lardyl

probably why KFC, Wendy's, Mc$$$s, Burger King, Dominos, Hell Pizza, etc, etc are so popular in parts of NZ!!!! And TBH they also tend to be quite cheap compared to the UK prices, maybe something to do with the low wages.....?.....?

True the choice of frozen pizzas is pretty poor here - although I have never eaten one in 2 1/2 years; did consume plenty in the UK as I used to work 50-60hrs a week and with young kids it was not possible to cook from scratch every week night.

I do like the NZ frozen sausage rolls mind, a useful treat for the kids and for various morning/afternoon teas at work.

Lots of the veggies, fruit, etc from supermarkets do taste better but you trade that off against seasonal issues in price and availability. You'll live with that in the end - for example the pasta bake for dinner tonight was made with green beans rather than peppers as the peppers are pretty pricey at the moment compared to the beans.

Tis true this is the "land of make-do".........

crap coffee

That's what I do now............... Now I rarely cook food at home... but it's partly I am on my own, so I don't bother

On the contrary, Me & Paul we both actually worked less than 40 hours per week in Scotland........ When he first came to NZ ,,,,,,he complained that why Kiwis working hours so looooong with crap wages? ...........

lardyl

does happen doesn't it. Good thing is that I can survive here working for myself on 15 hours a week whereas I was expected to work 45+ in the UK ..... really ought to get my finger out though so we can make some money..........

HEEEWWWWWWWEETTTTTTTTT>>>>>>>!!!!!!!

CarolineSwan

i love that most supermarkets have underground parking, always seem to have lots of spaces to which is a bonus

havnt tried the sausage rolls yet , any particular make i should get, lucy will love them

dont really use kfc, mcd's etc but when i have i notice how cheap they are, just not a big junk food lover but occasionly the notion takes me lol

lardyl

The frozen sausage rolls come in long cylindrical "rolls", we often get the ones that are mainly lamb rather than beef (as MrsL still has concerns over the BSE thing) and sometimes the ones with cheese in there too. Can't remember the name but they aren't the absolute basic (cheapest) ones. You let them part defrost and then slice them and put a nick in one side. The oven does the rest.......

southerner

in the South Island I've only seen one like that, and it tends to put me off going there - as I hate carparking buildings in general, so prefer to park outside when I can.

As you say its good never having a problem getting a park. I remember the days of queuing to get in and out of UK carparks and then driving round and round, or lurking for a space to come free.

lardyl

It can be like that at times up here in the crowded car parks of Orewa, suppose though if every customer wants their own "car park" then it's to be expected
Not too many underground car parks around NW stores, more associated with the Warehouse and a few with Woolworths/Foodtown, etc. That's up here anyway. They could be a regional thing? Is land expensive in NP?

southerner

Blimey - you're starting to reinforce our southern stereotypes of the way you Aucklanders live (or don't live, as we would say).

TeamEmbo

We don't have underground carparks in Rangiora but then apart from the annual hundred year flood in July/August, it doesn't rain here much

southerner

To be honest, there can be a queue to get a park at the Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. Sometimes we have to go in the overflow park, which means we have to lug our purchased goodies about 30m further.

crap coffee

Yeah, that's what I thought too. Whenever I visit Auckland, I go to shopping (Albany Mega center) with my brother, and there's no underground car park, it really annoyes me especially when it's roasting in summer - for me it usually takes ages for food shopping there (as I don't know the place very well and need to visit many shops to find particular ingredients for cooking- Although I actually bring some foodies from Welly I know it's crazy), so he was literally cooked alive inside the car most of the time.......while waiting for me........therefore I always had to hurry up and worry about him and I really hated it. On the contrary, we don't have such hassle in Welly which is cool.

Wiz'n'Ton

Haha! I love that farmers market - expecially the cheese dude who gives away lumps of it, but sells out before market closes. Plus all the organic non-spray veggies are brill, along with the egg and veg dude on the main road who now boycotts the market itself after a falling out with the organiser (as rumours has it). Their eggs are the best we've ever had. The Chelsea-supporting roast-pig-in-a-bun lady is a worry though

Oh, and we shop at Push'n'Shove (as the folks here call pac'n'save) for our stuff. Cheepy cheepy cheep cheep, and like shopping in a big cash'n'carry. I can't think of anything like it in the UK, can you?

Bo-Jangles

It's truly amazing, someone's local supermarket has an underground car park; therefore naturally the rest of them in the country must be the same. How flipping ridiculous.

I know of one stand-alone supermarket in Auckland that has an underground car park - some others may be considered underground or have covered multi-storey if the supermarket just happens to be in one of the malls. The trouble with big flat open air carparks is everyone wants to park as close as they can to the front door, because walking in NZ is such a crime unless it is specifically for the purpose of health, exercise or sport; whereby you can only walk more than twenty nine paces if you are wearing the correct sports attire.

I went to NW tonight and on my! How 21st Century have they become? They've just got those super dooper, small flat trollies a la Sainsbury's circa 1995. They' are all sparkly and new and the wheels went the right way. Excellent!

I miss the opportunity to purchase nice ready made party type foods. Like all the mini-me things and yes I know you can make stuff, but sometimes I would really rather not and it would be really lovely to have a choice and make that decision for myself.

crap coffee

I also wondered who buy that stuff ...? (chicken feet, kidney, stomach, liver, brain etc etc )

I heard that Chinese buy chicken feet to eat. Not surprising.

lardyl

Bo-J
+1 to that,
got to laugh at the can't walk another 10 metres attitude here resulting in interesting parking habits, even though there is more space to park in than there ever was in (most of) Blighty.

It also contributes to the crazy driving I have seen on car parks here - a classic was one guy deciding the line to get off the NW car park was too long so he bumped his 4x4 over the grass and pavement around the edge of the cark park straight into the road, at the second attempt as the first time he didn't quite make it over the kerb stones. Driver and blonde in passenger seat shared a good laugh when he finally made it onto the road.......eedyuts!

Also the habit of having to be first away from the lights drives me to distraction. But that should be in another thread.....