New Zealand / Australia discussion

[16 tins of Spam]

Eftpos - this annoys me more and more in Sydney with most restaurants/shops not accepting Eftpos. Cash only being the thing. It's 2007 people, not 1987! Grrr!

Haha, it's a lot better over there than it used to be, although I can only really be sure about Victoria.

Haha actually when I was in Wellington I felt the same way... Our first morning in the country, so of course I had no cash and we went into this rather large cafe for breakfast and no eftpos! The owners didnt know where an ATM was either, so I just walked around not really knowing what the banks logos looked like or anything until I spotted one... nightmare.

Yeah, there is still the odd luddite out there, bad luck that the first one you stumbled into was one of them.

 

[James]

I've never been to NZ, but aren't both countries incredibly similar anyway? Wouldn't it be like just moving states? (Or have I just unleashed a whole world of pain from 24 million people all over my candy self?)

Talk comes and goes every now and then of an Anzac Dollar, and even NZ eventually becoming a state of Australia. Can't see either happening mind.

Wellington is very small and New Zealand as a whole is down the bottom of the world and out on its own. While some people like that, I prefer living in a big city like Sydney where there's more opportunities, better food, better lifestyle, etc. Better government here in Australia I must say too.

I think if someone from the UK in their 20's or 30's moved to New Zealand as a serious long-term option, they'd simply find it too small and out of the way. You guys in England have got it made being on Europe's door step.

 

[_Ed_]

Better government here in Australia I must say too.

I disagree, but that's a matter of opinion I guess.

I've been on lots of holidays overseas to Europe and the like but I have to say I'm always really happy to come back home. Auckland's got a nice balance of big city life and tree-infested suburbs like the one I live in. Can't think of anywhere I'd rather live.

Quite like the idea of a shared currency though.

 

[Craig]

Not a fan of mega cities like London for example. Just too many people, I never seem to feel comfortable with large masses of people.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Yeah, NZ is an infinitely superior environment politically, and has mountains, they are the two main winning points.

I've always found that people in NZ care a hell of a lot more about Australia than the other way around though. I'm largely indifferent to NZ really, while some kiwis (particularly with stuff like sport and cultural superiority etc) are really passionate regarding Australia.

A friend of mine who moved to Wellington for a year or so told me that Australia is contantly talked about in the media and in popular culture and so on over there too, while that's not the case here at all with New Zealand. Not sure how accurate that is, though.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah, NZ is an infinitely superior environment politically, and has mountains, they are the two main winning points.

I've always found that people in NZ care a hell of a lot more about Australia than the other way around though. I'm largely indifferent to NZ really, while some kiwis (particularly with stuff like sport and cultural superiority etc) are really passionate regarding Australia.

A friend of mine who moved to Wellington for a year or so told me that Australia is contantly talked about in the media and in popular culture and so on over there too, while that's not the case here at all with New Zealand. Not sure how accurate that is, though.

Yeah we get hung up on the whole Aussie thing way too much. Seperior environment politically?

We are the kings of political correctness and if we have another term of Helen Clark I am seriously considering ditching to a slightly saner and less idealitc, impractical, control freak country. Just my opinion though.

 

[_Ed_]

Seperior environment politically?

Yep, we've got the fairest electoral system in the world in MMP (it's far from perfect but it's the best one that's been thought up yet...but let's not go there) and in my opinion Helen's a fair bit better than Mr Howard.

This is quite a thread derailment I see.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Wasn't NZ originally claimed as a state in the wording of the document that federated Oz? Sure I haven't imagined that.

WRT NZ being more concerned with Oz than vice versa, I think that's just an obvious by-product of the countries' respective sizes. It's probably akin to Ireland & England; their papers are full of English news & sport (especially association football) whereas we hardly mention their's over here.

 

[James]

I disagree, but that's a matter of opinion I guess.

Mainly comes down to that I can't stand Helen Clark, and I like John Howard. More increased taxes I see in Cullen's budget too.....

Quite like the idea of a shared currency though.

No way would Australia go down that route though. Why would they de-value their currency?

I've always found that people in NZ care a hell of a lot more about Australia than the other way around though. I'm largely indifferent to NZ really, while some kiwis (particularly with stuff like sport and cultural superiority etc) are really passionate regarding Australia.

A friend of mine who moved to Wellington for a year or so told me that Australia is contantly talked about in the media and in popular culture and so on over there too, while that's not the case here at all with New Zealand. Not sure how accurate that is, though.

Never really noticed actually, but there's obviously the big sporting rivalry that comes into it a lot.

 

[_Ed_]

Wasn't NZ originally claimed as a state in the wording of the document that federated Oz? Sure I haven't imagined that.

It was, but we pulled out at the last minute. I think. It was mentioned briefly in a History paper I did a few years back, can't really remember it in much detail though.

 

[James]

Posts to be merged in.

 

[Flem274*]

Yep, we've got the fairest electoral system in the world in MMP (it's far from perfect but it's the best one that's been thought up yet...but let's not go there) and in my opinion Helen's a fair bit better than Mr Howard.

This is quite a thread derailment I see.

mmm true though that election funding thing, the way miss/mr Clark wants it set up means that Nationals money will be limited compared to Labours. I don't really find that fair. At least we don't have a dictator though, not yet anyway.

Yep taxes are up James, my economics teacher is going to teach us all about how and why on the budget next week.

 

[NZTailender]

Good move, James.

 

[James]

All moved now guys, looks a bit confusing, but hopefully it allows discussion to continue without taking the other thread way off topic

 

[Flem274*]

Good move, James.

I was waiting for you to go into the other thread and say how dire it was again. (not meaning that offensively just noticed that you like to give us a tune up for spamming your thread alot. )

 

[pasag]

NZ - greatest country in terms of scenery and nature stuff.

 

[_Ed_]

More increased taxes I see in Cullen's budget too.....

Yeah, but even though I think Cullen's an arrogant plonker, I think it's a good budget. Kiwisaver's an excellent idea IMO.

But with everyone crying out for tax cuts I can't help but feel in the minority in being happy to pay a bit more tax if my money's well spent where it's needed.

 

[_Ed_]

mmm true though that election funding thing, the way miss/mr Clark wants it set up means that Nationals money will be limited compared to Labours. I don't really find that fair. At least we don't have a dictator though, not yet anyway.

Really? What I had heard in my Politics paper was that National and Labour would get equal funding, and a hell of a lot more than all the minor parties combined.

Might be wrong though.

 

[Flem274*]

NZ - greatest country in terms of scenery and nature stuff.

Mainly cause of the hippie laws. Not being anti-environmentalist or anything, but the Greens do have thier heads in the clouds most of the time.

 

[Flem274*]

Really? What I had heard in my Politics paper was that National and Labour would get equal funding, and a hell of a lot more than all the minor parties combined.

Might be wrong though.

It was something about unions and businesses. Like unions can fund as much as they want but some businesses have a limit. Now guess which one funds what.....

Though I find the biased NCEA questions in NCEA more annoying. All the Global Warming stuff in economics about negative aspects of growth. didn't even mention inflation as a reason.