Notes From A Small Island
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@Snowy said in Notes From A Small Island:
@JC said in Notes From A Small Island:
@Snowy said in Notes From A Small Island:
@JC said in Notes From A Small Island:
... and hoses.
Actually, yes to that. Best way to get the wife to behave. A good hosing...
If Mrs Snowy ever casually glances at this thread you may have some serious explaining to do. And I'm not convinced that as explanations go, "Honestly Darling, it's just a running gag about me being a cannibal serial killer" will reassure her much.
She would actually get it as her favourite TB channel is CI. She is obsessed with serial killers and murders. If you believe the hype maybe that is why she married one...
maybe she is one as well, and you two are going to be a Netflix smash hit in 7 years
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@mariner4life said in Notes From A Small Island:
maybe she is one as well, and you two are going to be a Netflix smash hit in 7 years
Other couples have managed it. I'll just go and have word with her.
Will let you know, well actually I won't.
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@raznomore said in Notes From A Small Island:
@MajorRage said in Notes From A Small Island:
Craft Beer. Why do Kiwi's think they are the global leading knowledge on craft beer? I love Steinlager Pure as it's a taste of home for me and thought their light option is really good. So why does everybody (friends, waiters, people on next table) think they have right to try and push me down the Pinhead APAIPARadler bullshit. I live in England for fucks sake, you think Id on't know what I like when it comes to Beer???
How on earth are they supposed to promote homegrown then? This is kind of exactly what we want as NZers isn't it? Pushing what is local and broadening our reach globally?
I don’t follow your comment. Steinlager is a NZ beer?
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@MajorRage said in Notes From A Small Island:
@raznomore said in Notes From A Small Island:
@MajorRage said in Notes From A Small Island:
Craft Beer. Why do Kiwi's think they are the global leading knowledge on craft beer? I love Steinlager Pure as it's a taste of home for me and thought their light option is really good. So why does everybody (friends, waiters, people on next table) think they have right to try and push me down the Pinhead APAIPARadler bullshit. I live in England for fucks sake, you think Id on't know what I like when it comes to Beer???
How on earth are they supposed to promote homegrown then? This is kind of exactly what we want as NZers isn't it? Pushing what is local and broadening our reach globally?
I don’t follow your comment. Steinlager is a NZ beer?
read the beer thread, he's one of those beer piston wristed gibbons
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@dogmeat said in Notes From A Small Island:
re the friendliness of Aucklanders, I cycled round the Waitemata on Saturday. I decided to test this .
I gave everyone oncoming the chance to greet me and if they didn't initiate I would say gidday. About 50% said hi before I did. Of the remainder the majority replied, with, I would say, less than 10% not responding. Although some seemed a bit surprised to be greeted. Some (older males mainly), would just do the Kiwi raised eyebrow greeting with a nod.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly people were until right at the end when two old poms had a go at me for riding on the (shared) path. I don't believe they would have called me a friendly Aucklander based on my reply (get a life you stupid old fluffybunnies). Steep hill end of a 60km ride not the time to prod me.
As an aside shitloads of people out running and riding on a blustery day. Must be all the New Years Resolutions
Maybe it’s me? Although friendly runs in other places would suggest not. Likely a combination of crap day and the area I was in which is peak Auckland snob.
Glad to hear it’s maybe the exception, not the rule. I don’t like Auckland, but I can still see its a great place to live. People should be happier!
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@Mick-Gold-Coast-QLD I might be familiar with some of those themes living in the UK!!!
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@Hooroo the lady at life in Matamata who helped me buy antihistamine for my son was super helpful.
The Te Kauwhata zone was still there on the 30th December. Don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware NZTA know a lot more than me and have reasons for what they do.
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@mariner4life said in Notes From A Small Island:
@Hooroo said in Notes From A Small Island:
I don't mind the price of tourist activities. Supply/demand and all that. They aren't set up for Kiwi's living in NZ. They are set up to those who can afford to travel.
Locals whinge about the price of tourist activities the world over. We constantly get it (despite the huge discounts offered for locals).
The impression is we have inflated prices to fleece tourists. The reality is, tourism margins are fucking tiny, the major cost is usually people, and people are expensive, and need to be paid no matter how many visitors turn up. Agents expect the world, and want to pay nothing, and commission levels are inflated by competition.
Tourism is a bloody hard gig to make a buck out of.
It’s more the changing prices than the price. I appreciate as salaries / cost of living rises, luxuries will need to rise as well.
But we did a similar thing in Queenstown in 2017 and that was 120. 120-200 is s big difference in 2.5 years.
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@MajorRage as M4L so eloquently said I am a beer piston wristed gibbon. But that’s not really what I meant.
I just mean how does a small brewery get someone to try their beer without a waiter pushing their product. Just the same as a waiter telling you the best wine to pair with your lamb chops.
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@raznomore now that we know who MR is, not sure I'd be saying hello either.
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@raznomore said in Notes From A Small Island:
@MajorRage as M4L so eloquently said I am a beer piston wristed gibbon. But that’s not really what I meant.
I just mean how does a small brewery get someone to try their beer without a waiter pushing their product. Just the same as a waiter telling you the best wine to pair with your lamb chops.
Mainly because I didn't ask. The waiter push only happened once, but I still thought it was unwarranted as I was pretty decisive on wanting a Pure and I didn't appreciate the attitude that they knew better than me on what I wanted.
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@Bones said in Notes From A Small Island:
@raznomore now that we know who MR is, not sure I'd be saying hello either.
I'm going for the woke look.
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@MajorRage said in Notes From A Small Island:
@Bones said in Notes From A Small Island:
@raznomore now that we know who MR is, not sure I'd be saying hello either.
I'm going for the woke look.
Apart from the glasses this is how I always pictured you
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@taniwharugby said in Notes From A Small Island:
@Salacious-Crumb
When I used to run on the Canals between Rickmansworth and Watford, barely anyone made eye contact or acknowledged you, even after you say hi...Sorry about that.
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2023 Update:
I have to say I found this trip much more enjoyable than the last one. Had a cracking time catching up with people and enjoying what the country had to offer. Reading through the above, it seems that the thing most disagreed with was the friendliness of the country and this time I felt slightly different. Kiwis seems a lot more assured of themselves than last time. There doesn't seem to be as much of a chip anymore about things and I think it's a lot better for it. It's always had a bit of an unwarranted global reputation for being behind, but not sure that's the case anymore which I guess with it comes confidence. Anyway, here's some salient points / observations:
The Good:
Coffee is awesome. There is real pride behind it & I never had a shit cup. Doesn't matter where I ordered it from it was truly superb.
Police make their presence really felt compared to elsewhere but they fit in better. Full of smiles and almost proud of their role to keep the peace. Globally, police forces are pretty ostracised these days, and it just doesn't feel like that in NZ.
Golf Courses: Absolutely stunning and in superb nick. Waitangi was truly memorable and Te Puke in great shape. Thrashed my old man too!
Bay of Islands: Beautiful, memorable place. Much quieter than your average tourist spot and better for it.
Beer. Really suits the climate & tried many things. Think Steinlager Pure has changed as didn't give me memories it did last time. Panhead is brilliant, but you generally feel hammered after one.The Bad:
Fat people. I hardly live in the epicentre of health & I've spent a lot of time in the US this year, but NZ to me felt fatter than both. Some of the portion sizes we got from food halls was truly outrageous. I got a banh mi from a place in Albany Mall which I think would have been 2,000 calories.
Booze shops. There are liquor stores everywhere. Focal points of towns used to be churches, parks, perhaps even a supermarket but front and centre now seems to be liquor stores.
Supermarket costs. FARRKK ME! Easily twice the price of UK. Lamb seemed to be on special but basics costs are sky high. 8-10 bucks for a box of cereal 4-5 for a loaf of bread. UK apparently has a cost of living crisis, but I'm not sure it compares to NZ.
Boy Racers. Ok this culture has always been there, but the cars have real power now. We used to cruise around in 100-150hp Mazda 323 etc, but these are now 3-400hp monsters. Thats pretty scary. Saw lots of cruisers at Mount Maunganui, it was literally like being there when I was a teenager 30 years ago. House prices somewhat higher though ...
Jeans Shorts. Less around than last time, but still plenty. They look shit, get it right!!
Lots of businesses struggling with staff and Australia exodus seems pretty bad.The last bad one was eye opening to me. I've always thought NZ is well integrated with Maori but, especially up north, it felt like local Maori were more similar to aborigines in Australia. Where you see a small collection of shit places and thats known as an aboriginal area. Maybe I saw the wrong things but it just didn't feel to e like they were part of the general community. Sad. Wife noticed it too when driving up we went through Orewa. Seems like all of the growth /generation literally stops dead at Hatfields beach. Goes from modern developments to unkempt houses just like that.
Observations:
Lots of Nirvana t-shirts.
Auckland ridiculously quiet (compared to other cities) except on the roads. Downtown feels a bit mish mash - at one point we counted 7 different types of brick / concrete on one stretch of footpath.
Electric Scooters are everywhere. Are there any rules around them? People seem to blast down footpath at 30kph on them which seems insane.
Roads. Some up north in dire state, but overall not as bad as the locals make out. Understand more now why they have lots of 80k zones. I'd probably change everything. I'd make the national speed limit 90kph, the highways 120kph & keep towns at 50kph.
Clean Green image seems false to me. Everybody seems to drive massive rangers, saw lots of RAMS and loads towing boats with twin 150hp+-motors. More electric cars around now, but overall the attitude seems more towards US Style tanks than European style efficiency. Not sure how that fits in with Green.
Heard lots of old school music in shops/cafes. Salt n Pepa, Charles & Eddie etc etc. Kinda dig that!Couple of Laughs:
Took early morning walk at Snells beach, and kids tired (jet lag etc). Asked if we could Uber home .... not sure many around at 6am at Snells beach
When we landed my son asked me why the immigration guy "sounded just like Aaron Smith". A few days later he then asked why "everybody sounded like Aaron Smith".
Saw they now sell VB aftershave. What. The. Fuck.
Drove past a house with two water tanks. Son yelled out in the car "look at those massive jugs"Overall:
Love the place, still home and always will be. Less sure that I fit in now but there is one hell of a lifestyle to be had there. Not completely immune to global problems (inequality, cost of living) but political shit seems less influential.
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