another first-world-problem whinge I had the other day was when I had to pay $34 to get rid of 2x motorcycle tyres at landfill.

 

$17 per motorcycle tyre seems pretty steep to me! Doesn't exactly discourage people from littering.

[davetapson]

On the topic of litter... another first-world-problem whinge I had the other day was when I had to pay $34 to get rid of 2x motorcycle tyres at landfill.

 

$17 per motorcycle tyre seems pretty steep to me! Doesn't exactly discourage people from littering.

C'mon Patches, just walk over 'n sling 'em in the harbour.

 

No one will mind... [emoji6][emoji39]

 

$7 per black bag, max of 2 at our local transit station (dump).

[MrJacques]

What? Paying to dump black bags? No wonder people litter.

[GrahamS2]

C'mon Patches, just walk over 'n sling 'em in the harbour.

No one will mind... [emoji6][emoji39]

$7 per black bag, max of 2 at our local transit station (dump).

In Oz we get coupons from the council to dump, but have weekly refuse collection at home too. NZ seems pretty costly in many respects, especially food and fuel Edited April 15, 2019 by GrahamS2

[patches]

In Oz we get coupons from the council to dump, but have weekly refuse collection at home too. NZ seems pretty costly in many respects, especially food and fuel

 

Yup! Food and fuel here compared to Aus is approx 1.5x the price, with salaries as a whole being lower.

 

I know in Sydney the councils have a few set weeks each year when people can leave unwanted items (like old appliances, furniture, etc) out on the kerb. Neighbors then bargain hunt and council removes the remainder.

 

Here in NZ each council works different. I currently live in an apartment block where garbage and recyclables are collected more than once a week, but by a private company. They also do an electronic waste and inorganic bulk waste collection a couple of times a year. The steep body corp (approx $7000pa) takes care of that.

 

When I lived in Christchurch we had 3 bins.

 

Red - Rubbish

Yellow - Recyling

Green - Organic matter (smaller bin)

 

The council would collect from the green bins weekly, and then alternate between the red and the yellow each week. Quite smart as you don't want organic matter sitting around for 2 weeks, and unless one has a huge household, there's no need to collect the others each week.

 

On collection days I would sometimes forget if it was red or yellow that week so I'd have to run outside and see what the neighbors are up to   

Edited April 15, 2019 by patches

[patham]

 

I know in Sydney the councils have a few set weeks each year when people can leave unwanted items (like old appliances, furniture, etc) out on the kerb. Neighbors then bargain hunt and council removes the remainder.

 

 

When I lived in Christchurch we had 3 bins.

 

Red - Rubbish

Yellow - Recyling

Green - Organic matter (smaller bin)

 

The council would collect from the green bins weekly, and then alternate between the red and the yellow each week. Quite smart as you don't want organic matter sitting around for 2 weeks, and unless one has a huge household, there's no need to collect the others each week.

 

On collection days I would sometimes forget if it was red or yellow that week so I'd have to run outside and see what the neighbors are up to   

 

Kerbside collection for the big ticket items should be coming up in a few weeks GrahamS2 in our neck of the woods. The suburb looks like a tip, as the council trucks never start on the date they say they will. Its not the neighbours that bargain hunt, its the scavengers from the poorer end of town that are professional pickers who come in their old utes and trailers to take what they can get. They can be fussy and just take what works for them, I've seen them just cut and take plugs off old appliances which hardly seemed worth it. But it is a great opportunity to declutter and throw out the stuff you should not have brought over in the first place (like the dishwasher - as they are all built in here).

 

I gather there are some councils in WA who do not do area wide kerbside collections, but allow you to do a once-off skip bin per year, so you call in, have a skip delivered to your house, you fill it with the junk, and off it goes at the councils cost. 

 

Our weekly bins are also colour coded like that, except rubbish is weekly, garden waste and recycling alternate. And the worst is going off on a long holiday, and not knowing what the cycle is when you get back. Definitely need to take a walk along the street to gain a consensus of what bin to put out (as some people get it wrong anyhow).

[RossW]

Kerbside collection for the big ticket items should be coming up in a few weeks GrahamS2 in our neck of the woods. The suburb looks like a tip, as the council trucks never start on the date they say they will. Its not the neighbours that bargain hunt, its the scavengers from the poorer end of town that are professional pickers who come in their old utes and trailers to take what they can get. They can be fussy and just take what works for them, I've seen them just cut and take plugs off old appliances which hardly seemed worth it. But it is a great opportunity to declutter and throw out the stuff you should not have brought over in the first place (like the dishwasher - as they are all built in here).

 

I gather there are some councils in WA who do not do area wide kerbside collections, but allow you to do a once-off skip bin per year, so you call in, have a skip delivered to your house, you fill it with the junk, and off it goes at the councils cost.

 

Our weekly bins are also colour coded like that, except rubbish is weekly, garden waste and recycling alternate. And the worst is going off on a long holiday, and not knowing what the cycle is when you get back. Definitely need to take a walk along the street to gain a consensus of what bin to put out (as some people get it wrong anyhow).

Or you simply download the “Brisbane Bin” app and you can quickly check.

 

I’ve heard and quite sure I’ve read it on the council website that it is illegal to scavenge from the sidewalk on bulk item collection rounds. I doubt it’s strictly enforced based on the number of utes etc coming through during that period.

[Wayne Potgieter]

This thread is turning out to be a lot of rubbish

[GrahamS2]

Kerbside collection for the big ticket items should be coming up in a few weeks GrahamS2 in our neck of the woods. The suburb looks like a tip, as the council trucks never start on the date they say they will. Its not the neighbours that bargain hunt, its the scavengers from the poorer end of town that are professional pickers who come in their old utes and trailers to take what they can get. They can be fussy and just take what works for them, I've seen them just cut and take plugs off old appliances which hardly seemed worth it. But it is a great opportunity to declutter and throw out the stuff you should not have brought over in the first place (like the dishwasher - as they are all built in here).

 

I gather there are some councils in WA who do not do area wide kerbside collections, but allow you to do a once-off skip bin per year, so you call in, have a skip delivered to your house, you fill it with the junk, and off it goes at the councils cost. 

 

Our weekly bins are also colour coded like that, except rubbish is weekly, garden waste and recycling alternate. And the worst is going off on a long holiday, and not knowing what the cycle is when you get back. Definitely need to take a walk along the street to gain a consensus of what bin to put out (as some people get it wrong anyhow).

Hmmm. I don’t have a ute (yet), but I do have a lot of furniture I need

[Clippies]

Great ride at the Auckland Enduro Series #3 in Glenbervie Forest, Whangerei. Awesome trails out that way and really well run event. Brilliant weekend away with the kids, highly recommended.