Here are few random thoughts on what we have learned since moving to NZ.
*Building a good fire- We are getting to be pros at starting a fire when we get home from work.
* Hunting for fire wood- Keeping the eyes peeled for anything that can burn. John has cleaned out the miscellaneous wood that was stashed under the deck when we bought the house. We also made a trip to the local garbage dump for free reclaimed wood over the weekend. Yahooo---- the garbage dump as a Sunday outing!
* Kiwis think they are living on a tropical island - For years, the government and builders have forgotten that it is freezing for 6 months out of the year. The government is finally starting to realize this and as of July 1 is starting to offer rebates to insulate houses as a way to create jobs and to 'green' up the environment.
*The fast lane is not always the fast lane- You can't be committed to your traffic lane or get lulled into thinking the speed will pick up just around the bend. Driving the motorway every day I have learned that lane jumping is a necessity to get anywhere.
* Plan twice as long to get anywhere- See above. Plus, there are few straight roads and there are traffic jams on Saturday afternoons around here.
* Take a second look at the prices- Sometimes the prices don't include the 12.5% GST tax, which can really get you at the register.
* Rugby- We are slowly learning the rules. Just remember you have to pass backwards to move the ball, you can't throw it forward. The All Blacks are the national team. They are not a full time team though. Instead they call up the best players from the regional teams for the games. Seems like it operates like major league baseball in the US. You might be called up for one game and if you don't perform, you get sent back to your regional team and they try out another guy.
* If you are John, don't have a drink and drive- I believe he has been stopped 5 times now for random breath checks.
* Get to the airport parking early- John missed his flight this morning to Napier because he had to wait for 20 min for the shuttle bus.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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2 comments:
Glad to hear you are picking up rugby! :)
At least half of the items on your list are Auckland-specific, I'd say. Rare to find traffic on a Saturday in Welly, and not too bad to get around here with all the public transportation.
Also haven't come across items sold without GST! Having the tax included was a big benefit here over the US. Are you finding this in your average stores? Or ones that cater to wholesale or tourists?
Yes, Welly is much better off when it comes to transport. I am just complaining about Auckland. On the GST, we found this at Tile New Zealand when buying some flooring. It was quite a shock to see you had read the fine print on the GST not being included in the price.
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