36th America's Cup: New Zealand

New Zealand is on the cusp of defending the America's Cup it won in Bermuda back in 2017. Pictures of the regatta being held in Auckland show a truly beautiful country. The spectator fleet numbers in the thousands; boats of all shapes and sizes. Good on you team NZ, go for the win tomorrow.

Auckland Harbour Bridge Falling Down

It's a minor example of the decay and lack of investment in New Zealand's infrastructure; Auckland Harbour Bridge was hit by a truck crossing the bridge and now several lanes will be out of action for weeks while repairs are underway. For decades a second option for crossing the harbour has been touted but nothing has ever been done about it. Successive governments have sat on their hands. So commuters have to queue for hours, instead of using a viable alternative.

But this is only the start. Bridges across NZ are chronically underfunded and their maintenance and upgrade has long since been abandoned. With an election just weeks away, hopefully the issues can be kept in focus leading up to polling day, and hopefully voters will bear the lack of investment in mind when they cast their ballot.

Auckland SkyCity Convention Centre Fire

Blame the inability to contain the fire on 9 years of National government under-funding while they were in office. They're bloody incompetent. Read this blog post;

https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/10/24/nz-herald-online-coverage-of-the-sky-city-fire-concerns-the-cbd-can-be-shut-down-by-a-blowtorch-why-the-fire-is-a-perfectly-delicious-metaphor-of-national-in-power-for-9-years/

I talk about the lack of infrastructural investment and the tendency to centre everything on Auckland in my book Snob's Guide to New Zealand; funny thing is, it's been read all over the world but New Zealanders are not so keen. Ridiculous I know, but there you go.

Lime e-Scooters Banned in Auckland

The question has to be asked; why would Auckland shut down Lime scooters? I drive a Subaru Impreza with replacement Takata airbags that have now got to replaced. But I still drive the car, there is almost zero chance of malfunction, just as with Lime's anti-theft device.

Would it be because Lime scooters are diverting people away from cars and trains and buses? Hmm? Auckland has a regional fuel tax and it has been reported that many fewer car journeys were being taken because of Lime. That would reduce the tax revenue from the regional fuel tax. Just saying.

And Christchurch keeps its Lime scooters. They're satisfied they're safe. Christchurch doesn't have urban rail or as well developed bus services. When it comes to Auckland, is this really a commercial matter masquerading as safety? 

Oh and I saw Auckland mayor Phil Goff complaining he was being deluged with spam from Lime. Well, no, that wasn't spam, that was all those Lime users expressing their own political opinions, independently. It's called democracy in action there Goff.

Snob's Guide to New Zealand

I've written a useful guide to New Zealand, out now in Paperback and on Kindle. This book will need to be read by anyone interested in a move to New Zealand. It reveals how Kiwis think and from a snob's perspective what are the best schools, cities, cool places?

It goes deeper than you find with most guides. What other guides do is gloss over things or they describe only how to do something. They don't contain criticism, or they're too stale. What Snob's Guide to New Zealand does is assume you know how to do things, such as filling in forms. But what you really need to know is; what will you experience and who will you come up against?

But this book isn't just a guide, it will also be valuable for Kiwis too. From this book they can measure where they're at, where they're going, and how to get there. It raises important issues only occasionally addressed in New Zealand.

What are the best schools and universities? Which cities are best? This is a no holds barred type of approach the reader will find invaluable.

Here is the link to the Paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1727804147

Snob's Guide on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9XRCWK

Snob's Guide to New Zealand is indispensable to anyone looking at a move Downunder, or for the locals who want to know how to get ahead in their own country.

Universities

“There is a strict pecking order…Dispense with all international rankings as they’re meaningless.”

Energy

“…the Tesla owner and the ordinary guy in his Nissan Leaf are at war with poor people.”

New Zealand Wars

“The history of these conflicts is one where Maori won all the battles but lost the wars.”