Clean, Green, 100% Pure – Sewage :(
North and South has an interesting editorial this month, about the fact that even though there really hardly anyone living in New Zealand – we have an appalling problem with sewage pollution.
It may look sparkling clean over here in the photos, but its not. Not by a long shot. Our beaches – lovely though are – are apparently full of crap. Masterton council wants to discharge effluent into the local Ruamahunga river. Children swim in it in the summer. Riversdale beach – by favourite spot – has such a problem with antiquated sewage systems that every house will have to convert their system to the new reed bed sewage system. As soon as the council makes up its mind to build it (10years an counting) – until then – the beach stays polluted.
The article concentrates on the sheer unadulterated stupidity of Horowhenua District Council, who spent a whopping $10,000,000 on sparkling new “environmentally friendly” council offices. And have just pleaded guilty to dumping 8.5 million litres of sewage into the local river.
Classy!
This is the tip of the iceberg, and sooner or later people do actually twig that the “100% pure” slogan is just that – a Marketing Slogan. Why New Zealand gets to practice misleading advertising practices and gets away with it is beyond me – but I guess countries are not subject to fair trade laws.
So just be clear when moving here – we have awful sewage problems, and our beaches rivers and lakes are actually quite polluted. One thing they are not is Clean, green or 100% pure. Sometimes it feels like the only thing that stops the country being 100% Sludge is the fact that theres so few people living here.
You can get copies of North&South at Kiwifruits in London. We actully used to get it frequently before we moved out here, and it was really helpful in seeing some of the real life that goes on over here. Its not all fluff!
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Now that is a view!
We have just watched the incredible For All Mankind.
It tells the story of the Apollo Moon Landings from the point of view of the Astronauts, and contains the footage they filmed alongside thier own thoughts. It also has the most breathtaking soundtrack by Brian Eno. It looks like the DVD is about to be re-released, and if you ever need to lift your spirits – then this is the one to watch.
As to what this has to do with my blog?
Here is an image of New Zealand taken from the Space Station by NASA. It shows the top of South Island, and the bottom of North Island, including our very own Wellington and The Wairarapa.
Our views are stunning – but this is pure magic.
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Why you need to live in Wellington.
With thanks to Steve for sharing this on Facebook.
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Congratulations to Eve at the Intercontinental.
It is really rather nice to be able to write an unashamedly happy post today: but Eve, one of the receptionist at the Intercontinental Hotel in Wellington has won the Receptionist of the Year competition. This is not just in New Zealand, but she actually competed in Cannes last week, against staff from 10 other countries. Including Australia and the UK.
We both think this is absolutely deserved! We stay regularly in the Intercontinental and we find all the staff there to be just brilliant. We have always been treated exceptionally well, and now that we are regulars there, they treat us like it’s our second home (which it does feel like sometimes). We have stayed in several hotels in Wellington, but this one stands out far above the rest, and mainly it has to be said, because of the staff.
On the rare occasion that there is an issue – it is always dealt with straight away and with the minimum of fuss. There are newer hotels in town, and both the Holiday Inn and the Bolton are “swankier” but the service is just not there.
Well done Eve, we are both really chuffed for you.
The Victoria Fires – a bank has a fit of conscience.
At the moment there are any number of ways that New Zealanders can donate to help the forest fire victims in Australia.
One of these was through credit card donations to the Red Cross. Only ASB bank were charging the Red Cross bank fees on these transaction. Which meant that a portion of the money you donate was filling the coffers of a bank – not supporting the people harmed by the fire.
Now – I’m not a fan of the New Zealand Banks insistence on charging bank fees at any time – but this really took the biscuit – and given that it was my main bank doing it – my opinion of them plummeted.
The good news is that ASB has relented and dropped the charges, which brings them in line with companies such as Telecom who are operating the donation phone lines fro free. (This probably has more to do with the fact that it was reported in the paper yesterday and ASB look rather appalling at the moment – than the bank wanting to do the right thing).
From the New Zealand herald.
“ASB bank spokeswoman Debbie Bell said credit card fees are confidential but the bank had decided not to charge the charity after being approached by the Red Cross.”
Also, the Red Cross has publicly stated that 100% of any donation sent to this appeal will be used directly by the appeal. This is actually very important. Any donation will not be used to fund the Red Cross infrastructure, or staffing to deal with the appeal. This is funded by the Red Cross shops and First Aid courses.
We found that when we wanted to donate to previous disaster funds, that some agencies stated that any unused money would be diverted to other causes. The Red Cross having come out and stated quite clearly that money raised for the Fires goes to the appeal for the fires, is a breath of fresh air.
Now – if only ASB would lead the way and drop these ridiculous bank charges for all thier customers!
Please note:
Only donations of money are needed. There is no where to store blankets, food or clothes, so the agencies are asking that these not be sent right now.
Do you need to move to New Zealand to get a new life?
Filed under: Getting to New Zealand, Hubby's Views, Jobs & Work, Life in New Zealand
I was recently catching up on some podcasts I’ve had sitting on the iPod for months and not quite got round to listening to. One particularly interesting one from way back on the 2nd of May 2008 was from the BBC’s World Service Documentaries feed on iTunes. (anyone without iTunes can use the BBC World service website ), entitled Escape to New Zealand.
The interviewer was speaking with two couples from America & Germany both of whom sought a new life in New Zealand to escape from global warming and home country politics.
Once here, both couples felt closer to a more natural way of living, with a greater ability to live a happier way of life and change how they chose to live their lives. Personally, I’ve found that most Kiwi’s are more accepting of people living a different way of life, whatever that happens to be. When I’m working in Wellington, I leave the office at 4pm so I can catch the train home. Colleagues and customers are fine with this, no issues. If I’d done this while in the UK, I’d be on the receiving end of (not entirely joking) comments about being a part timer and only doing a half-day!
In terms of changing your life, the whole experience of upping sticks to the other side of the planet is quite daunting. The question is though:
Do we really have to move to another country to change our lives?
Often a big one off change is easier to achieve than a small change to daily habits, especially when others around us don’t want to see us change or improve.
So yeah, it’s interesting, what are we escaping from when we come to New Zealand? Are we just searching for a better way of life? Could we achieve the same thing (a more balanced way of life) by making changes to our lives where we are? Why are most of us afraid to work only the hours we are paid to back in our home country, and demand that we get to spend time with our families? Instead – we leave for a new life in a New Country.
Hubby.
New Zealand Banks and the Economic Crisis.
Filed under: Banks, General Budgeting, Interest Rates, Credit Cards & Mortgages in NZ, Life in New Zealand, Property & General Investing
Ok, so I think we all know that the western world in is the financial toilet, and that governments and reserve banks are slashing interest rates and telling us to go and spend up large and do our civic duty and keep the economies ago.
But how are the New Zealand Banks behaving right now?
Some of them – pretty damn poorly in my opinion.
I currently use 3 banks – ASB who have my main accounts and my home Mortgage, and ANZ and Westpac who each have an Investment Mortgage.
Like many people, we have a few mortgages on Fixed rates, and so because of the rapidly falling base rate – we’re ending up with Fixed Interest rates higher than the floating rate – and quite a bit higher than the current fixed rate.
So, also like many people – I investigated the options for breaking those fixed loans before the current round of rate cuts last week.
Both ASB and ANZ worked out the break fee based on the difference between the Interest rate we were currently on, and the rate that they were offering at that time. The fee is then worked out based on the amount of time the fixed rate has left to run.
With ASB, it meant our two fixed rates would cost a total of $5000 to break. That is for a 1-year fix with 10 months left to go, and a 2-year fix with 17 months to go.
ANZ wanted a whopping $19,000, to break a 5-year fix with 4 years to go.
Westpac on the other hand wanted an absolutely ginormous $43,000 to break a 5 year fix with 4 years to go.
Why the big difference – well Westpac don’t calculate on the difference in the rate you are on and the rate at
the time. The work it out on the difference in the rate you are on and the WHOLESALE rate – which is quite a bit lower than the rate we mere mortals pay. So you get stung – badly.
So, not having a handy $63,000 sitting around that I can throw at the banks – I’ve had to keep my Investment mortgages at the current rates. I’m not a happy bunny – but that’s the risk you take when you used Fixed Rates loans. To break without the fees, you have to do so when the Current rate (or with Westpac the wholesale rate) is the same or higher than the one you are on.
Honestly – it’s a game of chicken. You are trying to dodge between the banks and the Governor of the Reserve Bank and work out who’s going to do what, and which way you should jump.
And of course the banks don’t pass on the entire drop. Because that would be too kind.
While I don’t think we can blame the banks for the current crises (we after all spent the money collectively on one helluva shopping binge) – I do think that they are getting a nice fat bail out round the world from Governments and the entire financial sector. Would it really hurt their bottom line and shareholders if just for a while they passed on some of that goodwill to the customers of the banks??? Gave us a bit of a bail out??? Didn’t try to extort in some cases hundreds of thousands out of their customers to break the fixed rates????
After all – these are highly unusual times, and the huge and rapid drops in the Base rates are basically unheard of. In the first quarter of 2008 – rates were pegged to go well over 10%. Not drop through the floor to around 7%.
With apparently 70% of all mortgages in New Zealand being Fixed Rates – the lowering base rate doesn’t help that many mortgage holders. And because at the same time as lowing the rates, the banks are demanding higher deposits – the situation doesn’t help First Home Buyers either.
And you know the most galling bit? Both ANZ and Westpac, when we took out these loans, were desperate to snatch ALL our bank accounts from ASB. They would prove their worth they said. They would win our business! They would show us how much better than ASB they were.
All I can say is that I will remember how Westpac, 
ANZ and National Bank have behaved in the past few weeks, and when things change round again – as they will – and they again want to throw money at me – I will chuckle – and go elsewhere.
Beaches in New Zealand.
Filed under: Beaches in New Zealand, Getting to New Zealand, Life in New Zealand, The Book and Website
It’s almost 6 years since we first visited New Zealand. We came here on our honeymoon, and fell in love with the country so fast. We were already talking about emigrating to New Zealand by the time we had got to the end of our first week.
So, as a pressie for our 6th wedding Anniversary – Hubby is taking me away for a few nights to my favourite local beach – Riversdale.
Where we live in the Wairarapa – it’s known as a rural farming county – but we still have the most amazing beaches. One of the things that truly blew me away about New Zealand – was the fact that the not only are the beaches so clean – they are also for the most part – empty.
There have been many times that we have been to Riversdale, and we are the only people on the whole beach – about a mile of clean, while sand and turquoise sea.
It has to be seen to be believed – so here is a photo of the beach on a busy day J
In fact – heading to the beach has been my best cure for any bouts of Homesickness I have had. Being so far from my family and friends who have known me for many years – sometimes I need to just get away and chill out. Ever since we arrived here as migrants 4 years ago – the beaches of New Zealand have been the places I can go to recharge and remember why I am here.
Why do you need an emergency fund?
Filed under: General Budgeting, Jobs & Work, Retirement, Pensions and Kiwisaver
You often hear people saying you should put aside at least 3 months expenses as an emergency fund. So – how many people do you know who have done that?
Not Many? A few? None?
Well, we have a “situation” looming where for the second time since moving to New Zealand – we may need our emergency fund.
The first was when Hubby was “made redundant” from Unisys, after the installation of a new manager who really didn’t like him. (The feeling was mutual). Hubby really disliked the job, and morale in the company was at rock bottom, with staff leaving in droves. (Over the 15 months that he worked there, the staff levels were reported to have gone from 600 to 400).
The redundancy notice came in on the 4th December (our wedding anniversary as it happens – a nice pressie!). Hubby managed to wangle some redundancy pay – so he was the only person to get a bonus that year – but it was only another month’s salary.
It took till April to get a replacement job. This is primarily because a/ He costs a lot to employ and b/ no one cares about looking for new staff in the run up to Christmas and c/ people care even less about looking for new staff during January because the beach is calling.
So for a few months – we had to manage with no income. We still had bills to pay, had to put steaks on the Barbie, and had to pay the mortgage. Without some funds behind us – we would have been stuffed.
As it was – we got through with a sense of freedom and managed to spend quite a bit of time at the beach and Hubby didn’t have to spend all day every day looking for work.
The new job came from IBM, who hubby had worked for for 10 years in the UK. So it was a good fit, and something he really was chuffed to get. Only problem was – IBM were not taking on Permanent staff - but only willing to sign a 2 year contract, to be converted to a permanent hire once you prove yourself (the 10 years in the UK busting a gut evidently did not constitute such proof).
Well, the 2 years are up next April. After 6 months of wrangling – there is still no sign of the promised permanent contract (apparently its stuck on someone’s desk in Asia Pacific waiting for a signature – it doesn’t do to rush these things). So hubby is once again having to look for a new job just in case.
Only this time – we are in a country that like everywhere else is in financial turmoil, so we have no idea at the moment how this will affect the search for a new job. We know we have income till April, but after that – well – your guess is as good as mine.
So once again, I’m immensely grateful to have set aside funds for this. It means we can last till August if the worst happens and the new contract doesn’t appear and it all goes to hell in a hand basket. I’m spending between now and then just adjusting our spending to allow me to add more to the slush fund, so that we don’t have to panic.
Its something we have found really odd about our lives in New Zealand – this lack of longevity in the jobs. I guess after 10 years with the same employer – you don’t really think that you are going to get through 3 in 4 years. We haven’t really got used to the fact that people change jobs so rapidly, and at least in the IT sector, the companies seem to be fine with this.
So yeah – 3 months slush fund. Be different – and be one of the few to get one set up. Then if this whole new-job-needed-every-18 months is not just us – you don’t have to panic – and can spend some of your redundancy time like this:
Being made redundant - Kiwi Style
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