Returning campervans vs flying

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If you need to get between airports, many of us would probably fly or get an inter-city bus. Another option is to do a campervan return. There are certain cases when this works well:

1. Moving home - If you have more luggage than you'd be taking on a flight, then you can take that with you, i.e. Say because you are moving luggage to a storage facility on your way to the airport.

2. Different departure - Say you live in one majority city or town like Queenstown, but you have an international departure from Christchurch or Auckland.

3. Expensive domestic flights - Say you live in NZ where domestic flights can be just as expensive as your international flights.

4. No bus service - Say you left your bus booking too late, then campervan 'returns' can be a cheap way of getting to the airport. You also have the option of making a slight holiday out of the trip.

5. No car storage - I will be flying from Christchurch airport in June'12 and will probably looking to sell my car at that time. I will probably look at buying a new car when I return rather than keep one in storage for 3 months over winter. In this case, it makes sense to sell my car in Queenstown, a popular entry point, and to return a campervan.

This is of course just another option for those probably with a lot of luggage; or wanting to do some shopping, etc in another city. In most cases, you will probably just get that domestic flight. The trick is to know where to go to get your campervan 'return' and remembering. There is a litany of campervans needing redistribution at Queenstown airport. You drive past them on the way to New World shopping centre. Try Camper Returns.

You can get the vehicles for around $5/day, with a $100-300 fuel allowance depending on the distance and their urgency. There are time constraints, however you have the flexibility to pay extra for extra days.

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Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Mountain biking in NZ

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There are a few areas in NZ which are great places to hang out for activities. Chief among these places are:

1. Rotorua - Taupo volcanic zone on the central North Island - close to fishing, whitewater canoeing, skiing, mountain biking trails

2. Upper Hutt - close to Wellington, this is another gem for outdoor enthusiasts with MTB, whitewater canoeing, ballooning, hiking, fishing, etc. Wellington City unfortunately never did much for me.

3. Nelson - close to this town is good fishing, mountain biking, but not sure about the skiing, whitewater canoeing. Aside from the ferry to Wellington ($70pp + $120 for a car), its a pretty isolated region.

4. Queenstown-Wanaka-Hawea is good for mountain biking, skiing, whitewater slalom, as well as as raft of other sports and activities.

These are the activity centres of NZ I believe. Queenstown and Rotorua are the easiest to get to. Direct flights from East Coast Australia - at least for Rotorua (limited) and Queenstown (expanding). I might mention that this April 21st there is the Contact Epic MTB Challenge at Lake Hawea. Every year the farmers in the region open up their properties to cyclists to go around the lake. This country needs another 1-2million, then it will be a great place to live. Sadly, its struggling to keep the people it has.

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Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

John Key unable to grow population

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New Zealanders are abandoning NZ at even faster rates. There are a number of good reasons for expecting this:

1. Canterbury (Christchurch) earthquake has given residents the hebbee geebees; and they don't want to place themselves in a situation where they could be vulnerable to another spell of it. The reality is that the earthquake rebuild will mean this will be a time of prosperity for those who go to Christchurch; though people will want to be careful about where they live, and what they live in. i.e. avoid brittle (brick in particular) structures; avoid loose sediment piles subject to liquefaction.

2. Cost cutting by government is going to see Australia absorb a lot of the public servants that the National Party is cutting. This is of course great for Australia since it adds to their demand; even if its 'good for nothing' public servants. The reality is that John Key is just killing NZ's potential for a recovery in economic demand. Paradoxically, public servants are probably among the nation's biggest savers. They have university education; but they didn't do much with it, so they lose point. They do eat and fart though; so Australia will take them.

The paradox is that NZ has some value propositions going forward. There are some brilliant Asian immigrants entering the country who really have a good work ethic. People are inclined to make generalisations about Asians. What they need to realise is that the ones that come here are usually the brightest in their 'over-populated' nations. I know some of them are difficult to understand. Geez, I spoke to a Chinese girl in Sydney. Very impressive....very smart...problem was I could barely understand here. Anyway, that aside, these people are very hungry, and they will greatly add to NZ wealth if NZ embraces them. Unfortunately, surveys show that Asians are the most discriminated group in NZ; followed by the Samoans. I personally this Aussies are persecuted here; but we can take it. We know its coming from a place of immense insecurity, so we can brush it aside. They all change when they migrate to an Aussie. They are never cured of the self-righteousness though. My mom has a NZ BF....he is forever saying he loves the country...but he never goes back.

The good news though is that NZ is dealing with the blow out in local government spending. Personally though, I don't believe centralising spending will make matters better. In fact it will just result in further job losses from rural areas, and this again could see more NZ'ers leaving. This government seems determined to drive NZ'ers out of the country. Everything they do is 'anti-jobs'. I appreciate the desire to make savings; but you don't replace a useless job with a useless welfare recipient. This will just compel them to go abroad. This will result in more job losses and business closures in the private sector; particularly in the rural areas of NZ. These towns are already over-serviced and over-capitalised, with depopulation still in some areas. We need the population of NZ growing.

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Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Is NZ an attractive investment for millionaires?

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According to David Shearer, the new NZ Labour Party leader, foreign investment is a threat to NZ. Think again. So why are they buying? Is NZ really such a great investment opportunity. Land values are growing 9% per annum on average. Others have other motives besides diversification. Some mega-millionaires are also escaping pernicious overseas tax regimes. NZ is considered a safe haven. The US govt has recently tightened its tax laws to pursue the stash of millions held abroad by American citizens. Some of those millionaires are rushing to leave the USA; to become non-citizens before they have to declare their assets to the US government. NZ offers 5 years tax holiday on offshore passive income - that is an added motivation.

Others are just spreading their investment risks. Irrespective, NZ is lucky to have these investments. Let's not persecute foreigners, who are more likely than not to invest here, for a land ownership framework which is wrong, and not for the fact that any person with a lot of land has the capacity to hold smaller buyers to ransom because of Western zoning restrictions. i.e. I'm currently trying to buy land in Queenstown. I could buy 10x more if I had 2x more money. That's the extortion racket perpetuated by our zoning system. The politicians are too cowardly to address it.

Shearer and others are populist reactionaries. Do they realise that when foreigners buy land, they actually raise the asset holdings of NZ'ers? Do they realise that this is a local basis for underwriting investment? Do they realise for every foreigner who buys, NZ money is potentially released for 'tangible' productive investment like factories. If these investments are not occurring, then its because there is no domestic demand. How can you grow local productive capacity when there is no population growth? Why would you develop an export centre in the far South Pacific when you can do it in Australia. The only plausible value proposition for NZ is:

1. Cheap labour - sorry, but NZ work ethic is not so appealing, Malaysia or the Philippines look better

2. Education - yes, NZ has potential as a source of educated labour, but broadly the values are so stinking collectivist/Christian dogma that they have effectively renounced their minds, and taken themselves out of the market

3. Software - yes, but without a consumer base, why would you do it here?

4. Content - yes, NZ is appealing for developing intellectual content, i.e. Books, movies, at least the Harry Potter fantasy style surely fits local values.

5. Resource - NZ is quickly closing its options off here. Don Brash would tell you that NZ has resource potential, but its only offshore, and it is substantial, but with Rena, maybe such projects will never get off the ground. Oil looks like NZ's only hope in this climate.

Personally NZ is the only place I'd buy in NZ at this time. It should be annexed by Australia. The problem of course is that its not light until 9am in winter. But it is just 3 hours to Sydney.

My advice is - leave the millionaires alone - they are not the problem. Its your political system which makes millionaires the scapegoats for Labour/Democratic Party reactionaries around the globe. Its the modern version of witch hunt. The media loves a tragedy; so they will willingly jump on such stories, scarcely knowing what the real story is. But then they were raised or nurtured by liberal academics detached from the real world.

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Author Andrew Sheldon| Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com