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

[patches]

19 minutes ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

Daylight savings always makes my brain hurt.

 

Did anyone else struggle to wake up this morning?

Yup! Even with an infant that wakes us up around 5am old time (6am new time), it was still hard.

Also Monday is our bin collection day, so there I was running out in the drizzle wearing PJ's, with recycling bin in tow, as I heard the truck coming up the street 😅

[IceCreamMan]

9 hours ago, patches said:

Yup! Even with an infant that wakes us up around 5am old time (6am new time), it was still hard.

Also Monday is our bin collection day, so there I was running out in the drizzle wearing PJ's, with recycling bin in tow, as I heard the truck coming up the street 😅

Maybe I am just mad, but that sound of the truck coming on a Monday ( for us too it’s a Monday) is one of life’s most reassuring sounds. Restores homeostasis in the world. 
 

 

[patham]

16 hours ago, patches said:

Yup! Even with an infant that wakes us up around 5am old time (6am new time), it was still hard.

Also Monday is our bin collection day, so there I was running out in the drizzle wearing PJ's, with recycling bin in tow, as I heard the truck coming up the street 😅

Be like the USA and try to pass laws that make daylight saving time permanent, I.e. year around. Seems contradictory, but that’s the US of A for you.

I also have Monday Binday, which I address by taking the bins out the night before. The recycling truck comes by at a respectable time, but it’s impossible to  rise before the garbage truck.

 

[patches]

7 hours ago, patham said:

Be like the USA and try to pass laws that make daylight saving time permanent, I.e. year around. Seems contradictory, but that’s the US of A for you.

I also have Monday Binday, which I address by taking the bins out the night before. The recycling truck comes by at a respectable time, but it’s impossible to  rise before the garbage truck.

 

There's no daylight savings where you are is there? Aus must be confusing... not only are like 5 time zones (if one includes the islands), but some are a 30min shift and not all states/territories have daylight savings.

As for bins the night before... I used to, but between the odd stray dog getting into our food-scraps bin, or the frequent windy evenings (bloody Auckland), I figured for the sake of keeping the kerb clean, I'll just hop-to-it on a Monday morning.

[patham]

14 hours ago, patches said:

There's no daylight savings where you are is there? Aus must be confusing... not only are like 5 time zones (if one includes the islands), but some are a 30min shift and not all states/territories have daylight savings.

Yep, no daylight savings time in sunny Queensland. Because of cows (well the farmers actually, but they say it’s because of the cows. I think it’s just cos they like to be the first ones up and don’t want us plebs up at the same time.

And no-one really knows why the middle  (of the continent, but also no-where) wanted a shift of 30 minutes- that’s just silly.

[patches]

Only in New Zealand 😅

Department of Conservation running a hunting competition with prizes.

 

Almost as kiwi as the School Possum Hunt fundraisers

https://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/95252695/possums-and-pig-hunting-fundraiser-for-country-school

[IceCreamMan]

On 9/26/2023 at 11:23 AM, patham said:

Yep, no daylight savings time in sunny Queensland. Because of cows (well the farmers actually, but they say it’s because of the cows. I think it’s just cos they like to be the first ones up and don’t want us plebs up at the same time.

And no-one really knows why the middle  (of the continent, but also no-where) wanted a shift of 30 minutes- that’s just silly.

I worked for a company that it’s head offices in India. Some zones there were 30 minute shifts. Confusing AF. 

[Wayne Potgieter]

Attention all Aussie Hubbers.

I am keen to go to AU (any East Coast City) around late December 2023 into mid-January 2024 for a family getaway.

Does anyone want to do a home swap? No money changing hands. You come to use my new 4 beddie in Auckland, I use your place and we have a change of scenery?

My ideal (but not fixed) dates are 28 December to 14 January (or thereabouts)

We can even swap cars as well to keep the costs nice and low.

[patches]

Time to retire the Green Mamba. It's served me pretty well over the years, but I won't say it'll be missed (especially all the visas I've had to apply for).
 

Now onto the era of the Little Black Book.
 

Edited November 10, 2023 by patches

[Wayne Potgieter]

On 11/10/2023 at 4:29 PM, patches said:

Time to retire the Green Mamba. It's served me pretty well over the years, but I won't say it'll be missed (especially all the visas I've had to apply for).
 

Now onto the era of the Little Black Book.
 

Great milestone. Congrats!

 

EDIT: - The Saffa passport looks like you have rubbed off the front cover. Was that an attempt to remove the RSA and use a sharpie to draw some ferns on it? 😁

Edited November 12, 2023 by Wayne Potgieter

[patches]

41 minutes ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

Great milestone. Congrats!

 

EDIT: - The Saffa passport looks like you have rubbed off the front cover. Was that an attempt to remove the RSA and use a sharpie to draw some ferns on it? 😁

That was from sweaty palms, clutching it tightly as I wondered whether I would be let into various 1st world countries...

...or let out of some 3rd world ones 😅

Edited November 12, 2023 by patches

[Stretched@Birth]

On 11/10/2023 at 5:29 AM, patches said:

Time to retire the Green Mamba. It's served me pretty well over the years, but I won't say it'll be missed (especially all the visas I've had to apply for).
 

Now onto the era of the Little Black Book.
 

Interested to know, do you keep your SA Citizenship? I’ve seen all sorts of posts on the book of faces about people wanting to renew ZA passports as they need to visit ZA and apparently need to enter on the green book. 

[IceCreamMan]

35 minutes ago, Stretched@Birth said:

Interested to know, do you keep your SA Citizenship? I’ve seen all sorts of posts on the book of faces about people wanting to renew ZA passports as they need to visit ZA and apparently need to enter on the green book. 

The law is that if you are a ZA citizen then you MUST enter ZA on a ZA passport. 
 

reality is that I have never entered ZA on a ZA passport and never been stopped or questioned or even queried. Goes for my family too. Never had a problem. 
 

some will say they have heard of folks getting fined etc…

[patches]

On 11/21/2023 at 2:57 AM, Stretched@Birth said:

Interested to know, do you keep your SA Citizenship? I’ve seen all sorts of posts on the book of faces about people wanting to renew ZA passports as they need to visit ZA and apparently need to enter on the green book. 

On 11/21/2023 at 3:34 AM, IceCreamMan said:

The law is that if you are a ZA citizen then you MUST enter ZA on a ZA passport. 
 

reality is that I have never entered ZA on a ZA passport and never been stopped or questioned or even queried. Goes for my family too. Never had a problem. 
 

some will say they have heard of folks getting fined etc…

EDIT: Seems I missed a valuable SA law update (dated 13 June 2023), so I have removed the superseded information and appended the revised standing, that being

SA citizens to obtain a letter of permission to retain SA citizenship when obtaining another citizenship.

Change to Dual Nationality Law June 2023

Excepts from the article:

As for the SA citizens having to use their SA passports when, that likely still stands.

Apologies to anyone who suddenly thought their SA citizenship had been automatically cancelled.

Edited November 21, 2023 by patches

[patches]

Did my first test of the Little Black Book this past weekend with a "quuck trup to Seednee" to assist the wife on the little one's first flight.

The good

No major advantage when leaving (as I couldn't use the E-Gate with a baby in a carrier), but coming back solo (wife and little one staying with in-laws, while I work)... so bloody quick!

A combination of E-Gate, carry-on luggage only, a pre-filled online travel declaration, and the ability to use the "Aus/NZ Passport - Nothing to Declare" biosecurity queue...

I must have got from plane to valet in about 5min. A record!

[IceCreamMan]

guess it should be in the song of the day thread but…. This is awesome 

hope it’s making waves in NZ