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

[davetapson]

Depends in what "nationality" you are when asking

 

For an American a 20hr round trip for a long weekend is viable (ie SanFran to Vegas)

For an Aussie a 17hr round trip (ie Sydney to Byron Bay)

For a Saffer, a 12hr round trip (ie Joburg to Durbs))

For a Kiwi... 6hrs max [emoji38]

About 125km then? [emoji23]

 

Problem with going north on long weekends is Warkworth and the 7 way stop...

[davetapson]

I was looking for quotes to cut plywood panels for a boat I'm making.

 

The price to cut per sheet cost more then the plywood itself, which wasn't cheap, so I cut by hand. In retrospect, it was probably cheap at the price.

 

There is a guy who has set up a site to buy slack time on cnc machines and claims to be the cheapest - I'll try and remember to Google him up at a more sensible time of day.

021 131 0099 Andy from Cut Together

[patches]

About 125km then? [emoji23]

 

Problem with going north on long weekends is Warkworth and the 7 way stop...

 

So that means about 80km in the Southern Alps.

 

That intersection in Warkworth is a nightmare. I usually stop at the Maccas just before it to destress after sitting in that traffic, haha

 

 

021 131 0099 Andy from Cut Together

 

Awesome thanks! I'll give him a shout and see what the damage is.

[davetapson]

[emoji38]

 

So that means about 80km in the Southern Alps.

 

That intersection in Warkworth is a nightmare. I usually stop at the Maccas just before it to destress after sitting in that traffic, haha

 

 

 

Awesome thanks! I'll give him a shout and see what the damage is.

Yeah. We just wait till evening - traffic dies right back.

[Ed-Zulu]

Seeing this is the only living in a foreign land thread, I have serious question for those of you that have lived without "help" for some time.

 

Since lockdown we have started to get into a rhythm with keeping the house clean, dishes washed and generally not allowing ourselves to go to bed with unattended chores.

 

However, the laundry remains an issue for me, I'm the best person for ironing (fanks national service), so can work thorugh a weeks worth in 3 hours, however, that is indeed a pain and not efficient. I believe the sweet spot lies in a tumble drier, where you fold it directly out the machine and iron that which needs ironing?

 

I would seriously lile to hear the most efficient way you deal with laundry?

 

Thanks in advance

[Wayne Potgieter]

Seeing this is the only living in a foreign land thread, I have serious question for those of you that have lived without "help" for some time.

 

Since lockdown we have started to get into a rhythm with keeping the house clean, dishes washed and generally not allowing ourselves to go to bed with unattended chores.

 

However, the laundry remains an issue for me, I'm the best person for ironing (fanks national service), so can work thorugh a weeks worth in 3 hours, however, that is indeed a pain and not efficient. I believe the sweet spot lies in a tumble drier, where you fold it directly out the machine and iron that which needs ironing?

 

I would seriously lile to hear the most efficient way you deal with laundry?

 

Thanks in advance

Hi Ed.

 

The simplest answer is to not iron at all.

 

Im not kidding.

 

We do our normal laundry in the front loader, then tumble dry it, we make sure we fold the laundry as soon as it comes out the drier.

 

With professional work clothes (especially dress shirts) I wash them separately in their own load at the end of the week and then hang them wet on a hanger. They dry straight. If there are a few small creases, they tend to sort themselves out after wearing the shirt for an hour against a warm body anyway.

 

Most of the KIWI mates we have do the same thing.

 

It also pays to change they type of clothes you buy over time. I now also consider the fabric type when I buy clothes. 

 

For other cleaning, clean as you go. We have a 5 bedroom 3 level house that we can give a proper clean in 1 hour. We do this once a week. 

 

I cannot believe how reliant on a domestic worker we were in South Africa. Now we do all of our housework, gardening and laundry ourselves and have no issues with it. 

 

As far as I can tell, the only drawback is that with tumble drying, my T-shirts dont last very long. Maybe 2 years.

[patches]

Seeing this is the only living in a foreign land thread, I have serious question for those of you that have lived without "help" for some time.

 

Since lockdown we have started to get into a rhythm with keeping the house clean, dishes washed and generally not allowing ourselves to go to bed with unattended chores.

 

However, the laundry remains an issue for me, I'm the best person for ironing (fanks national service), so can work thorugh a weeks worth in 3 hours, however, that is indeed a pain and not efficient. I believe the sweet spot lies in a tumble drier, where you fold it directly out the machine and iron that which needs ironing?

 

I would seriously lile to hear the most efficient way you deal with laundry?

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

Here's my routine.

 

• Wash everything together on a 60min 30-40deg cycle. No separating as that means additional loading waiting and unloading.
• Tumble dry socks, undies and other clothing that I don't care too much about. (Tumble driers are essential in Auckland, especially during the rainy winters).
• Hang everything else ASAP on an indoor clothes rack. This is the particular clothes rack I have and I hang shirts directly on hangers to dry.
• My last tip is to wear checked shirts to work. Checks make it hard to see minor wrinkles and I only bother ironing nice formal shirts and suit pants.

So yeah, in total I spend maybe 1hr of active laundry duty a week. most of the time is spent waiting for the washing machine and tumble drier.

Edited May 27, 2020 by patches

[patham]

 

Here's my routine.

 

• Wash everything together on a 60min 30-40deg cycle. No separating as that means additional loading waiting and unloading.
• Tumble dry socks, undies and other clothing that I don't care too much about. (Tumble driers are essential in Auckland, especially during the rainy winters).
• Hang everything else ASAP on an indoor clothes rack. This is the particular clothes rack I have and I hang shirts directly on hangers to dry.
• My last tip is to wear checked shirts to work. Checks make it hard to see minor wrinkles and I only bother ironing nice formal shirts and suit pants.

So yeah, in total I spend maybe 1hr of active laundry duty a week. most of the time is spent waiting for the washing machine and tumble drier.

 

•  

 

 

Pretty close for us too except:

• Wash everything together on a 60min 30-40deg cycle. No separating as that means additional loading waiting and unloading.
• Tumble dry socks, undies and other clothing that I don't care too much about. (Tumble driers are essential in Auckland, especially during the rainy winters).  Not needed in sunny QLD except for maybe 2 days in a decade when we have a double cyclone hit 
• Hang everything else ASAP on an indoor clothes rack. This is the particular clothes rack I have and I hang shirts directly on hangers to dry.

The trick is to hang as soon as that washing machine finishes, before the creases start getting engrained...

[patham]

 

For other cleaning, clean as you go. We have a 5 bedroom 3 level house that we can give a proper clean in 1 hour. We do this once a week. 

 

I cannot believe how reliant on a domestic worker we were in South Africa. Now we do all of our housework, gardening and laundry ourselves and have no issues with it. 

 

 

 

You are a bit better than us. We get cleaners in once a week to do the hard yakka of vacuum, floor mop and bathrooms.

 

But otherwise self-sufficient.

[Wayne Potgieter]

You are a bit better than us. We get cleaners in once a week to do the hard yakka of vacuum, floor mop and bathrooms.

 

But otherwise self-sufficient.

I enjoy cleaning immensely. Something quite satisfying in the immediate results and it makes me feel like I accomplished something.

[davetapson]

We get a lady in 2hrs every week - vacuums, cleans kitchen and bathrooms.  Is probably done in about 20 mins because when you have routines for this kind of thing, it's quick.

Not that you can't do it yourself, but it is really nice to come home to a clean house once a week.

Like Wayne and Patches said, clothes straight out of tumble dryer, if you stretch them when you fold them you can get an amazing amount of creases out.

Plus folk here are not going to lose sleep if someone has some creases in their shirt.

Edited May 27, 2020 by davetapson

[davetapson]

We're thinking of going skiing in Queenstown in July.

Are there good things to know before I start booking..?

Never been there before, so clueless.

 

Edit: geez, ski passes at Cardona are basically $100 / day!

 

Edit2: Holy moley.  Flights $2940, Accom approx $350/night (low end), ski passes for family $500/day. 5 days skiing for approx $7500 excl car hire.

 

Edit 3: $2k to hire a 6 berth camper for two weeks. Cheaper to drive.

Edited May 28, 2020 by davetapson

[Ed-Zulu]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, I'll try all the info this weekend.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

I enjoy cleaning immensely. Something quite satisfying in the immediate results and it makes me feel like I accomplished something.

 

Perfect time to catch up on podcasts too

[patches]

We're thinking of going skiing in Queenstown in July.

 

Are there good things to know before I start booking..?

 

Never been there before, so clueless.

 

Edit: geez, ski passes at Cardona are basically $100 / day!

 

Edit2: Holy moley.  Flights $2940, Accom approx $350/night (low end), ski passes for family $500/day. 5 days skiing for approx $7500 excl car hire.

 

Edit 3: $2k to hire a 6 berth camper for two weeks. Cheaper to drive.

 

Just that you may not want to come back! hahaha!

 

Things to check out around Queenstown (non-skiing related)

• the Luge
• the iconic Fergburger
• Fat Badgers Pizza
• Arrowtown
• Local wineries (plenty in that area)
• Wanaka (1hr away, but worth the drive)
• Shotover gorge
• gorge street dirt jumps (too big for me to ride, just cool to look at).
• Horseback riding in the Cardona Valley
• local employment opportunities and house rentals in case you never want to return

[davetapson]

Ruapehu won out.  Fewer transaction costs...!

 

Oh well.