Dying
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@mariner4life said in Aging:
Every time I get frustrated with the political corporate shit, I look at the brickies building houses in searing heat, and think about the farm.
I always think of the poor roofers, laying white colourbond roofs in 30+ temps, no thanks. Or mechanics in overalls inside a hot unconditioned workshop.
a couple of my best mates are roofers. It's insane the conditions they work in. Likewise the mates who paint them. Or the guy who spends most of his time installing solar panels. Roofs in 35+ is fucking ridiculous.
Or the guys putting in the roof insulation, I did that once, fuck that.
My worst roofing job ever was one where the original guys had the wrong washers, so I had to remove the nail/screw (Can't remember), replace the washer and drill it back in (because they were too cheap to pay for new ones so we couldn't put the washers on beforehand). It was at the port in Napier ... I've never seen so many used condoms in my life. I think because the sewage pipes were nearby and the seagulls would pick them up and dump them there.
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the quality generally better but the range more limited.
I actually find the opposite of this although it's generally in specific stuff like chocolate biscuits - no Australia, twenty different types of Tim Tams is not a good range of chocolate biscuits. Although in the last couple of years the 'home brand' biscuits of Coles seem to be mimicking NZ types (e.g toffee pops, mallow puffs etc). Coffee (plunger/beans) is the other big one, there's always a big range in NZ supermarkets but Coles and Woolies have a small range. I actually buy mine from Aldi because I like their 'organic' home brand ... although I hate shopping there as I have to a. line up and b. talk to an actual human to buy it.
Strawberries and chicken are easily the cheapest things comparatively over here - strawberries are the closest to fruit I eat and you can pick up punnets cheap as fudge.
Beer is weirdly expensive here.
Agreed in that respect @Nepia . I was focusing more on produce, fruits and veggies in particular.
Some goods in NZ have a much better range than Aus, and vice versa. I guess it's what you focus on.
The one thing I definitely think is a whole lot better in NZ is the alcohol. Prices much much better than Aus due to better tax rules.
What shits me about being a craft beer piston wristed gibbon is that I'm getting used to paying between $16-18 for a single can of a good , strong craft beer. The other day I popped into a good brew pub and asked for a beer I saw they had on Untapped but didn't realise it was by can only and not on tap. The single can was get this... $34!
Sure it was some rare and amazing American 10% Double New England IPA but I just about spat out "what the fuck" when the barman told me. I then ordered a schooner of their own IPA (mind you that was $16 a schooner), drank that and walk out. Probably won't bother to go back.
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Beer is weirdly expensive here.
Australia loves a sin tax. Alcohol excise is complicated too as this article points out (https://www.crikey.com.au/2016/12/23/how-much-of-your-christmas-tinnie-is-going-to-the-taxman/). Then if that's not bad enough you have do-gooders arguing to make it even more expensive like these pole smokers: (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/dec/12/a-tax-hike-on-alcohol-is-the-obesity-fix-australians-need-to-swallow)
It's refreshing to go OS and purchase alcohol. Grabbing a 500ml can of Sapporo from a vending machine for a couple of dollars, drinking in public without being hassled etc.
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@antipodean said in Aging:
Australia loves a sin tax.
Yet, they're the opposite with gambling, they (like NZ) let it become a normal part of sports entertainment and then don't crack down on the gambling companies when they break the laws (I have a mate who works for the advertising watchdog and they regularly break the times they can put ads on when streaming with little penalty.)
TBH, I always thought Oz alcohol prices was just a market thing (competition from being sold in supermarkets) in comparison with NZ - I don't think their tax on it would be hugely higher than ours (by their I mean Oz and ours I mean NZ, which is funny considering where I live).
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@RoninWC $50 two drinks, what is that bar so I can avoid it.
The Flat Rock brew cafe in Naremburn.
I didn't end up purchasing the $34 dollar a can beer, that was just stupid. Just the one schooner and left. Mind you, $16 for a schooner is crazy priced as well, that should be a pint at that kind of price.
Honestly though, the Flat Rock Brew cafe isn't a bad joint, but given the lower North Shore can be challenging depending on where you are, it isn't that bad. But yes, their prices are certainly up there.
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On booze, I find the range and pricing of wines in NZ far better than here in SYD. The old lady lives in Palmy, and there is a run of the mill bottlo across the road from the local Countdown that has all a great range of Australian wine at better prices than I can get them here, and a bunch of stock that you can't even buy here (Rockford Basket Press for example). And of course the NZ range is much superior.
Contrast to Sydney where it's just bulk buying of the same brands over and over and no variety. Very had to find an independent store selling interesting stuff.
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@antipodean said in Aging:
Beer is weirdly expensive here.
Australia loves a sin tax. Alcohol excise is complicated too as this article points out (https://www.crikey.com.au/2016/12/23/how-much-of-your-christmas-tinnie-is-going-to-the-taxman/). Then if that's not bad enough you have do-gooders arguing to make it even more expensive like these pole smokers: (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/dec/12/a-tax-hike-on-alcohol-is-the-obesity-fix-australians-need-to-swallow)
It's refreshing to go OS and purchase alcohol. Grabbing a 500ml can of Sapporo from a vending machine for a couple of dollars, drinking in public without being hassled etc.
Wish there were more options that just an up vote or nothing. I would so give this post a " " if we had Facebook type reactions available .
Some of my bestest and fondest of memories is traveling throughout asia, even in moderate muslim countries like Malaysia, and buying a cheap local beer, usually in a 500ml bottle or can, and just sitting down where ever I happen to be and enjoying a cold one. Usually because it's mid-30's and 150% humidity.
Japan's vending machines in particular are just awesome, everything from cold beer to Johnny Blue to panties guaranteed to have been worn by a school girl - or so I've been told.
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Am I remembering this wrong but did you used to walk into a bottle shop and fill up your own 2l flagon of beer, cant recall seeing that here in Oz. Got stopped by the cops once walking down the street carrying two of them. Think I was 16 and drinking age was 20.
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@mariner4life said in Aging:
@Nepia my understanding is that there is a fair old tax on gambling.
I know for a fact there is on pokies. Pretty sure that extends to horses as well. Apparently just passed on to the punter in the form of shorter odds.
Oh yeah, I should have said the regulation rather the tax. I guess they're lax on the regulation due to the tax revenue.
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@RoninWC $50 two drinks, what is that bar so I can avoid it.
The Flat Rock brew cafe in Naremburn.
I didn't end up purchasing the $34 dollar a can beer, that was just stupid. Just the one schooner and left. Mind you, $16 for a schooner is crazy priced as well, that should be a pint at that kind of price.
Honestly though, the Flat Rock Brew cafe isn't a bad joint, but given the lower North Shore can be challenging depending on where you are, it isn't that bad. But yes, their prices are certainly up there.
TBH I barely ever venture to the North Shore outside of visiting my mate in Manly.
$34 for a can is idiotic, but it also suggests some fools pay for it.
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They are trying to create a niche similar to wine where people will spend that sort of money...
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@mariner4life mobil was my first job out of school. Got a written warning after my first day.
I got a roofing job for a couple of months when I lived in Sydney, one of the best jobs I ever had!
The price of beer in Australia is fucked. I'm quite happy drinking Coors, Heineken, Guinness, fosters, bud. Probably not much more than a tenner for a dozen here, between 3-4 pound for a pint...a proper pint.