Who hates Auckland

[greenhorn]

I do. I've lived here all my life. I earn exactly $40,000 a year poxy salary with a few poxy benefits thrown in and try to support my wife and son. It sucks. I pay a huge mortgage in comparison to my poxy take home pay, commute everyday into the poxy city (not by bike.. yet) via the poxy traffic.
I tell you there is barely enough money to exist on, in fact we are slowly going down the drain.
I am seriously thinking of upping sticks and leaving for somewhere i dont know.. south island? Scared of not finding work, but that fear is fast becoming secondary to the fed up with Auckland factor.
I'm not sure why i'm posting this on this forum, its just that whenever i mention this to family/freinds they all get so negative about the idea. But i'm sure there are better places to bring up a family? Just like to hear what other people think and reading a lot of posts on here most people seem to be good blokes/blokesses with worthwhile and helpful opinions. :niceone:
Anyone been through this or thinks the same way??
Why do you live in Auckland, if you dont live in Auckland is it way better where you are? :spudwave:

[White trash]

and know exactly what you're talking about.

A word of advice, every single millionaire who's written a book or made a TV show agrees on the same fact.

"When you've nothing to loose, take a huge punt." or words to that effect.

A risk is only a risk if you've got a lot to loose and like me, it sounds like you dont.

I'm seriously considering a move to Seul in the not too distant future for exactly the same reason.

You'll nevr change anything by doing the same old-same old.

Good luck.

[Cajun]

I do. I've lived here all my life. I earn exactly $40,000 a year poxy salary with a few poxy benefits thrown in and try to support my wife and son. It sucks. I pay a huge mortgage in comparison to my poxy take home pay, commute everyday into the poxy city (not by bike.. yet) via the poxy traffic.
I tell you there is barely enough money to exist on, in fact we are slowly going down the drain.
I am seriously thinking of upping sticks and leaving for somewhere i dont know.. south island? Scared of not finding work, but that fear is fast becoming secondary to the fed up with Auckland factor.
I'm not sure why i'm posting this on this forum, its just that whenever i mention this to family/freinds they all get so negative about the idea. But i'm sure there are better places to bring up a family? Just like to hear what other people think and reading a lot of posts on here most people seem to be good blokes/blokesses with worthwhile and helpful opinions. :niceone:
Anyone been through this or thinks the same way??
Why do you live in Auckland, if you dont live in Auckland is it way better where you are? :spudwave:

Greenhorn i use to live in auckland i moved to tauranga about 7 years ago never regarded it, was hard for first years, but now i am getting there, i must say i was sorta single nothing was keeping me in auckland and moved down here for a woman.

But i love the place, and hate auckland whenever i get back there after 1-2 days i had enough and just wanna get out of the place

[Cynic]

But i love the place, and hate auckland whenever i get back there after 1-2 days i had enough and just wanna get out of the place

I understand totally... Mrs Cynic and I got out of Auckland last year and every time we go back it takes us about 2 days to realise why we left... Work can definately be an issue, so much so we are on the move again at the end of the year. But it wasn't all in vain, we now know what it is we want and what we did and didn't like... perspective is a wonderful thing but can't be fully gained without a little distance.

[Cajun]

I understand totally... Mrs Cynic and I got out of Auckland last year and every time we go back it takes us about 2 days to realise why we left... Work can definately be an issue, so much so we are on the move again at the end of the year. But it wasn't all in vain, we now know what it is we want and what we did and didn't like... perspective is a wonderful thing but can't be fully gained without a little distance.

Well if i couldn't find a good job in tauranga, i was looking to moving to aussie, but a good job fell in to my lap so here i stay
wife has a good job so its all good

[Cynic]

Well if i couldn't find a good job in tauranga, i was looking to moving to aussie, but a good job fell in to my lap so here i stay
wife has a good job so its all good

We are really moving for career development. Namely, my partners career can develop and I might end up with one. Besides, she reliably informs me I am a lousy housewife :)

[Paul in NZ]

Stuff me... Life ain't a practise round mate.....

If you are not a happy camper (and you aint) actively do something about it! ya wanna spend your whole life wondering???

Employment is running hot right now. If you can work, you will get a job! If you are a lazy no account whinger, you will end up where you started no matter what you do.

Vicki and I moved up from ChCh to wellie 8 or 9 years back and don'y regret it for a second. Houses were way dearer and i will be in debt for ever but we are having a shit hot time.

Don't be a bloody victim, if you are not happy, find a way that satisfys the needs of your family and yourself. Trust me, it exists and it's waiting for you to find it. But you have to go look for it! IT WON'T COME TO YOU!

Cheers

[Cajun]

We are really moving for career development. Namely, my partners career can develop and I might end up with one. Besides, she reliably informs me I am a lousy housewife :)

i make a better house wife than my wife, she can't cook very well, and i end up doing most of the washing, only one wifely dutys she got to do, thats why i married her hahaha

[wari]

EVrywhere you go-oo , you always take the weather with you ...

EVrywhere you go-oo ....

YOu always take the weather

:spudbooge :spudguita :spudguita :spudbooge

:drinknsin :doobey:

[kerryg]

I am seriously thinking of upping sticks and leaving for somewhere i dont know.. south island? Scared of not finding work, but that fear is fast becoming secondary to the fed up with Auckland factor.
I'm not sure why i'm posting this on this forum, its just that whenever i mention this to family/freinds they all get so negative about the idea. But i'm sure there are better places to bring up a family?



I have always lived in Auckland (that means I've lived here a LOOOONG time 'cos I'm very old) but have spent a lot of time in a lot of other parts of NZ through my work over the years and I have the strongest impression that Auckland is one of the WORST places to live in NZ, and that belief is stronger now than ever with the cost of housing, traffic problems etc etc. Even the climate is better in many other places. The Auckland lifestyle is for the young and/or rich. If you've got big bucks and can live in the right area and avoid the traffic, and you're into cafes and shopping and the "urban metro-sexual lifestyle" it's arguably the place to be but for most people the lifestyle in a smaller place is immeasurably better. Mate, if you're still young-ish and got a wife and young kids and not too many reasons to stay in Auckland there are lots of better places. Seize the day ! You'll not look back.

The best lifestyle I have seen is a guy I do some business with in Canterbury. He and his lovely family live at Hurunui, he tends bees at the Molesworth Station (takes a Unimog up there for a few days at time, out of cellphone range, fording rivers and seeing no other humans), in his spare time rides a big K1200 BMW on near-empty mountain roads, his kids fly kites and go fishing and play on trail bikes.....oh blissss...........A million miles and a thousand years from what is possible in this poxy place. His case is pretty rare probably but what a goodlifestyle you can have in a small town or a provincial city compared to here. Go for it!!!

[Motu]

I felt the same as you 20 yrs ago and tried to find somewhere in NZ that wasn't a hick town and yet offered some prospect of paid work.Plenty of places to go and live on the dole,but I feel more satisfied having a job to moan about.I went to Waiheke Island - it was a laid back place then,full of ex hippies and other rejects from society...me included.I came back to Auckland 8 yrs ago fully intending to only be here for a couple of months before heading off somewhere else.Somehow I've ended up staying - let's face it,this is where the money and jobs are,everything that happens in NZ happens in Auckland,it's just a convienient place to live.

Really it was a cop out to run away from Auckland,the problems are only relative - and trying to survive in a small community turned me prematurly grey and stunted my growth.I'm rapt my 2 daughters were brought up in a rural background,and sad my 2 sons don't know how to get the bobby calves out of my veggie garden.

It's life - I've fucked mine up completely,but I've had some fun along the way - but yeah,doing something different and then cutting your bridges when you do it adds ''something'' to you life,I've done it several times.Do it - but keep a string attached to the old home town,ok?

[Hooks]

Mate I'm not too sure how correct it is ... but I have hearing some good things about Wanaka lately ..... plenty of jobs .. if you're not too picky and the most have accom with them !! ... The pay is good and the lifestyle is awesome ... I'm thinking of making a move soon too .....

[Cynic]

i make a better house wife than my wife, she can't cook very well, and i end up doing most of the washing, only one wifely dutys she got to do, thats why i married her hahaha

LOL... I cook and clean but washing is a diploma subject around here and I haven't graduated...

Back on topic, P in NZ is on the money... Go for a few road trips and check a few places out. There are heaps of places in NZ that you can make a living. Nothing is forever either, if you do move there will be things you like and dislike and if needs be move again. If you do trip around a bit looking at other places, even if you don't find what you want you still got out of the rat race for a bit and saw some of the country.

[wari]

I HEar therres some jobs going iN IRaqu ... not sure tho' :spudwave:

[Slim]

I moved back to Hamilton 7 years ago, after about 6 years in Auckland, and I've never regretted it. The extra sleep in the morning alone has made a huge difference! Top commute would be about 15mins down here, depending where you live & where you find work.

Perhaps it's time for a family conference. Do a Pros & Cons list for living in Auckland & see where it takes you. Perhaps also make a wishlist for what you would all like out of any place you end up living in, and then go looking.

There's plenty of job places on the net, and you could perhaps order a local paper for a couple of other cities you're considering, to be sent to you.

Good luck with whatever your family ends up deciding.

[James Deuce]

I grew up in Auckland and my wife is from Carterton and she wanted to be closer to her family so we moved from Auckland to Wellington 15 years ago and haven't looked back. We've lived overseas too, and I have to say that it helped confirm my loathing for Auckland. It is probably the most impractical city in the world. It has a size close to Los Angeles, with a 20th of the population and has for no intents and purposes a city "culture". Get out, even if it means finding a job, moving away for 3 months to establish yourself like I did. You won't regret it.

My brother moved to Ngatea rented for a while and then bought a huge place, especially compared to his 2 up/2 down Glen Innes flat.

Go for it!

What industry do you work in?

[wari]

I... The extra sleep in the morning alone has made a huge difference! ....

I THought you said SHEEP ... :thud:

[Marmoot]

Is it world or is it me?

First, the guvment take hefty amount of my income for the income tax, eh....
Then, there is GST to be paid on anything I buy
Plus, since I use bikes and cars, there is petrol tax to pay
Once a year, I have to pay the Rego including road tax
Then there is also the ACC levy which I never use and never want to use
After that don't forget to pay the parking meter....or else....
Yeah, or else I get the parking ticket which I have to pay to the council
Not to mention the towage fee if I get towed away
Then the petrol tax spewing away again whenever I get in traffic jam.....
I can almost hear it....sounds like coins rattling in my engine
Ah, the mail comes, only to tell me I have bank fees deducted automatically for friggin overdrafts that I didn't even sign for
Oops, that reminds me to pay the credit card bill, with interest cos its a few days behind
Why? Because I spent the money for the new tires for my new WoF
The WoF lets me drive to the supermarket to buy some groceries....which prices keep on soaring
Maybe it's cheaper to eat McD.....not! It's not cheap and not filling
And since I tried it one too many, I now have to pay for the doctor's bill
That reminds me I need to see a dentist soon

Phew....now if there is anything left, I'd better save it up coz my gf is an overseas student and we're gonna need to pay that whallopping $15000+ fee soon......

[kerryg]

I THought you said SHEEP ... :thud:


And then there's :killingme all the BAAAHS.......

[Eddieb]

I moved back to Hamilton 7 years ago, after about 6 years in Auckland, and I've never regretted it. The extra sleep in the morning alone has made a huge difference! Top commute would be about 15mins down here, depending where you live & where you find work.

Definately agree, my sister has a 1 1/2 acre block out in the country and it takes her 10 minutes RIDING!!! to get to work at the uni.

I've just found out today a friend of mine here in Welly is moving home to Hamilton for all the same reasons. We worked together doing web design in Telecom and he's been offered a job in Hamilton with a web company getting more than he is here, plus benefits. And theres no comparision to the cost of living, especially housing.

[kerryg]

Iwe moved from Auckland to Wellington 15 years ago and haven't looked back.

Now who's for discussing the merits of Wellington (is there life there??? is it intelligent life though?) vs Auckland????

Stand back to back, draw pistols,walk ten paces, turn......and :2guns:

[James Deuce]

Now who's for discussing the merits of Wellington (is there life there??? is it intelligent life though?) vs Auckland????

Stand back to back, draw pistols,walk ten paces, turn......and :2guns:
They're very different places, and the whole bitter Akl vs Wlg thing just makes me go, "Whaaaat?".

For us the lifestyle in Wellington is better.

[kerryg]

Is it world or is it me?




So, you too have that feeling that evil forces ijn the world are conspiring against you??
You too need to switch the lightswitch on and off 17 times (just to be sure?) and do you too have those voices in your head urging you on???..on and on....insistent and nagging.....telling you, yes, YES, you are the Messiah re-born.....and you and ONLY YOU are able to cure this sinful world ....given only enough Semtex....

Oh alright...I'll stop now... :calm:

[Eddieb]

I think the traffic is not hugely worse than Auckland. Supposedly studies have shown the delays are only a minute or 2 longer in AK than Wellington. I don't think there's much difference in Housing costs either. Wellington's have skyrocketed in recent years and it's hard to get much below $300k unless you are a fair way out.

I think theres a better vibe here though, people are friendlier, less hard and self absorbed. (Present company excepted of course)

[kerryg]

They're very different places, and the whole bitter Akl vs Wlg thing just makes me go, "Whaaaat?".

For us the lifestyle in Wellington is better.


Yeah...but that's no sport :kick:

[Magua]

I've lived in Auckland all my life, I've been around all the other major centres of New Zealand. I must say Auckland, the city, is a HOLE. Wellington/Christchurch etc, their cities are so much better. Nice looking, more things to do.

In the end, Auckland is home. I love it here. The North Shore is the shit. House prices are a bitch on the shore, 25% increase since same time last year, but that doens't affect me at the age of 17.

[greenhorn]

I grew up in Auckland and my wife is from Carterton and she wanted to be closer to her family so we moved from Auckland to Wellington 15 years ago and haven't looked back. We've lived overseas too, and I have to say that it helped confirm my loathing for Auckland. It is probably the most impractical city in the world. It has a size close to Los Angeles, with a 20th of the population and has for no intents and purposes a city "culture". Get out, even if it means finding a job, moving away for 3 months to establish yourself like I did. You won't regret it.

My brother moved to Ngatea rented for a while and then bought a huge place, especially compared to his 2 up/2 down Glen Innes flat.

Go for it!

What industry do you work in?

At the moment i'm in IT.. sort of trying to build a career but the building is going slow. I done lots of stuff in the past.... bit of fitting and turning bit of building. If i moved i'd be pretty happy doing whatever. My original idea was to skill up in I.T so we could afford to live here but the way its going as soon as the pay increases so do all the bills so its like i'm constantly struggling. Same story with a lot of people i guess.
I'd probably go for a look see round the country right now if i could afford it. We probably going to sell our flat and with the modest profit we have a chance to try something. But it feels like our one shot to get it right.
Words of Paul in NZ ringing in my ears... i guess it all boils down to just having some balls and giving it a go. Its a bit hard when you got others who are affected if you stuff it up though.

[Drunken Monkey]

Sometimes I do. Sometimes I think a nice house in Mt Maunganui would be just about right for me. But after a couple of months I know I'll miss the 'hustle and bustle' - I need change and challenges to keep me going, and although the thought of going to a surf every morning appeals then golfing every afternoon (after a mid-day romp on the gixxer, no less!), deep down I know it's just not for me. Besides, the rest of the time I want to leave Aucks, it's for HK, Shanghai, Tokyo, Kingston or Melbourne. Hardly quieter cities. Wellington has a much nicer 'city feel', but the weather is just too darn cold.
Auckland provides people like me with a tolerable medium. Not quite a great city for nightlife, but better than a 2 pub town. Not quite as sleepy as a smaller town, but handy to some great getaways.
I've lived in HK, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. I've stayed in many more cities. Auckland may not be perfect, but I think it rates pretty well.

[James Deuce]

Words of Paul in NZ ringing in my ears... i guess it all boils down to just having some balls and giving it a go. Its a bit hard when you got others who are affected if you stuff it up though.


Think laterally. There are bucket loads of industries and small businesses that value multi skilled individuals.

Yes your family is affected, but they are more affected if you are grumpy and preoccupied with money issues.

[Artifice]

if your trying to drive to work in auckland then i rekon thats 1/2 your problem. when i used to ride to work on mah cicle i always got there with a huge grin on my face. darn gixxer is currently getting its panels resprayed after the new tyre on the rear incident though. :doh:

[wari]

And then there's :killingme all the BAAAHS.......


Oh ewe are sharpe ... :laugh:

[KATWYN]

its like i'm constantly struggling. Same story with a lot of people i guess.


Yes. I'm getting dam sick of it from a business owner point of veiw. Compliance costs & huge price increases in raw materials are really affecting us as we are affected by the oil & its derivitive products.

These costs are getting passed on (as theres NO way we can absorb it)
and they are eventually ending up getting passed on to the general public
end user - where wage increases aren't happening but living costs are
horrendous.

I'm disheartened at the moment and questioning whether staying in this
madness is worth it too. - I just wanna run away and live on a little
island somewhere far far away

[Magua]

It's the weather and my friends that stopped my family from moving south. relatively mild here.

[Motu]

Yes. I'm getting dam sick of it from a business owner point of veiw. Compliance costs & huge price increases in raw materials are really affecting us as we are affected by the oil & its derivitive products.



From a business point of view I'm not too happy either - my turnover is the same as it was 8 yrs ago! This is because of price decreases! Competition from importers has driven the cost of parts down,I get the same slice of a smaller pie,as far as oil prices go,I'm paying less than half of what I was paying 8 yrs ago.My industry is full of short sighted clowns who think making $2 profit on a tyre is earning a living,there are still idiots doing WoFs for 20 bucks!! We need to wake up and charging real money for real work,same as any other industry.Competition just drives profit down,and profit is how I clothe and feed my kids...

[toads]

My opinion on this is quite simple, Having a mortgage, no matter where you are, dictates how much free time you can have and how much income you have to have also, Pete and I made a descision when our first two kids were little that we wanted to be freehold no matter where that would take us, we checked out the whole of New Zealand and managed to pick up this place for $15,000, still here 17 years later and we've managed to have some sort of freedom time wise and financially wise, I milk a cow and that sort of thing, and we have had 6 children, none of whom have gone without anything, Pete works 4 days a week with exception of the winter when they are busy at work, and then it's 5 days a week, but all summer, we cruise, metaphorically and literally! :niceone:

[Blakamin]

My opinion on this is quite simple, Having a mortgage, no matter where you are, dictates how much free time you can have and how much income you have to have also, Pete and I made a descision when our first two kids were little that we wanted to be freehold no matter where that would take us, we checked out the whole of New Zealand and managed to pick up this place for $15,000, still here 17 years later and we've managed to have some sort of freedom time wise and financially wise, I milk a cow and that sort of thing, and we have had 6 children, none of whom have gone without anything, Pete works 4 days a week with exception of the winter when they are busy at work, and then it's 5 days a week, but all summer, we cruise, metaphorically and literally! :niceone:


most excellent way of life!!! :first:

[Jackrat]

I do. I've lived here all my life. I earn exactly $40,000 a year poxy salary with a few poxy benefits thrown in and try to support my wife and son. It sucks. I pay a huge mortgage in comparison to my poxy take home pay, commute everyday into the poxy city (not by bike.. yet) via the poxy traffic.
I tell you there is barely enough money to exist on, in fact we are slowly going down the drain.
I am seriously thinking of upping sticks and leaving for somewhere i dont know.. south island? Scared of not finding work, but that fear is fast becoming secondary to the fed up with Auckland factor.
I'm not sure why i'm posting this on this forum, its just that whenever i mention this to family/freinds they all get so negative about the idea. But i'm sure there are better places to bring up a family? Just like to hear what other people think and reading a lot of posts on here most people seem to be good blokes/blokesses with worthwhile and helpful opinions. :niceone:
Anyone been through this or thinks the same way??

hy do you live in Auckland, if you dont live in Auckland is it way better where you are? :spudwave:

Mate I was born on collage hill rd Ponsonby,I support the blues and always will,I love AK but I won't live there.
How young middle income familys do it is beyond me.
Depending on what you do for a crust or if your willing to change I say get out of there now.The work situation in most of small town NZ is not as bad as some would have you belive,the rent/price of houses is heaps better than AK,You get to know your naibours,your kids get a better life style,dang mate it's a no lose situation.
Right now I live in Waiuku right on AKs door step,things arn't a lot different but enough to make a difference.next year we're moving back to Tokoroa where most of my family came from.Try this,Four bed room house that in AK would cost $250-300,000,Tokoroa price $70,000, or the same thing for $100-150 pw rent.Don't listen to the Naysayers, it's your life,live it don't just exist.

[Quasievil]

Mate you dont have to move to the other end of the country, move to Hammy its all good here and its only 60 minutes to Auckland to see your family, houses are still cheap, jobs are readily availble, growth is among the highest in the country and its all here, And despite what everyone says its only foggy a few days a year. You can be on a nice beach in forty mins or TGA in 1h10min central funky, great than awesome nightlife and most importantly the most amazing motorcycling roads around in all directions!!! what more do you want ??:msn-wink:

[MikeL]

Why would any one want to live in Auckland? Good question.
I was brought up in Wellington, came to Akl in the 70s when it was a much more happening place than Wlg, really liked it. Bought a house in Mt Eden for $35,000, had a good job, life was sweet. Got a better job offer in Tauranga and spent 8 years there. Quite liked the climate, the environment and the lifestyle but the people were very provincial in outlook. Still a very pleasant place to raise a family, at least until the limited educational facilities became evident. Came back to Akl in the late 80s, partly for the schools, partly for employment reasons, and what a difference. Worst thing was the rise in house prices. Selling my house in Tauranga and buying in Akl (in a less desirable neighbourhood this time) cost me an extra $100,000.
I stay in Auckland because of my job and the fact that I haven't finished renovating my house. Other than that I see no reason to live here.

[RT527]

I grew up in Auckland and my wife is from Carterton and she wanted to be closer to her family so we moved from Auckland to Wellington 15 years ago and haven't looked back. We've lived overseas too, and I have to say that it helped confirm my loathing for Auckland. It is probably the most impractical city in the world. It has a size close to Los Angeles, with a 20th of the population and has for no intents and purposes a city "culture". Get out, even if it means finding a job, moving away for 3 months to establish yourself like I did. You won't regret it.

My brother moved to Ngatea rented for a while and then bought a huge place, especially compared to his 2 up/2 down Glen Innes flat.

Go for it!

What industry do you work in?
Um Jim`s Brother here....Auckland sucks... even tho i still work in Auck it only takes 1 hr by truck or 50 mins by car to get to work in wiri.
(i actually used to live in a place 2up and 2 down in Glen Eden not glenn innes )BUt still very glad to get away from Auckland...even with a high mortgage and a 50.000 income i love the quiteness ofthe little town.
Up untill the fire siren sounds as its about 100 metres from my place man its noisey.
RT527

[Zed]

I don't hate Auckland! If I did I would move away. Lived here all of my life and have no intention of moving elsewhere in the near future - just bought a house in Hobsonville you see.

Yes, traffic is bad, living is expensive, blah blah...but there are other things in life that can make where you live quite pleasant and enjoyable, like friends and family for instance!

I still like to travel around NZ when I can, but not be away from home for more than two weeks at a time. I love my country!

Ps. Sorry to hear of your demise greenhorn. I hope things improve for you. :)

[NC]

I lived in Auckland for 20 years of my life, the place gives me the shits!

Even though the Mount is growing on me, Wellington is my fave :D :eek: :not:

[feral1]

Lived in Auckland for 2 yrs - Ellerslie, Remers, Grey Lynn - 2 yrs was my max

On the wild West Coast now - awesome move, space to let off my shotgun and plenty of nice roads.

Hey - Come down and check out our annual Woodstock Motorcyle rally. Its weeknd of 29th and 30th - and if I am not mistaken that Monday afterwards is Auckland anniversy - sweet :niceone:
Will beat the pants of using your long weekend to go to Waihiki or Nth of warkworth and try to crawl your way back onto the northern motorway at 5 in the afternoon along with another half a million of mumpets.

[speedpro]

Been in Auckalnd 9yrs now and the traffic was gonna drive me nuts as work moved from Ponsonby, then to Symonds St, and then to Mt Wellington. I've recently changed jobs which although it means a lot more miles each week I can mainly avoid the worst of the traffic because I don't have to 'commute'

I've lived years in Wellington and also Perth and owned houses at each. I say just get up and go. With the kids it may be better if only one of the parents goes initially to get things sorted and then the rest follow. If you are OK with hard work to get sorted you'll be fine. Don't get stuck on doing a job like the one you've got. Look at you're other skills and experiances and also what you enjoy doing. Who knows, this may be a good opportunity to make a change. Develoop a long term and short term view of what you want.

A comment about getting training in IT. Check out the competition for jobs and therefore the actual wages you might earn, you will probably be surprised. The better paying IT jobs will have a fairly big proportion of 'after-hours' work as server outages can't interfere with business. It may not sit too well with family stuff.

[pete376403]

I dunno if IT is all it's cracked up to be as far as a job goes - CCIE pays well (bloody well) but that qualification is very thin on the ground. MSCE and $5 will get you a cup of coffee. Plus there are shit loads of asians coming over who are prepared to work for far less. Building trades are paying well at present, there's a shortage of carpenters, and if i wasn't so old I'd be more than happy to get back to my original trade (diesel mech ex GG&H)

Motu, finally worked out your avatar - commer TS3

[Motu]

Motu, finally worked out your avatar - commer TS3

Well done - I figured it'd be over the heads of 99.9% of those here,I tried to use a moving picture of it running but couldn't do it,that would of raised a few questions.My father worked a lot on TS3s,I grew up with the noise - didn't they sound great!! The Fodens weren't half bad either,I served my time under an ex Fodens mechanic.

[Hitcher]

Well done - I figured it'd be over the heads of 99.9% of those here,I tried to use a moving picture of it running but couldn't do it,that would of raised a few questions.My father worked a lot on TS3s,I grew up with the noise - didn't they sound great!! The Fodens weren't half bad either,I served my time under an ex Fodens mechanic.
My Dad used to a be a supplier of the then Ngaere Dairy Company. They bought two Commer TS3s for milk tankers back in the days when most other dairy companies were running TK Bedfords...

[Badcat]

I don't hate Auckland! If I did I would move away. Lived here all of my life and have no intention of moving elsewhere in the near future - just bought a house in Hobsonville you see.

Yes, traffic is bad, living is expensive, blah blah...but there are other things in life that can make where you live quite pleasant and enjoyable, like friends and family for instance!

I still like to travel around NZ when I can, but not be away from home for more than two weeks at a time. I love my country!

Ps. Sorry to hear of your demise greenhorn. I hope things improve for you. :)

i'm with zed here.
i LOVE auckland.
i'm not covered in cash - just bought a little house on the north shore and my beautiful wife and i have a 6 month old baby.
no offence meant to anyone - but if you all dislike it soooo much...

why not leave?
maybe if all the people having such a crap time left, the place wouldn't be so congested, depressing etc etc etc.

i've lived in melbourne, hong kong and san fransisco, and NZ (even auckland) is a paradise.

of course, my humble opinion.
i prefer my cup half full, sorry if that's a pain in the ass.
ken

[jrandom]

How young middle income familys do it is beyond me.

Being the titular head of and bacon-bringer for a young middle income (singular) family myself, I have to say, it's beyond me too.

My main problem is that the only jobs for me in NZ are in Auckland and Christchurch, with a smattering of stuff in Wellytown. My esteemed employer has an orifice in Christchurch, and I'll probably consider heading down there at some stage.

I think I need to hurry up and do a PhD, weasel my way into a tenured associate professor spot up at the uni, and go to sleep under my desk for the next 40 years.

I have no particular loyalty to any place in NZ; I can't say I particularly dislike Auckland. Shrug.

[pete376403]

Well done - I figured it'd be over the heads of 99.9% of those here,I tried to use a moving picture of it running but couldn't do it,that would of raised a few questions.My father worked a lot on TS3s,I grew up with the noise - didn't they sound great!! The Fodens weren't half bad either,I served my time under an ex Fodens mechanic.

The Commers had a unique sound, thats for sure. Even with my crap hearing I reckon I could pick one by the noise. The website below describes the layout of the Junkers Jumo engine - it wouldn't surprise me if this is where Rootes got the desigh from

Another engine that I'd like to experience would be the Napier Deltic. 18 cylinders, 3 crankshafts, 36 pistons.
http://www.lexcie.zetnet.co.uk/delticengine.htm

[Motu]

Yeah,let's highjack this Auckland thread that's full of misery.Some say the original TS3 design came from the US,some say it was developed for landing craft.Actualy the Foden 2 stroke was made long after it stopped being used in the trucks,the final form was a V12 with twin blowers and twin turbos,they were used in landing craft,apparently it was the only engine the RN found could handle the job.Those delta engines are interesting to study - I'd love to see one in real life,it'd keep me amused for days.Here's the TS3 running - I hope.

http://www.topolino.demon.co.uk/go_ts3.gif

[toads]

Yeah,let's highjack this Auckland thread that's full of misery.Some say the original TS3 design came from the US,some say it was developed for landing craft.Actualy the Foden 2 stroke was made long after it stopped being used in the trucks,the final form was a V12 with twin blowers and twin turbos,they were used in landing craft,apparently it was the only engine the RN found could handle the job.Those delta engines are interesting to study - I'd love to see one in real life,it'd keep me amused for days.Here's the TS3 running - I hope.

http://www.topolino.demon.co.uk/go_ts3.gif

that is the wierdest engine I've ever seen Motu, what are the advantages of such an engine, ie fuel economy,torque?, I spose I should just go look it up for myself, and not be so bloody lazy! LOL

[kerryg]

no offence meant to anyone - but if you all dislike it soooo much...

why not leave?
maybe if all the people having such a crap time left, the place wouldn't be so congested, depressing etc etc etc.



It's a fair point. Auckland's not without its redeeming features and there are bound to a lot who like it, love it :love2: even. Be surprising if life wasn't blissful living on the shore with your beautiful wife and baby....sigh (swap you for living out west by my black self....but still funding my ex-wife's lifestyle on beautiful Waiheke Island...guess her experience of Auckland might be different from mine too). But when you have kids it's not easy to pick up and leave a place...so you stay and gripe ...

[pete376403]

that is the wierdest engine I've ever seen Motu, what are the advantages of such an engine, ie fuel economy,torque?, I spose I should just go look it up for myself, and not be so bloody lazy! LOL

Compression ignition (diesel) engine use the heat of compression to ignite the fuel (no spark plugs). The faster the compression rise, the higher the temperature. Two opposed pistons gives the effect of a high piston speed (fast temperature rise) without a high crankshaft speed. Biggish diesels don't spin very fast. It also makes for a low engine profile, which is important if you are putting the engine under the floor of, say, a bus or a railcar.
And another reason, probably the most important. During the twenties and the thirties, designers experimented with weird stuff like this, because they could if they thought there was an advantage. Todays designers tend to stick to the orthodox, merely refining what has gone before. When was the last, really new idea (that worked) in engine design?

BTW, you want weird, check out this: same principle as Motus Commer, but so much more of it

[riffer]

Being the titular head of and bacon-bringer for a young middle income (singular) family myself, I have to say, it's beyond me too.

It's not any easier in Welly either. Gini and I sold our house in Johnsonville and bought out in Upper Hutt a year ago as the mortgage payments at $1600 a month were just not going to happen for us.

Once I take out child support payments for the kids that my ex won't hardly let me talk to, let alone see, I have a salary about the same as Greenhorn.

Then I have to feed, clothe and house the three of us (Gini, Tim, me and one on the way) and its not easy. Especially when you add horrendous lawyers bills to the mix. Hence why I ride an old shitter of a sports bike.

However, I get home at 4.30 each afternoon and get to spend much more time with the family. I used to have a job that paid $85,000 a year, plus carparking, medical, life insurance, lunches and other expenses. But I started work at 8 in the morning and very rarely got out before 8 at night. And it was stressful. So I took a nearly 50% cut in pay, lost my perks, and now I sleep at night. And life is simpler and much more fun.

Yeah, I'd like more money - who wouldn't? But I value my time more.

[Motu]

TS3 stood for Two S troke 3 cyl,there were 3 horizontal cyls inline,made a square box of a motor.The output of the 2 stroke diesels was pretty good - the TS3 was 3.3 liters,or 202cu in,same as an HQ Holden,but could pull loads of 4 stroke engines more than twice the size,they were fitted to a typical dump truck,stock truck or 3 yrd mixer bowl.The Foden 2 stroke was 250cu in,same as an XA Falcon and was a muscle heavy hauler,they had them pulling 3 trailers in the forests,and we had them as quarry trucks at the Winstone quarry.

Here's a story for the old truckers - (this is in Auckland OK?) We were in a Commer mixer truck,getting a load from the city bulk suppler,this was in Grafton gully,straight down off the left side of the Symonds st off ramp - way down,this was really deep in the gully.Climbing up out loaded in 1st gear the driver (a real genuine gypsy) opened his door and told me to open mine - 'I'm going to change up in the Eaton 2 speed,if if doesn't go in,jump out!) anyone who's ever used an Eaton diff knows they have more neutrals than a Triumph 650.I didn't mind being sent out to help out on a pour,but getting filled in the city was scary shit.

Ah,the city life... :Offtopic: :bleh:

[Hitcher]

anyone who's ever used an Eaton diff knows they have more neutrals than a Triumph 650.
The worst were the vacuum operated ones. I drove many miles in a TK Bedford with a vacuum Eaton and many more in a Ford F800 with an electric Eaton. Had several anxious moments in the Beddie after missing Eaton changes on long uphill grades. 25 years later I can still remember the Ford's shift sequence (2L, 2H, 3L, 3H, 4L, 5L, 4H, 5H).

[Motu]

I thought the vacuum one were quite good,if you took your time on an upshift,the air shifters were fastest,I never perfected the engine braking downshift - coming into corners with the diff rattling away with no gears! That shift pattern was the same on the Cummins 504 D series I had as a company car.They changed the Roadranger shift patterns in the Fuso's we had at RFL,you never knew what one you had until you shifted into 4th,which was really 3rd,and it stood on it's nose.

[pete376403]

It's not any easier in Welly either. Gini and I sold our house in Johnsonville and bought out in Upper Hutt a year ago as the mortgage payments at $1600 a month were just not going to happen for us.

Once I take out child support payments for the kids that my ex won't hardly let me talk to, let alone see, I have a salary about the same as Greenhorn.

Then I have to feed, clothe and house the three of us (Gini, Tim, me and one on the way) and its not easy. Especially when you add horrendous lawyers bills to the mix. Hence why I ride an old shitter of a sports bike.

However, I get home at 4.30 each afternoon and get to spend much more time with the family. I used to have a job that paid $85,000 a year, plus carparking, medical, life insurance, lunches and other expenses. But I started work at 8 in the morning and very rarely got out before 8 at night. And it was stressful. So I took a nearly 50% cut in pay, lost my perks, and now I sleep at night. And life is simpler and much more fun.

Yeah, I'd like more money - who wouldn't? But I value my time more.

I had a similar deal with IBM, and I agree that the stress is not really commensurate with the income. I didn't jump, but was pushed (redundancy) and I'm pretty sure that if that hadn't happened, I too wouold have been one of the many who said the company initials stood for "I've Been Married".
Sure twas hard getting used to the pay cut, though. :disapint:
Incidentally, what came first, the divorce or the job cut, if you don't mind me asking

[badlieutenant]

a slight diversion from the thread direction. The thing that most annoys me about auckland would have to the town planning. 30-40 yrs of weak mayors have helped make aucks what it is. welly would be the same except they ecountered all the probs auck has now a long time ago and tackled the problem early, some might argue even they havnt done enough. But back to aucks, I dont really like living here, but then Im from the Bay of Islands so I have a good excuse, but imagine if aucks was or could sort its transport problem out (both public and motorways) and actually paid some more attention to parks and the like. Which brings me to back what really annoys me about auckland, it should/could have been the best city in the southern hemisphere. With a hell of a lot of nice coastline which you barely ever see and all acess to it is restricted to some degree by roading or suburbia. maybe they might get it sorted one day.

diesel two strokes...........make sweet sounds. Used to work at sea tuna long lining and our boat had a 2stroke 8L v8. Used to wake the boys up in the morning by cranking throttle 3/4 full to clear the injectors after idling all night.
Fuel bill was horrendous though :moon:

[Drunken Monkey]

i'm with zed here.
i LOVE auckland.
i'm not covered in cash - just bought a little house on the north shore and my beautiful wife and i have a 6 month old baby.
no offence meant to anyone - but if you all dislike it soooo much...

why not leave?
maybe if all the people having such a crap time left, the place wouldn't be so congested, depressing etc etc etc.

i've lived in melbourne, hong kong and san fransisco, and NZ (even auckland) is a paradise.

of course, my humble opinion.
i prefer my cup half full, sorry if that's a pain in the ass.
ken

hooah!

I guess to people from the provinces, Auckland is a big, busy place.
To people like us, it's a quiet suburban life - Now HK, that's a busy city! Shop 'til midnight, travel everywhere you need to go by MTR, great eating and party every night of the week until dawn (or later!)
'Cisco has a cool vibe to it also, but I haven't had the pleasure of living there (only visited).

[greenhorn]

I also lived in HK and KL for a while. At that stage of my life it was awesome. I loved it. Even met my wife in HK, its an awesome place.
Must say its really interesting reading all the replies.
We have made a bit of a decision to go for a decent trip South by selling our flat. We're going to have a good look and make a decision from there. Funny how I have a desire to settle in the South Island and yet never even visited it once.
Sometimes you get the feeling the only thing holding you back is yourself. Over the years I've heard of plenty of people how make a move like we're considering and funnily enough i have not heard one of those people say that they regretted it.
Interesting to learn about those engines too Motu :2thumbsup
Just wanted to be clear, although im fed up living in AUckland i'm not a moaner, just a chikcen. I realise there is no point complaining about something without doing something about it.
Just really enjoy hearing others experiences. Cheers guys

[Motu]

Good on ya,do it,and maybe after a few years you could come back to it with a fresh look like I have - I still don't enjoy it here,just weigh pro and cons.

[riffer]

I had a similar deal with IBM, and I agree that the stress is not really commensurate with the income. I didn't jump, but was pushed (redundancy) and I'm pretty sure that if that hadn't happened, I too wouold have been one of the many who said the company initials stood for "I've Been Married".
Sure twas hard getting used to the pay cut, though. :disapint:
Incidentally, what came first, the divorce or the job cut, if you don't mind me asking
My wife ran off with one of my mates while I was too busy working to notice :(

[Hitcher]

My wife ran off with one of my mates while I was too busy working to notice :(
Ex-wife. Ex-mate?

[riffer]

Ex-wife. Ex-mate?
Very much so on both counts.

[Badcat]

a slight diversion from the thread direction. The thing that most annoys me about auckland would have to the town planning. 30-40 yrs of weak mayors have helped make aucks what it is. welly would be the same except they ecountered all the probs auck has now a long time ago and tackled the problem early, some might argue even they havnt done enough. But back to aucks, I dont really like living here, but then Im from the Bay of Islands so I have a good excuse, but imagine if aucks was or could sort its transport problem out (both public and motorways) and actually paid some more attention to parks and the like. Which brings me to back what really annoys me about auckland, it should/could have been the best city in the southern hemisphere. With a hell of a lot of nice coastline which you barely ever see and all acess to it is restricted to some degree by roading or suburbia. maybe they might get it sorted one day.

diesel two strokes...........make sweet sounds. Used to work at sea tuna long lining and our boat had a 2stroke 8L v8. Used to wake the boys up in the morning by cranking throttle 3/4 full to clear the injectors after idling all night.
Fuel bill was horrendous though :moon:

BL, i agree with you totally.
i'm not saying it's perfect - just get a little tired of people saying how bad it is. I live here by choice (and also now earn less than half what i did 3 years ago). i too have scaled back the traveling and the hours and am having a much better time of it.
sorry to seem like such an asshole.

k

[Devil]

Well, I was born in welly (currently residing on the North Shore (09)) , lived there for 6 years, have numerous trips down there each year but id never shift back.
People whinge about how X city is so much better than auckland without taking into consideration what you want in a city.

I dont think much could shift me from the North Shore I love it far too much. It has everything I want, greenery, coastline (woo! beaches!), islands, comfortable weather all year round and best of all there isn't a monstrous concrete jungle in the middle of it.

Commuting 35 minutes into town in the morning is a small price to pay to be able to leave it behind in the evenings/weekends!

Personally, I find Wellington very boring, and too cold for me. The only reason I go down there is for work or friends. It just doesnt have anything *I* want.

When I ask someone what they think is so good about wellington (for example) the first things I get is "Oh the whole culture down there, great nightlife, bars, nice and close together. Can just walk into town for a coffee rah rah rah". Now that might be fine for some Latte sipping cheese eating surrender monkey, but its everything that I dont care about in a city.

[Devil]

...and while im here...

To the people who mention how much it "cost" them buying a house in auckland.

It didnt "cost" you anything. It was merely a larger capital investment that you'd only benefit from in the end. (unless somehow you bought a devaluing property!)

The house prices are just something I accept for living in such a great city (the North Shore City that is).

[Al]

When we emigrated 2½ years ago, Auckland was our first stop.
We managed to get good paying jobs, bought a house in Birkenhead and have settled in quite comfortably.
I am a metallurgist, specialising in aluminium smelting technology, the weather down in Invercargill put us off going down there, so I am now working in a manufacturing industry in East Tamaki.
Basically, Auckland is all we need in a city! :niceone:

Al

[pete376403]

...and while im here...

To the people who mention how much it "cost" them buying a house in auckland.

It didnt "cost" you anything. It was merely a larger capital investment that you'd only benefit from in the end. (unless somehow you bought a devaluing property!)
Like those leaky apartments that the Auckland "builders" specialised in?

[Devil]

Like those leaky apartments that the Auckland "builders" specialised in?
What kind of reaction are you looking for?

[Badcat]

What kind of reaction are you looking for?

yeah - those dirty AUCKLAND builders......

obviously, all builders are fine upstanding people.
.... except those damn AUCKLAND builders ripping off the common man......
Bloody AUCKLAND....
frankly - i don't know how i sleep at night - being an aucklander and all...

[Hitcher]

frankly - i don't know how i sleep at night - being an aucklander and all...
With a rugby team like that I don't blame you...

[badlieutenant]

Like those leaky apartments that the Auckland "builders" specialised in?
im a dirty auckland builder and ill comment on this.
for a start dont blame the builder. blame the construction industry that says a particular system is worthy or blame a subbie that does sub standard work without the builders knowledge. Particularly blame insulclad and hardies. The fashion for stucco type apperance provided a market for a sysytem that was doomed to begin with. we did a hospital with it out mangere and my boss went to particular effort to get hardies to give it a warranty. The hardies certified installers are no longer part of hardies and thier system suked. it craked and presumably leaked. The engineers and council passed the foundation schematics which we thought were shit and beefed up heaps and it still sank a little.Hardies are trying to have nothing to do with it legaly too.
The leaky building saga is from some shit builders for sure but its the whole industry that has allowed many of the problems occur. Simply put alot of building do leak, take a close look at an old villa and you'll see the signs. The difference between an old house and some of the newer ones is the fact that the old ones breath. "leaky houses" are houses that not only leak, they trap water as well. A log in still water will rot faster than one in running water.
And one more thought, builders carry the most responsiblity on site (and liability) but are paid the least.
And watch out for increses in the cost of building over te next 6-10 years, there slowly making it so that almost all work on the exterior of a house will need to be done by a certified builder (not a master builder, master builders is a tradmark, watch My house My castle some time) or "certified practitioner"
with repercutions if faulty workmanship is found, like banning or struk of the registrar. About bloody time and too slow I rekon.
did i bite ?

[Jackrat]

With a rugby team like that I don't blame you...

Surely you jest,you do live in Wellington don't you? :killingme

[Hitcher]

Surely you jest,you do live in Wellington don't you? :killingme
20 years now mate and still can't do the "loyal Wellington supporter" thing. I predicted that this week would be the "crash and burn" week. How wrong was that? On the subject of allegences: You can take the boy out of Taranaki...

[scumdog]

Love the small town scene, means every visit to the city is an adventure :killingme

My salary is the same as the guy doing the same job in Auckland, that's why I have so many toys and so little stress, my idea of "commuting" (it's a whole mile to work) is riding to work and having to wait 15 seconds for a gap in the trafic when things are busy.


Depending on whether you have rug-rats or not, a $40,000 salary down here would see you o.k., not luxury but comfortable if you know what i mean.

Sure it gets a little cool now and then and it's a fair ride to the other end of the country but I love it.

After another visit to Brisbane I have to say while they still have traffic jams the driving is a little more considerate and courteous than my memories of Auckland (or most other N.Z. big cities.

My 2 cents worth but if you feel like moving G. then do it now, you can always go back.

[Jackrat]

20 years now mate and still can't do the "loyal Wellington supporter" thing. I predicted that this week would be the "crash and burn" week. How wrong was that? On the subject of allegences: You can take the boy out of Taranaki...

In that case you must be loving the current state of affairs. :2thumbsup