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During the Christmas break my lovely wife and daughters spent an afternoon drinking wine and trying to book a flight to Australia on Richard Branson’s new airline.
As fast as their collective fingers could type, the seats were being booked by others keen on taking advantage of his $100 fares.
Success at last was achieved for March the 7th and planning started in earnest.
“Hang on a minute, I’ve got a business to run and a couple of big projects underway, I can’t just drop everything and bugger off to Aussie for a week.” said I, when finally informed of their devious plans.
“You and Mum work too hard as it is, you’re booked and you’re going.” I was told in no uncertain terms.
Never being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, protests stopped at this point and opportunities and possibilities were explored.
Now I don’t know about you, but I reckon Richard Branson deserves a knighthood.
Oh yeah, he’s already got one, Ok lets give him another one, anyone who can stop the competition in any industry from charging the public overly inflated prices and still make a profit has got my vote.
Sure you have to buy your “samies and coffee” but that’s still better than paying an extra $300 bucks to sit in a Sardine tin for three and a half hours.
His philosophy is a simple one, charge less and get more bums on seats. The plane was full both ways.
The crew was well trained, efficient and kept us sardines happy and contented.
The sooner they are allowed to link New Zealand cities the better.
In Queensland there seems to be a serious competition happening amongst Australia’s architects to see who can build the ugliest high rise apartment block. And, do you know what, someone’s consistently winning first prize.
When you travel offshore by boat (hey, I like to fish okay) and look back at the coast all you can see for miles in either direction are these monstrosities. If the foreshore debate in New Zealand does nothing else but stop these demented architects from holding any “Ugly Building” competitions here, then the growing pains will have been worth it.
One thing you have to admire the Aussie politicians for is their investment in the roading system; sure there are tolls on the new bridges, but two bucks seems a minimal price to pay to quickly get from one side of the river to the other. I really can’t understand why everyone is getting up in arms about toll charges in New Zealand, we have done it before. The Auckland Harbour Bridge and the Lyttleton road tunnel to name a couple worked really well, and its user pays at it most basic. If Auckland needs better roads, build them. If Auckland can’t afford them, find an investor who can, then let them get a return on their investment from a toll charge. If the Resource Management Act is causing everyone nightmares, then change it. Just get off your collective arses and get on with it.
But what really boils my oil is why the RUC’s and fuel taxes of South Island motorists are being used to pay for it. Can you imagine Western Australian motorists paying for roads in Sydney? Not bloody likely. Our own roads are suffering from the same neglect, mismanagement and under funding as Auckland’s and they need fixing now, not in thirty years time when the situation north of Hamilton has finally been sorted, if it ever will be.
If you don’t like living in a grid locked, over crowded, nightmare environment, fix it or move out, take a cheap trip to Oz for a bit of R&R, but don’t expect us to pay for it.
But then, that’s “just an old trucker’s point of view”
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