NZ is a difficult and expensive travel destination

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I am a frequent traveller from Asia to NZ, and the following NZ Herald article only universalises the problem for NZ - that it is an expensive place to travel. Whether you are flying there or leaving, its expensive for several reasons:
1. You have to rely on one of the expensive - non-discounting airlines to get there
2. Your alternative is to fly to Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne, or other ports before flying on to NZ. The Australian route at least gives you more points of entry - that is Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or Queenstown.
3. The problem is that the choice of airports is offset by the poor travel times; so its hard to get a good connection. I often find it almost impossible to make good connections to get to or leave NZ. I invariably am left coming into the country at midnight, when there are no buses, having to stay an extra night for accommodation, and of course having to commute all the way to Auckland on slow public transport because domestic transport is so expensive.

This obstacle of course would readily be resolved if:
1. NZ migration laws were on-par with Australia
2. NZ biosecurity was beefed up
3. NZ did not have such a social welfare nightmare

Solve these problems and the dropping of barriers would see cheaper flights and greater inter-regional connections. i.e. You could well expect flights from Newcastle (NSW) to Rotorua (North Is NZ), or Melbourne to Napier (top of South Is NZ). This would of course be lovely for all concerned. Frankly, I think these developments are about 10 years off. This is how long it will take NZ to discover oil, and end its parlous state of economic irrelevance as 'Hobbitston' fame.

Aside from the need to change connections in Eastern Australia to get a good fare to Australia, the same is true flying from Asia. One is invariably forced to fly one of the Asian low-cost airlines to Sydney or the Gold Coast, before transferring to a Jetstar flight to Auckland or Christchurch. You have to pay more with Virgin Blue or Air NZ to fly to Wellington or Queenstown. I was forced to fly from Manila to Kuala Lumpur by Cebu Pacific, and then get a flight from KL to Sydney via Singapore, before transferring to a flight to Auckland with Jetstar. The poor service of Tiger Airlines (we could not reach its call centre after numerous attempts, its offices were non existent in Manila airport) and their website did not allow changes. Our problem was their misleading website - it suggests +15kg - leaving the passenger wondering if they are getting 15kg or 15kg + some nominal amount of luggage. Very annoying. Tiger is of course famous for poor service, which is why this airline is being absorbed by its sister company (under the Singapore Airlines brand) Scoot. Scoot is being well-marketed and is a very sensible operation. I have flown with them twice, and they are even better than Jetstar in service. This is their promotional stage, so that might change in 2013.

So it is clear in the Asian sector that the two main offerings are:
1. Scoot operating out of Singapore - see www.flyscoot.com
2. Jetstar operating out of Auckland, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth - see www.jetstar.com

Clearly Jetstar has the stronger choice of destinations. Its service has been sloppy in some areas; however I suspect Scoot will give it reason to change its flight packaging. The discount airlines have really been very inflexible on their travel terms. i.e. For a cost of service charge of $3 for a flight change, they are extorting $50, or even causing travellers to forfeit discount tickets or buy new tickets on the day at premium prices. These tactics are shameful, and mirror the action of the banks in the past. It gets even worse, when in our case, the airline has unilaterally decided that there is no capacity to change a code share flight; or that you cannot change your luggage allowance...which is idiotic and frustrating when the revision arose because of their poor website disclosure. Tiger Airlines does not actually tell you on their website what your carry on baggage allowance is.

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

Working holiday visa for NZ and Philippines

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Wow, big news for Filipinos and New Zealanders! I can't help feeling John Key reads my blogs given my postings over the last year, as well as comments I've made in the Wanganui Chronicle. Well, perhaps a little arrogant to think I'm the only one with a brain in NZ. Anyway, let me put your mind at ease....I'm not currently in NZ. 

Ground breaking news for New Zealanders and Filipinos looking for business and holiday opportunities. These two countries have committed themselves to a working holiday scheme. The reason it’s a big deal is because:
1. For NZ, it is a possible precursor to a more relaxed program to employ Filipinos
2. For Filipinos, it’s a possible precursor to other developing nations adopting a similar scheme. Now, if I was a Filipino, I would be looking for a similar scheme from Japan in the next few years because they will want to place downward pressure on wages, and they will want to address an aging population, so they will want more carers. Japanese people will also love to stay in Cebu and learn English, though they might snub the working opportunity, unless they are able to work in an upmarket Japanese restaurant for a Japanese clientele.
Back to the current topics of this conversation – the Philippines and NZ. Its easy to get excited about this scheme, however it is highly restrictive or limiting in many respects. Consider that:
1. Employability in NZ is not a gateway to permanent residency, however it might be a gateway to a sexy girl for NZ men, prostitution, employment scams,
2. It’s not an invitation to do business in the Philippines for young NZ’ers who could plausibly market Filipino skills in Australia & NZ in particular.
If we were being cynical, we might ask, who does this scheme really benefit? Well, aside from the promise of more, particularly for Filipinos, we might say:
1. It gives NZ farmers access to cheap and plentiful supplies of labour on their bee, dairy, and various other farm enterprises…places where NZ’ers don’t want to work.
2. It does not preclude Filipinos seeking a working visa after the 1year working holiday visa; but this is only likely I suspect if you have good skills training…in which case, you might be better applying straight away for that.
3. It’s a scheme to encourage Filipinos to spend money in NZ; and the ‘key money’ to enter the country will be priced to keep out the poor, i.e. You need $US6,000. So this is a scheme for astute prostitutes or Filipinos with family already in a Western country.
My problem with this scheme is that it does not go far enough. Both these countries have an unemployment problem; a problem which largely results from govt interference and a wage price disequilibrium. A skilled Filipino gets $NZ850 compared to $NZ3000 per month. So you’d at least expect these countries to be trying to:
1. Encourage NZ businesses to be investing in Philippine farming
2. Filipinos encouraged to get skills and permanently settle in NZ
This would of course facilitate investment in both countries. Instead; both countries are solely interested in ‘consumption’ – whether its Filipinos spending holidays in NZ, or NZ’ers going to the Philippines for surfing holidays I guess. My concern is that 18-30yo New Zealanders going to the Philippines without a care in the world, might be inclined to pick up some sexually transmitted or other infections, and take them back to NZ. They need to be careful about the place in that respect. Teens are not accustomed to thinking about the long term implications of today’s decisions. Suddenly they can afford too much.
There is also the prospect of scamming. The youths are allowed to work, study and stay in the host country for 12 months, but for no more than any 3 months for any given employer. The problem is that there is likely to be scamming in this area. You might expect little work for Kiwis in the Philippines.
The cream of the Filipino working community are going to have a big impact on NZ. Personally, given their education, I think NZ’ers will undervalue the workmanship of these Filipinos. No doubt it will be a wake-up call to NZ. The problem of course is that most of these 3mth jobs will only arise in cafes and temporary work on dairy and bee farms. Hardly a workplace to roadshow the Filipino skills. So why would a skilled Filipino from a wealthy family engage in that? Well, there is still the café jobs. The problem is that no one is spending in NZ. One wonders if this scheme will achieve much since it seems too restrictive. Might Filipinos be better off going to HK or Singapore? No question; but it might suit some looking for som skills and English fluency before they enter these markets. The minimum wage in NZ is $NZ13/hr, or $US10/hr, and it’s a “no tips” culture. There is work in NZ in the cities. I know a Filipino with a great attitude who has 3 jobs to support his wife & 3 kids.
This is hardly a scheme to encourage NZ business investment in the Philippines, though President Aquino has made progress curtailing corruption. One has to question however the appeal of strategies which encourage Filipinos to go abroad; whilst NZ is hardly seeking terms which encourage investment in ‘high growth’ Philippines, i.e. Why not progress to allow foreigners to buy property in the Philippines, to raise local living standards, investment opportunities and create jobs. Instead, the brightest Filipinos are being lured overseas. This means a steady stream of remittances and of course the persistence of old-style political oligarchs.
At the end of the day, NZ needs to build its population since it seems compelled to sabotage growth. Constraining people to just work subsistence-level wages results in little skills development.

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

New Zealand: Where the hell are you?

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NZ is in the midst of a tourist 'recession' like a great many other places in the world. Going against the trend is a difficult task when:

1. Your dollar is relatively strong because of high commodity prices

2. Your country is relatively isolated

3. Your economy is so small; that no one knows you

Basically, if you ask an Asian who hasn't had some reason for going to NZ, what and where is NZ, they will not know little about the country. There is just nothing to get NZ press coverage. Asia is US-centric, if not partially British-EU interested, its hard to get on the radar. Even Australia struggles in this respect, but Australia has a bigger immigration program with Asia, and its prosperity is well-understood. 

So back to NZ. Given the context, Air Zealand is focusing its attention on the Australian market. Good strategy. First off the bat, I must say that Air NZ is an excellent airline. I don't bother flying them for trans-Pacific flights because of their higher price, but I might fly with them if I was taking a long-haul flight. There is a big difference in service between them and the discount Australian/Singaporean/Malaysian airlines. i.e. Jetstar, Pacific Blue, Tiger Airways. Having said that, Scoot is impressive at its current entry prices...though its at a marketing stage, so get those discount prices whilst they last, as they will double eventually. 

NZ is currently attacking criticism of NZ head-on with its current campaign 'Kiwi Sceptics'. You have to question such a campaign because it actually gives credence to the view that NZ is a boring uncultured place to holiday. They actually make the point themselves - as a criticism they are intent on changing. The question is: Is this the way to turn around such an argument? 

Because Air NZ is positing that a 'thumbs up' for NZ from five recognised Australians is going to countenance the generalised view of thousands that NZ is the 'arse end of the world'; that it lacks culture. If you were going to change perceptions, would you launch that type of campaign? I wouldn't. First thing I would do is actually make a substantive change. NZ (or Air NZ) has not done that, so what is going to make a difference. Oh, the change is to blame the customer. That's right Australia. You're not going to NZ because you are ignorant hicks. That's the way to sell tourism in NZ. It is no secret that NZ Tourism has come under a lot of criticism. These government agencies are often criticised for their advertising campaigns; sometimes which fall flat on their feet, i.e. NZ Pure is a celebrated example; Australia's 'Where the Hell Are You' was a brush fire that ran out of control. 

The problem as I see it is that NZ is a great place to visit for a holiday; the problem is that its problematic when you attempt to live there. Why? Well, unless you live on the cold South Island or Millionairesville in Auckland, then you are going to experience crime or a lack of culture, if not both. This does not stop Air NZ from flying high-profile people over to NZ and cherry-picking the best spots. Yes, if you have thousands of dollars for a tour package or a great deal of NZ knowledge, then you can have a great holiday experience. But the negativity arising from NZ I suggest comes from the people who are living there; not the high-end tourists who stay for a week, who don't see any lack of depth to the market, because they don't spend enough time there. NZ seriously lacks demand, it has huge social problems, and a government lacking skills to deal with them. i.e. economic rationalists or repressed Conservatives. 

NZ has culture; it just does not have the depth of culture and population to make the place a dynamic cultural market. Its akin to looking for needles in a haystack. Yep, you get excited when you find the diamond, but you lament the futile search in between.



My solution is to change the government; for government to change, then placing a sign at Auckland and Christchurch saying "Under new management". Other than that, maybe you just accept you only had a 1-2 week fly-n-drive in you....and move to Australia yourself. No shame in that! All it takes in an apology.

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

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

Kiwis - a boat problem

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This is one of the more amusing stories to come out in NZ. It seems there is a 'Kiwi boat people' issue, as well as 'fly-by-night' Kiwis coming into Australia. Yes, a Kiwi resident multimillionaire has exposed to risk to Australia of people coming to Australia by boat or plane. Presumably these are low-flying planes which fly from the West Coast of NZ to some private 'bush' airport in Australia. It seems equally plausible that such avenues might be used for drugs into Australia....the implication being that NZ is a 'weak link' in Australia's border protection.

This issue comes to hand because of the Kim Dotcom fiasco. Australia seems more concerned about the influx of Arabs. Do we have a problem on our 'rear flank'...it would seem so. If we don't control the 'Kiwi situation', we might never stop them. :) These birds were flying when they left Australia. Some 50mil years after....they are flying back. You can't question their judgement...this Australia Day!

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

Buying & selling property in NZ - and the currency decision

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What is the outlook for the AUD:NZD? A pertinent question don't you think since so many Kiwis are looking to go to Australia? The press are of course trying really hard to convince New Zealanders to stay at home. Just like the churches they are presenting a lot of SCARY!! stories about Kiwis living on the poverty line in Australia.

Just in case anyone has forgotten. Australia is taking NZ's best workers, not its worst. Those on the poverty line are clearly people who didn't have a realistic sense of their own worth. This is not surprising of course. Australia is a competitive market, and NZ's are inclined to lack a good work ethic if they are not accustomed to living in a competitive market. i.e. A person coming from a country town, accustomed to spending 20 minutes talking to others at the local post-office will have an adjustment.

No, if you have useful skills, then you will find a place in Australia. The following chart suggests however that your chance to move your wealth over to Aussieland is quickly disappearing. The NZD seems destined to fall back to 0.68AUD in the next 6 months as the Australian economy regains strength.

NZD doldrums is of course good news for Aussies looking to buy property in NZ. NZ are eager sellers, whether to move to Australia, or because of the rural drift to the cities, or simply because the 'batch' is quickly turning into an investment nightmare. What is the rationale for living in NZ, or having a house here? Well, depending on where you buy, it could be easy an investment or lifestyle property. Land rates are padded with welfare here, i.e. $1800, so its best to factor that in. Retirement probably makes the most sense. There are many motels for sale or lease. My favourite locations are Rotorua, Wanganui and Nelson, and of course Queenstown if money is no issue.

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

How rich people waste their money

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Does NZ have the spare cash to throw around? Can't its millionaires find a more practical project to advancing science or achievement.

Take this recent announcement in the NZ Herald. Some Wellington property developer wants to build the fastest vehicle in the world - faster than the one already going 1200kmph, and yet still finding no practical application. Why do we need another vehicle going even faster if we cannot buy a 1200kmph vehicle? The chalenge is not speed; its unlikely efficiency, as I'm quite sure there is a market for any such craft, even if its only a tycoon's play thing.

Winning the World Cup Rugby will likely make NZ'ers feel proud; but will it make a difference to their lives? Was it their achievement? No? Will it give them greater courage to be an achiever? Not really? They should be able to make any achiever a role model, so the All Blacks are likely only inspiration for other rugby players.

I discourage people from funding such a project. Maybe the crew ought to actually pursue greater advancements than a mere speed increase; and besides the 'cashed up' Aussies are already have a year up on us, since they have similar plans. See Australian land speed record.

What would be a real advancement would be a jet-propelled boat that is sized to ride over waves at those types of speeds without actually touching them. I have no idea if it can actually be done; but that would be a practical application because we really have no need for land-based jet craft; unless we are going to stick them in tunnels. This would actually make sense in NZ - given its elongated shape. The problem of course is that it would be a pretty low-capacity and expensive infrastructure to develop because only one craft could use a segment of it at one time, and it would have to be >500km long in order to offer benefits. No, I suspect aviation is the proper place for speed records; not the confines of tunnels, nor the 'perfect land conditions' of some salt lake in Nevada. This is just a waste of money.

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

NZ net immigration numbers

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Have you been wondering why Kiwis living moving abroad has come to an abrupt halt. I can think of several reasons:

1. The earthquake threat has waned. There are a few 4+ earthquakes; but after a 6+ magnitude quakes, anything less starts to look commonplace; particularly after you realise that all the weakly constructed buildings have fallen; and that anything which posed a threat to life was probably in the CBD. Why? Most houses are made of wooden construction or are single floor dwellings. The greatest threat is probably the old brick chimneys.

2. The strong commodity prices are falling back as punters take their money off the table. These falls have yet to take their toll on the NZ rural market, nor the currency. In any respect, these revenues tend to be protected by corresponding falls in commodity prices. They do however provide a window to buy new machinery offshore. The fact remains, the important agricultural business activity in NZ is going to be doing ok.

3. The World Cup - Who is going to be going overseas during the World Cup - unless you are leasing out your house for $3000/month.

4. Australian slump - The commodity price slide is likely to take the strength out of Australian markets, though it will recover. Nothing can keep them down; as lower commodities denominated in USD are offset by weakness in the AUD, which spared the local economy much impact, as long as volumes are maintained. Australia is closer to China and Asia, than Chile, Brazil and South Africa, so it tends to benefit on the volume side.

5. British visas for NZ'ers look like being severely restricted. Given the lack of business confidence in the UK, this is likely to be a bigger threat to existing UK residents than those contemplating going over. Thus we might expect a flood of Kiwis to return to NZ. This of course will mean more Kiwis going to Australia, given the relative strength of its economy.

6. Earthquake reconstruction - You might not want to live in Christchurch anymore, at least not for the lack of things to do, but consider that most of the 'earthquake threats' have been knocked over by the series of earthquakes, and anything new is going to be built to NZ standards. Japan has greater vulnerability to earthquakes, and has been living with them without much trauma. The tsunami threat was under-estimated or even ignored. A single governor in the north made provisions. In that city; they lost just one life. Praise to that critical, conceptual thinker who 'saw around corners' what others chose not to acknowledge. The reconstruction of Christchurch will become a source of employment over the next 5 years; the question is - will it attract new job hunters or result in higher home construction costs. My guess is the later.

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

Hostility towards Australians

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Kiwi hostilities towards Australians are deep-seated and they are not a recent development. The bitterness has come to the attention to Aussies here for the World Cup because the two nations are placed in a position of drinking, competitiveness, and being placed next to each other at a game for several hours is likely to result in spitting, etc. The fact that it can happen to multiple people, and because the issue is 'timely' because of the disparity in treatment of Australians, we might expect the media to comment. But my experience tells me that there is deep-seated and long-term issues with NZ's collective self-esteem. Let me give you a flash back to when I first came to NZ in the 1990s.

Experience 1: Having just landed in Auckland, I made the mistake of presenting a $A10 instead of $NZ10 to the car park attendant. Yeh, you'd think I'd realise that I was in the wrong country, but they are so similar, it did just feel like I was in Australia, most particularly perhaps because I was in a mundane looking car park and tired. The response by the attendant was less than courteous. As if I had insulted her.

Experience 2: Talking to a NZ'er in a bar he was surprised that I had pleasant things to say about NZ...as if we were only negative about the place. I must admit to joking with an American about how backward Wellington was in 1990. Why? Because there were weatherboard homes next to the airport, and so close to the city. NZ cities are far more cosmopolitan now, and there are many more choices to go. And unlike at those times, you can now go out without people being polarised by the rugby....as if that was life. The reality is that...NZ is boring, quiet and 'undeveloped'. That is a point of derision if you appreciate the excitement, fun and choices of a big city. The feeling is the same if I fly from Tokyo to Sydney, my home town. NZ is more boring, and I can't even credit it with being different.

Experience 3: In the early 1990s I bought a Korean girlfriend to NZ. We went to a bar and joked at a bar that I needed to split my Australian and NZ coinage. I expected a barb of some type, and even set her up for it. I was surprised when her 'We expect that from Australians' was far more bitter than I expected. No mistake; she was adamant when I queried her. I wondered what I'd done to offend her. Two possibilities occurred to me at the time. (i) She was a racist and disliked that I had bought a Korean into their bar, (ii) She resents tourists because her local customers resent tourists, and I was an Australian, so that was worse. (iii) I failed on both issues.

Experience 4: I was listening to the radio when I heard some radio station play an advert with the advertiser saying 'Product on sale....come and get them before the Aussies do'. This was very funny to here, but clearly suggests even the advertisers see a deep-seated disdain for Australians they can use.

In the end, you just learn to shut up. They don't even know you're an Australian unless you tell them. Clearly not all NZ'ers are too proud to love Australians. My mother's boyfriend is NZ. He's a charming guy in NZ when I met him here, but so uptight in Australia.

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

NZ - we steal your thunder

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As an Australian living in NZ for the last 3 years, I care little about rugby, but I know that my house would be vandalised if I placed a flag up for the World Cup - or for any other reason - if anyone even differentiated the flags. When I first arrived here, a Kiwi who's be living in London warned me that Kiwi's take criticism very personally. When I came for a holiday here a few years ago, and said how great the place is, a Kiwi was surprised, arguing that we could only say bad things about the place. I think Kiwi corporate advertisers do not help because they accentuate the vitriol, i..e One advertising campaign "Come and get (their products) before the Aussies".

I thought this funny, but wondered about how deeply-entrenched this loathing for Australians, because you would never see adverts like this in Australia. We look to the world, and we see opportunity.

Kiwis look to Australia, and see their relatives enjoying higher incomes, a better, sunnier life, and they hate us for it. There is nothing unique about it. The Canadians hate the Americans; the French hate the English, etc.

Our banks rip you off (like they rip Australians off), we take your workforce (after you paid for them), we are bigger, so we tend to get more attention for 'Down Under'.

It strikes me that NZ really needs to discover oil, so it can become a commercial centre of significance. It needs an ego boost to resolve its diminished self-esteem.

It does not help when John Key says he will close the gap with Australia.

The reality is that - the wage gap - or anything is not going to be closed until John Key kickstarts oil exploration and discovers the stuff.

Australia has some natural advantages which NZ simply cannot match - resources. There is $750 billion of planned investment in Australia - the solution is that - it should not define itself on the basis of Australia.

If they did, they would have to sacrifice their lifestyle like the Japanese - just to catch up with the Americans - and look how unhappy they are.

NZ has its own personal and unique context - it needs to set its own 'reasonable' standards....and forget about Australia. Stop making them the centre of your reality. You will always be the smaller brother, unless you want to change your values and import 50million immigrants. But then, you will not be NZ.

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

Safety is a dirty word for ETS scheme

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The NZ government has found a rationalisation not to adopt the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The reality is that aside from these pragmatic reasons, it was never committed to adopting it, and was always relying upon the rejection of Julia Gillard's ETS scheme as a justification for its belated cancellation. With Julia Gillard fighting a strong opposition in Australia, vulnerability given her weak polls, there is good reason to think the policy will be dropped.

Of course we are not supportive of the ETS because we rejected the quality of science underpinning the claims. The reality is that this is a 'snow job' by liberal-leaning scientists. We need to understand that 86% of scientists are liberals sympathetic to environmental causes. They are people lacking critical thinking skills, lacking knowledge of economics, and in many cases the education to grasp that capitalism, markets, nor selfish materialism is the problem. What they don't realise is that - their anti-intellectualism is the problem....but since an apprehensive community is inclined to accept 'better safe than sorry' arguments, we are destined to be lead into a pursue of 'appearances' as a basis for decision-making.

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

One way to Australia?

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Kiwis are seeing the writing on the wall, and and are looking for job opportunities in Australia. They would be advised to retain their homes in NZ, and just go to Australia for work. They have the good fortune of being able to look for jobs from NZ. All you need to do is email a few recruiters with your CV, apply for a few pertinent jobs, display some skills, and then line up some solid interviews before going over there for a week. When you touch down, get some accommodation, i.e. a room in a Sydney backpacker in the inner city area, and seek work from newspaper adverts, as well as the websites. You will then know if you have a chance. Return to NZ, and you will find many recruiters or employers will fly you over for an appointment if you make it to the interview stage.

Get the job - set up in an apartment - and save for your eventual retirement in NZ. If you like Australia, you can always sell your house later when the NZD-AUD is more favourable. There might be a chance of that in the next few years, but its looking rather dim.

The writing on the wall is that Australia is the land of opportunity at the moment, but NZ will eventually catch up! Another 10 years, and it will strike oil.

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

Kiwis - wanted - but we have standards

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New Zealanders are being discouraged from going to Australia - both by the New Zealand media desperate to hang on to its population of Kiwis and new immigrants, and by Australian media, eager to promote a story of wayward Kiwis. The reality is that - life is tough anywhere if you have no skills; if you have no money, or no mommy to look after you. Of course you need money to support yourself to get a job; of course you need skills. The fact that Queensland's sunshine is popular for Kiwis ought to be reason not to go there, because its also popular for Australian teens as well. Why? Well, if you like the lifestyle, its a great place to be homeless because you can sleep under a bridge without worrying about the cold. Unskilled and looking for a job? Try outback Western Australia. They need heaps of line clearers to survey grids for drilling, and other such jobs. But at the end of the day, you need life experience in order to have a life. Most people get an education from home-base...so the starting point is logically a job or skills development in NZ.

In conclusion, Australia is still the land of milk and honey; but if you are a Kiwi rest assured you will still win the World Cup, and you will feel like a blessed champion for a week, and then you will be poor for another decade, before you discover oil, then you will be rich like an Aussie! :)

There is a message here for immigrants to New Zealand as well. Do they need your skills? Are people in your industry leaving your industry to go to Australia? Has this left a local shortfall, or should you be following them as well?

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

New Zealanders taking permanent leave

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As expected New Zealanders are leaving the country in droves and immigrants and tourists are tending to stay away as well. Most of those leaving are probably salary-earners rather than small business owners, who will tend to profit from the reconstruction. The following article suggests that middle income earners have been particularly hard hit by higher taxes. i.e. the tax system in most countries is so skewed against the salaryman, that people are inclined to seek out any concession, rather than doing what they should do, and stop sanctioning a terrible form of government 'democracy' and the right of government - or that blessed 'majority' - if ever there was one. Stop sanctioning the right of the minority to extort from another minority. That is not the genius of democracy; that is what makes democracy just a legitimatised form of tyranny like the ones of old. This might strike you as strange but that legitimacy comes in the form of your right to vote. Yes, voting. The right to a meaningless sanctioning of a person you have never met, to execute policies you don't know, who purportedly competes against a party who is very much the same, engaged in the same form of extortion, to stay in power. Allies I'd say more than competitors. But by all means, go to Australia, and win the right to be screwed by a different democratic franchise. You will end up becoming a repressed materialist like all the other Australians. If depressed; go shopping; and give the government more points for stimulating economic activity...as opposed to productivity..which is what really counts. That's right, we do not even measure government by the right tools....anyway they control all the data.

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

John Key's speech to Australia moving but fallacious

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John Key, PM of NZ believed a very moving speech to the Australian Parliament. It was this first such address by a NZ prime minister, and follows the speech by George Bush, as the visiting US President. With respect to its content however I must say:

1. Having lived in NZ that the values of NZ people are quite different. Not that its a problem; but it betrays the sentiments of the speech. Everyone likes to mention what we share. This of course betrays the facts, which also include differences. We actually have quite different histories. Shared aspirations? I don't think so. The only Australians going to NZ are those trying to escape a repressive government, and tourists wanting to check out what a real mountain and earthquake looks like. Most of the 560,000 NZ'ers in Australia came over for the money, even if they learned to live there.

2. The CER represents a 'global standard in free trade agreements'. Really? What about the apples Mr Key. NZ apples were restricted for trumped up scientific reasons...you know...the type used to justify climate/carbon taxes.

There are many positives about this speech. The sentiments are warm and welcoming; but sadly they are quite a stray from the facts and from principle. Most concerning is the sentiments expressed - that both countries are committed to freedom:

"That democracy, freedom and the rule of law should be cherished and fostered".

In the policies of both the Australian and NZ, trade aside, I see no evidence of freedom, and would argue that democracy is but a legitimatised form of fascism. Great speech lest we forget the facts.

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

Discount airlines flying to New Zealand

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There are a number of discount airlines servicing New Zealand. I just found a new one - so I thought I would provide a list of the discount airlines now that I am aware of:

1. China Southern Airlines - See their website. They fly to Sydney, Brisbane, and soon to Auckland (NZ). Looking at their website, its a shocker. A sign that Chinese companies just have no idea about customer service. They are expensive too, but more importantly, it would be a nightmare to compare prices. I'd hate to think about the actual flight expensive. I am having flashbacks of a Garuda flight years ago...when they lost my luggage for 4 days. I went to a conference in Goa (India) in my Bali shorts.

2. Air Asia X Airlines - See website. They are based in Kuala Lumpur, so this will most likely be your transit point. The positive aspects about KL is that its a pretty attractive city, far cheaper than Singapore, just as beautiful, without being as clinical, or broadly as authoritarian...just tight on the social values, so you probably shouldn't feel your GF's legs at the dinner table. They fly to Gold Coast, Perth, Sydney I think, as well as Christchurch (NZ).

4. Jetstar - Jetstar is a Qantas subsidiary, so they fly out of all Australian cities, as well as Auckland and Christchurch. They probably represent the best value, but the service is often dodgy. I've had many issues. i.e. Like telling my family they can't fly through Sydney when they knew we could. They refused to listen until the nth hour. Yes, that's you Page in Christchurch. Problem with Australian immigration as well. They didn't know the rules.

5. Pacific Blue - see website. They fly out of most Australian cities to NZ, Asia, etc. I always find them more pricey than Jetstar. Recently they curtailed their flights inside of NZ, so they have a more limited offering now.

Air NZ is of course a more expensive service provider, and they come highly regarded. Frankly I tend to risk it on Jetstar. The flights are cheap, the planes are great, so I suffer the risk and impertinence of poorly trained staff and web sites with 9-page contracts, and a Filipino call centre which functions inefficiently.

In fact, Jetstar in an alliance with Australian Immigration are causing a lot of international travellers transitting in Australia a lot of grief. They are a real heartbreaker because people fly through Australia, and certain travellers from certain countries are not aware that their country is not covered by a certain convention. Rather than place them on a flight which would allow them to transfer in Australia, they are obliged to wait until the NZ airport immigration counter opens to get a temporary visa to stay within the confines of Australia's airports for less than 8 hours. How accommodating is my government? Fascist idiots to be sure! That rule pertains to people with checked in baggage. Don't ask me why. We were wrongly affected by this rule. On another trip we saw other people affected. It is government ruining people's lives. Some of these people don't have the money to stay in a hotel until the airline can rebook them because immigration officers work normal hours. :(

Its a problem for NZ too because its the Australian government ruining the lives of people in NZ, so the problem reflects on NZ. And guess what - Jetstar makes money from the process. These people have to rebook their flights, and Jetstar charges them a rebooking fee. They might even have to get a more expensive flight. We were different - we actually complied with the rule - its just that the Australian Immigration officer who responds to Jetstar inquiries at 6AM did not know the rules. Jetstar - not helpful - despite my partner's knowledge of the facts. We went on the website to prove it to them. Fortunately for us we had laptops. We saw this happen again. That is too frequent.

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

Australian PM delivers a cliche

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Julia Gilliard has turned a commonplace activity like generosity and turned it into a cliche. It was always an Australian beat-up, this notion of 'mateship', but she wants to labour the point because we have to be close for economic reasons. Sadly these people waste our time, and they are only obstacles to the real 'business' of creating wealth. Consider for instance the fact that the Australian Liberal and Labor governments alike have for the last 20 years obstructed NZ apple exports to Australia, and concocted a scientific reason to lock out NZ apples which taste far better than the Australian apple....by miles.

The trade relationship with NZ is more important to NZ than it is to Australia...if only because NZ'ers have no money, no jobs, and a competitive advantage because their currency is so low.

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

Australia and NZ - their economic relationship

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The visit of Australian PM Julia Gillard to NZ has sparked a media discussion about the relationship between the two countries. I would offer the following:

The differences between Australian and NZ are real for several reasons:
1. Australia has benefited from high business investment and strong demand for its mineral & energy exports. It can confidently integrate with the global market.
2. NZ remains isolated and suffering a ‘brain drain’, mostly to Australia. Its food exports are only just about to recover, but it otherwise is on the back foot.
NZ is in some respects like South Australia, a small isolated population of Australia detached from the rest. Until NZ discovers oil, or its currency depreciates to a value-proposition, it will remain isolated, just as South Australia did before it discovered minerals (i.e. Olympic Dam). Interestingly, this discovery was made because of a $25mil govt-sponsored geophysics program. Might I suggest the NZ govt sponsor geophysical surveys over the offshore regions of NZ, in order to ignite oil & gas exploration. Oil for NZ would make it the richest country in the world, like the United Arab Emirates. John Key could be a god if the investment pays off. It’s a justifiable investment.

The economic stagnation that has placed NZ on the back foot is not a new phenomenon; it has been the reality ever since commodity prices dropped in the 1960s, and the UK joined the EC in 1973. Ever since NZ terms of trade and currency have under-performed. People no longer wanted NZ wool or milk. The ascension of China and India will change that. Asian girls will want milk so they can be as voluptuous as their Western cousins. Yes, guys! That means more 'big tit-tees'. We have seen poorly implemented privatisation, and others just 'back peddling' which has created welfare rather than income generating opportunity. Worst still is that the country seems to be moving towards Australia. Australia is successful not because of its regulatory framework, but despite it. Australian leaders can take all the credit for the turn around in its terms of trade and investment, but the reality is that it has more to do with India's isolationism in the past, and China's repressive Cultural Revolution in the 1960-70s. Those policies have unleashed an avalanche of wage disparity needing a market.

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

Australia vs NZ - the immigration stakes raised

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Want a sense of which way the 'net migration' picture is moving in NZ - read this story in the NZ Herald. NZ will have its day, though it might have to wait a few more years. The notion that you need an income of $150,000 to live in Australia strikes me as utter nonsense. The cost of food in NZ and Australia is better in Australia, particularly after the increase in the NZ GST to 15%. Maybe that was the final straw for the NZ government. They ought to have cut into welfare rather than raise the GST. Anyway, they might be wise to reconsider effectively taxing immigration...as they are driving migration to Australia.

You can rent a place in Artarmon, Sydney for $370 per week. If you are sharing, that is a modest $750 per month. You can therefore live comfortably in Australia for anything over $50,000. In fact most immigrants from NZ would be making $80,000 plus.

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

Queenstown - magical place

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I was speaking to an Australian today...if you read this....sorry for cutting you off. I was tinkering around with Google at the time.

Anyway, there are a great number of Australians showing interest in NZ. I understand the appeal, but I must make the point that you don't know the place until you live here. I have lived here two years, and my advice is....do your research. Commonsense I know. There are things you will need to know. I think for most people the Queenstown region offers the greatest appeal even if you only buy an investment property here. The appeal might wear off if you experience a winter here....but then some of you like the snow.

I personally believe Queenstown airport will be used for domestic flights in future, and that there will be a centralised airport built around Gore to service Dunedin, Invercargill, Wanaka and Queenstown. These three centres are a significant distance from Christchurch, so they need a new airport. Queenstown is 6.5 hours from Christchurch. This area has a lot of appeal. The people here are more international, the shops and service are better. The rest of NZ (apart from Auckland) is held in a cultural vortex. Progressive minds leave....retirees enter and keep to themselves. Its a beautiful country...but like Australia it is dominated by idiots. I prefer to live in Japan where they are all saints because I don't understand them. You can however etch out your own existence here. There are plenty of bars, restaurants, walks, rides to provide a superficial and amusement-filled life. The infrequent gratuity goes a long way... and it will sustain you for a week of solitude. Sounds like paradise to me. :)

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