luvwelly

Surprised might be better than shocked.....but it's that you seem to have to test drive cars (even brand new ones) at your own risk - amount you sign for varies from NZ$500 at the Ford/Mazda dealer to $2500 at several others....and I thought they wanted to sell me a car.....this is maybe not such a big deal for kiwis with car insurance cover but as a new arrival, you have no cover and if anything were to go wrong during your test drive....you'd be liable.....
Several dealers said their own staff also had to drive the cars at their own risk when moving them as part of their job (very strange) but again they probably can get cover.

We were also told we were the only customers to ever make an issue of this...no prizes for guessing that Ford/Mazda got our business!

I find the lack of central heating truly amazing but was told about this beforehand so wasn't shocked by it....It is however possible to get properties with adequate heating and people really should demand this in my view in order to put pressure on Landlords, housebuilders.....
I agree with a previous poster about it looking very scottish scenery-wise....had the most scenic visit ever to a council rubbish dump recently....a landfill in a beautiful green mountainous setting dotted with yellow gorse.

brussels_sprout

A little bit shocking is the underlying wildness of some of Kiwi youth/students, yesterday there were large scale riots in Dunedin, English immigrants are not really aware of it ! The mess on the streets was incredible ! Burnt - out cars, rubbish, bottles thrown at the small number of Dunedin police (the total number must only number 100 or so).

TeamEmbo

We've test driven loads of cars and never once been asked to sign anything before, or been asked about insurance or told. Indeed that was the thing I was going to say surprised us! - the fact that you can go to a garage, be totally unknown to them, and you get to take the car out unaccompanied and 99% of the time we were told to keep the car overnight or for the weekend, without having to leave them any personal details. Some did ask to see a driving licence but that was about it. And that's just one thing I love about NZ; the trust and lack of suspicion - the opposite of that to the norm back in England.

luvwelly

Yes I agree about the trust thing....we were offered brand new cars to keep overnight but declined because they wouldn't be properly insured. You took this as a positive but I'm just wondering what would you have been liable for if something had gone wrong?

FishermansFriend

What shocked me is the ammount of whinging recent pom arrivals do!
(On forums)

lardyl

hoho
and it appalls me that people find this shocking


especially *if* they knew these forums existed before they arrived

kiwiflyer

Echo that

Judgemental people who have no understanding of New Zealand and think its a bed of roses. Get annoyed more by the centre of the universe Auckalnd mentality.

garryhg

what is auckland mentality

giving my opinion as a scottish person not an aucklander

Dandy Dan

Agreed! I don't see the point in going through all the stress and agro to get here to start a new life and then whine on about it! Don't they realise the more that come and bang on about wanting to Englify the place, well, they'll just end up with the crap they just stressed over getting away from! Like complaints about there being rubbish UK tv and no upto date Eastenders? What's that all about? THIS IS NZ! You all came here for a different way of life - why moan when you find its, well, erm, different!

kiwiflyer

You live in Auckland you are a Aucklander dont matter where you come from originally you are a Aucklander. Last census I said I was a New Zealander because I am could of ticked other and said Jafa like some did
Left England now at home in New Zealand end of story

kiwiflyer

They say that the noise at Auckalnd Airport is not the Plane Turbines but the whining poms just arrived

Jude J

Get out of here! Do you really think that? If so, do you also think that a kiwi living in London a few weeks is a cockney?

Jude J

never heard that one...

kiwiflyer

Defensive comments from .............................you guessed it a Jafa

teambwr47

That anti Auckland/'Pom' chip you're carrying so well on your shoulder must get very heavy sometimes but i just wonder why you carry it?

If you're a Kiwi happy with their lot then why post in the way you do here?

I don't think anyone who's posted as an Auckland resident has said anything bad about where you or others live in NZ but you seem obsessed with, Auckland is this that and the other....all bad so far as you see it?

Intrigued as to why you have the attitude to Auckland, its people,houses and mentality (as you put it), not to mention your seemingly anti 'pom' stance.

Did you try and fail at living in Auckland or maybe even the UK is that where it comes from?

We're all a bit anti something here once in a while but looking back at your posts via a search there's an obvious theme........