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

[Wayne Potgieter]

Hey Patches (and any other South Island fans)

 

We are planning a quick highlights trip to Canterbury for the family end of May.

 

We will be doing a bit of a road trip.

 

Christchurch>Kaikoura>Hanmer Springs> Greymouth >Christchurch Via Arthurs Pass

 

I dont have much annual leave so i am doing this over 5 days. Its going to be busy.

 

I am looking for any suggestions of cool things to do/see along the way.

 

Any suggestions?

Edited April 30, 2019 by Wayne Potgieter

[patches]

Hey Patches (and any other South Island fans)

 

We are planning a quick highlights trip to Canterbury for the family end of May.

 

We will be doing a bit of a road trip.

 

Christchurch>Kaikoura>Hanmer Springs> Greymouth >Christchurch Via Arthurs Pass

 

I dont have much annual leave so i am doing this over 5 days. Its going to be busy.

 

I am looking for any suggestions of cool things to do/see along the way.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Hmmm... soo much to see! As you only have 5 days I will ramble off a bunch of suggestions of  places along/near that route that I visited thought were cool. You can trim down the list form there

 

Christchurch

• The city centre (one of those bus tours could be good)
• Avon river (it flows right through the CBD, but some cool restaurants etc near the Bridge of Rememberance end)
• Hagley Park & Botanical Gardens
• Akaroa/Banks Peninsula
• Port Hills (loads of walks just off Summit road)
• Christchurch Adventure Park
• Taylor's Mistake & Godley Head

 

Hanmer Springs

• the Town itself is awesome!
• The hot springs (not the best in Canterbury, I'd say the Tekapo ones are better, but worth a visit if you can get discounted entrance on BookMe)
• Walks/MTB rides in the Hanmer forrest
• Jet boating
• Waipara Hills & Pegasus Bay wineries (if wine tasting is your thing)

 

Greymouth

• Punakaiki (Pancake Rocks)
• Hokitika Gorge

Admittedly most of my time on the West Coast was spent down at the glaciers and Lake Matheson, so I have no first hand experience of anywhere north of Pancake Rocks

 

Arthur's Pass

• The pass itself (there are some great views of the viaduct just off the highway
• Castle Hill
• Lake Coleridge (there's a shortcut from Arthurs Pass to the lake. It's gravel though)
• Rakaia Gorge

There's a starting list of things that sprang to mind. I'll add/subtract/explain them a little more in my next reply.

 

Hope that helps!

[patches]

The good!

 

I moved over this past weekend and upon finding out that the new residence doesn't have fibre, I decided it needed an upgrade.

 

Two weeks ago I signed up with a new ISP (Bigpipe) and my model was delivered the very next day. I the had to chat with Chorus around access and permissions to bring fibre into the property. Very helpful call centre, and they booked an installation for Saturday (4th May).

 

They texted me the day before to remind & confirm. On Saturday morning I got a call from the technicians asking what time works best. I said I was available then, so they were over within 30min.

 

I don't know much about fibre installation, but the 3 of them were up and down phone poles, under the house, and within 1hr they said I was all connected.

 

I ran a speed test (hardwired) to check:

 

956 Mbps Download

338 Mbps Upload

2 ms ping

 

Great service from Chorus (I know there are others that aren't that lucky with them and wait 6+ weeks), but I think they did an awesome job!

[patches]

The bad...

 

AT (Auckland Transport/Auckland Traffic Causers)

 

Now I know Joburgers and Capetonians will say "pffft, what traffic!" and "AT ain't got nothing on SANRAL"

 

But having recently moved north of the wall bridge, the last 3 days have had a frustrating commute to work.

 

Being based in Milford I'm not too far north, and I must say that SH1 from Esmonde Rd to Fanshawe St flows pretty well.

 

But a combination of Kiwis' inability to merge (common knowledge, even to the Kiwis themselves) and Auckland Transport's poor design/timing of intersections, mean that a 4.5km drive to the highway can take 45min.

 

AT has recently been slammed as being "arrogant" and uninterested in what the public have to say.

 

I would go on to add that they need to spend a little more time thinking about how they design intersections and phase traffic lights (or where they place them).

 

So yeah, first world gripe, as I do recognize that I am lucky to live in a city where public transport is decent, so driving isn't my only option for a commute. But I do also miss living in the city and just a 2.5 km walk from work.

 

Can't have it all, now can we!

[Wayne Potgieter]

The bad...

 

AT (Auckland Transport/Auckland Traffic Causers)

 

Now I know Joburgers and Capetonians will say "pffft, what traffic!" and "AT ain't got nothing on SANRAL"

 

But having recently moved north of the wall bridge, the last 3 days have had a frustrating commute to work.

 

Being based in Milford I'm not too far north, and I must say that SH1 from Esmonde Rd to Fanshawe St flows pretty well.

 

But a combination of Kiwis' inability to merge (common knowledge, even to the Kiwis themselves) and Auckland Transport's poor design/timing of intersections, mean that a 4.5km drive to the highway can take 45min.

 

AT has recently been slammed as being "arrogant" and uninterested in what the public have to say.

 

I would go on to add that they need to spend a little more time thinking about how they design intersections and phase traffic lights (or where they place them).

 

So yeah, first world gripe, as I do recognize that I am lucky to live in a city where public transport is decent, so driving isn't my only option for a commute. But I do also miss living in the city and just a 2.5 km walk from work.

 

Can't have it all, now can we!

Agreed.

 

I work in Newmarket and stay out East. On a good day, its 45 minutes. On a bad dy its over an hour.

 

Luckily I can work from home fairly often - those are the good days.

[patham]

The good!

 

I moved over this past weekend and upon finding out that the new residence doesn't have fibre, I decided it needed an upgrade.

 

Two weeks ago I signed up with a new ISP (Bigpipe) and my model was delivered the very next day. I the had to chat with Chorus around access and permissions to bring fibre into the property. Very helpful call centre, and they booked an installation for Saturday (4th May).

 

They texted me the day before to remind & confirm. On Saturday morning I got a call from the technicians asking what time works best. I said I was available then, so they were over within 30min.

 

I don't know much about fibre installation, but the 3 of them were up and down phone poles, under the house, and within 1hr they said I was all connected.

 

I ran a speed test (hardwired) to check:

 

956 Mbps Download

338 Mbps Upload

2 ms ping

 

Great service from Chorus (I know there are others that aren't that lucky with them and wait 6+ weeks), but I think they did an awesome job!

 

You lucky sod. in Oz, we have the monstrosity of government intervention into the free market called the NBN. Just like the Borg, you will be assimilated. Although when 5G comes along maybe wireless through the Telcos might be OK in the suburbs (in the city centre you can spring for fibre, but that option does not apply in the 'burbs).

 

In any event, my house having a long driveway frightened off the NBN contractors for about 18 months after the rest of the suburb got wired up. Being government means no accountability. We finally got hooked up this week. We were given a HFC connection, effectively a cable TV or Sat dish cable.

 

Ping = 17 mS

Download 47 Mbps

Upload 16 Mbps

 

And this is a first world nation ! My buddy in Vancouver had better cable TV based internet when I visited him in 2001. But, seeing as we had a crummy ADSL connection at about 6 Mbps before this, a relative improvement. 

[patham]

 

 

But a combination of Kiwis' inability to merge (common knowledge, even to the Kiwis themselves) and Auckland Transport's poor design/timing of intersections, mean that a 4.5km drive to the highway can take 45min.

 

AT has recently been slammed as being "arrogant" and uninterested in what the public have to say.

 

I would go on to add that they need to spend a little more time thinking about how they design intersections and phase traffic lights (or where they place them).

 

 

 

The Aussie traffic engineers are also useless. Merge lanes onto highways are too short, so the ongoing traffic does not get up to speed, which clogs up the merge.  

 

My favourite - terminate a major free flowing dual lane highway coming into the city into a small diameter roundabout that chokes up. 

 

Also car parks that route all inflows right past the entrance into a shopping centre, and then allow parks next to said entrance that would hold up traffic flow. Aussies just love being able to park by the front door, and even if their Landcruiser 200 will take a 50 point turn to get into the lines, and in that time all other thoughflow is halted  and cars are backed up onto the street- well, its their right and they intend to use it.

 

My 9 km car commute is 12 to 15 minutes at say 4:00 am, 20 minutes at 6:30 am and 40 minutes from 7:15-8:45 am. A 6:30 am start for me then. The cycle commute is 30-35 minutes in with the hills in my favour.

[patches]

You lucky sod. in Oz, we have the monstrosity of government intervention into the free market called the NBN. Just like the Borg, you will be assimilated. Although when 5G comes along maybe wireless through the Telcos might be OK in the suburbs (in the city centre you can spring for fibre, but that option does not apply in the 'burbs).

 

In any event, my house having a long driveway frightened off the NBN contractors for about 18 months after the rest of the suburb got wired up. Being government means no accountability. We finally got hooked up this week. We were given a HFC connection, effectively a cable TV or Sat dish cable.

 

Ping = 17 mS

Download 47 Mbps

Upload 16 Mbps

 

And this is a first world nation ! My buddy in Vancouver had better cable TV based internet when I visited him in 2001. But, seeing as we had a crummy ADSL connection at about 6 Mbps before this, a relative improvement. 

 

I have heard about the Aussie Government meddling with the internet.

 

In an aim to make fibre cheaper and available earlier, they ended up handicapping speeds with a half-baked "mixed technology" system. I think 100 Mbps is the fastest theoretical speed in Aus.

 

But on the bright side, I'm sure you guys don't have $12.50 avocados, hahaha!

 

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rural/2019/05/the-simple-reason-avocado-prices-have-soared-to-12-50.html

[patches]

Agreed.

 

I work in Newmarket and stay out East. On a good day, its 45 minutes. On a bad dy its over an hour.

 

Luckily I can work from home fairly often - those are the good days.

 

I'm just on the other side of the Domain (at the hospital). We should meet up for lunch one-day. Gather all those on this thread that work within walking distance from Newmarket.

 

Who else is there?

[patham]

I have heard about the Aussie Government meddling with the internet.

 

In an aim to make fibre cheaper and available earlier, they ended up handicapping speeds with a half-baked "mixed technology" system. I think 100 Mbps is the fastest theoretical speed in Aus.

 

But on the bright side, I'm sure you guys don't have $12.50 avocados, hahaha!

 

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rural/2019/05/the-simple-reason-avocado-prices-have-soared-to-12-50.html

 

Yep - 100 Mbps is the theoretical limit from the NBN. The providers got into trouble by selling plans that offered that speed, when the real speed might be substantially lower. So now most providers will offer you 50 Mbps max, and if it looks like you are getting that at least, then they might deign to upsell you and open the pipe a bit more to the 100 Mbps theoretical limit.

 

I still think the government interference and lack of free market options was a dismal choice. It certainly has not made things quicker and the technology limits now hardwired into the system means there is no cost-effective upgrade path as far as I can see. You know its bad when you can point to South Africa, Jhb in particular, as a better example of fibre implementation.

[patches]

Yep - 100 Mbps is the theoretical limit from the NBN. The providers got into trouble by selling plans that offered that speed, when the real speed might be substantially lower. So now most providers will offer you 50 Mbps max, and if it looks like you are getting that at least, then they might deign to upsell you and open the pipe a bit more to the 100 Mbps theoretical limit.

 

I still think the government interference and lack of free market options was a dismal choice. It certainly has not made things quicker and the technology limits now hardwired into the system means there is no cost-effective upgrade path as far as I can see. You know its bad when you can point to South Africa, Jhb in particular, as a better example of fibre implementation.

 

The theoretical on my plan according to my ISP is "700 - 900 Mbps download, 400 - 500 Mbps upload". So in my case the actual exceeds the advetised download speed by nearly 60 Mbps, although upload falls short.

 

I'm so outta touch with SA & JHB's fibre plans, so I had a quick look and 1000/100 deals are available. Pretty impressive! Like you say, Aus could have taken a lesson or 2.

 

Regardless, it beats the old days when I would wait for Telkom Call-more time so I could connect my 56k dial-up (and thereby block all incoming calls) from 7pm - 7am   

 

We have come a long way, no matter where you live!

[patham]

 

 

Regardless, it beats the old days when I would wait for Telkom Call-more time so I could connect my 56k dial-up (and thereby block all incoming calls) from 7pm - 7am   

 

We have come a long way, no matter where you live!

 

Good memory jog. At one stage Telkom had the weekend special, so Fri pm to Monday am was download city, and all on one phone call. If you woke up and your download manager had done all its downloads overnight and was standing idle you felt cheated!

[patches]

Good memory jog. At one stage Telkom had the weekend special, so Fri pm to Monday am was download city, and all on one phone call. If you woke up and your download manager had done all its downloads overnight and was standing idle you felt cheated!

 

haha! Yup, or occasionally the call/connection would drop and you'd get hit with another R7 charge. A friend of mine swore that this was a Telkom conspiracy.

[Rocket-Boy]

haha! Yup, or occasionally the call/connection would drop and you'd get hit with another R7 charge. A friend of mine swore that this was a Telkom conspiracy.

I had satellite in those days, I was awesome

Of course the satellite was only on the downlink side so you had to have a telkom dialup for the uplink and the R7 callmore weekend was great for that... until the line dropped! 

[davetapson]

I'm just on the other side of the Domain (at the hospital). We should meet up for lunch one-day. Gather all those on this thread that work within walking distance from Newmarket.

 

Who else is there?

 

I'm working in Rosedale - would be a bit of a walk. 

 

If things change I'd be there.

[davetapson]

Sani Adventure registration today.  First time in 10 years I'm not doing it.  

 

Neither Good or Bad given the opportunities of living here, but bittersweet, if that's the right word.