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Thread: What can't you do in New Zealand? Forehead slapping moments!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    42

    Default What can't you do in New Zealand? Forehead slapping moments!

    Was trying not to be caught out by things when we're in NZ.

    I thought I could watch snooker from the UK live until my question about snooker in NZ. Obviously I'd have to record it and watch it later unless I wanted sleepless nights. Yes, yes, I know I'm stupid, stupid, stupid not to have thought about it before.

    So is there anything you expected would be easy to do in NZ, but then found it was hard or it couldn't be done at all? Or just anything you didn't think about and then slapped your forehead when you got there?

    Thanks,

    PC (trying to avoid some of the culture shock)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Christchurch from Scotland
    Posts
    2,226

    Default

    Mine was the fact that the sun goes the wrong way round in the sky over the course of the day, it threw me totally.

    Having July as winter....I have what I refer to as Northern Hemisphere moments as I told. Consultant that we started a process last summer, in July....totally confused them!!!

    So mine are probably related more to nature than life things.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Waimauku near Auckland
    Posts
    502

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    Beetroot.

    Searched the shelves of supermarket for jars of this pickled salad vegetable without much luck until I discovered that its sold in cans!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Ōtepoti, Aotearoa
    Posts
    2,736

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    The limited use of online banking - and cheques instead. I am still receiving invoices with no account number but with a pay slip.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Palmy- from US
    Posts
    2,516

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    Just gets me every time I see easter candy in the autumn.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Scotland to Wellington
    Posts
    1,454

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ralf-nz View Post
    The limited use of online banking - and cheques instead.
    I have had the opposite experience - for home use I pay all bills, swimming lessons etc etc online and don't have a cheque book. I mainly pay by eftpos (like debit cards in the UK but you can pay for very small amounts with eftpos cards and no-one grumbles) and load up a card to pay on the bus so hardly ever use cash.
    I deal with payments in my job and most people pay online and rarely ever by cheque (we don't have eftpos)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    192

    Default

    My 78 yr old husband had to have a dementia test after his medical for Residency, done in NZ. Unfortunately one question was to state the current day, month and season. No probs with anything till he told them December was in winter!. Hearing my horrified gasp he quickly added "In UK!". Fortunately the doctor had a sense of humour and was already aware that OH was fully compos mentis!
    Last edited by babscat; 10th May 2012 at 09:27 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    360

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    Quote Originally Posted by girlwithanewf View Post
    I mainly pay by eftpos (like debit cards in the UK but you can pay for very small amounts with eftpos cards and no-one grumbles) and load up a card to pay on the bus so hardly ever use cash.
    New Zealand has one of the lowest rates of cash usage in the world. Merchants like EFTPOS as they don't pay by the transaction unlike in the UK which actually makes it cheaper for them to process than cash.

    Simon

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    North Canterbury to UK
    Posts
    2,755

    Default

    Whilst watching "Call the Midwife" ( a UK produced TV series) wondering why when whizzing through the adverts 'Why is there an advert for Virgin Australia on here, it's miles away !! Doh

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    384

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by girlwithanewf View Post
    I have had the opposite experience - for home use I pay all bills, swimming lessons etc etc online and don't have a cheque book. I mainly pay by eftpos (like debit cards in the UK but you can pay for very small amounts with eftpos cards and no-one grumbles) and load up a card to pay on the bus so hardly ever use cash.
    I deal with payments in my job and most people pay online and rarely ever by cheque (we don't have eftpos)
    +1 We don't have a cheque book either.

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