Have driven about 1200 miles over the past 3 weeks. Mostly evil roads! Hills, blind bends, inverse cambers, poor road surfaces, no crash barriers, poor signage...! None of the locals seem to complain though - it seems that half of the roads weren't even tar-sealed until about 25 years ago.
Local past-time seems to be running over possums at night...
Good news is... diesel at 45p/litre and petrol around 60p, and this in a country which has to import all its oil! And more amazingly, the pump prices have fallen by around 45% since the summer oil peak! How much have our UK prices gone down by? 10-15% tops? What a con! Makes you realise just how much $$$ our darling UK Government makes off us at the pumps! Clearly the NZ government don't tax fuel (much), but the motorist just has to put up with "challenging" roads. What would you prefer?!
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Happy new year to you too!
I don't want to get into another "isn't the UK rubbish" thread but I absolutely loved NZ - seemed to me like the way we could be here without all the stress and nanny-state-ish-ness to which we have become resigned. Last time we were there, I was sat on an airfield in the sun near Kati Kati enjoying a lovely flat white and eggs benedict, reading in the paper about tanks being lined up on the approach to Heathrow - it's only when you're on the outside looking in do you realise how absurd it is.
Driving in NZ was a pleasure, good road manners, staggering scenery - and given we were driving sheds of Mazdas and Nissans says a lot for the country. Unsealed roads are a pain, but if you're driving a heap that belongs to a rent-a-wreck company then the stones flying around aren't an issue....!
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I'd like to reinforce these views. NZ is a fantastic place. Stunning scenery and only 4 million people in an area slightly bigger than the UK. If I could find a way to make a decent living there I'd be off. Actually the main arterial roads are all pretty good these days, tar sealed and well maintained, as are those in towns. My wife (a Kiwi) tells me that when she was growing up, even the main roads could often be dirt or cinder.
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On the fuel tax situation,
If the NZ govt were trying to police half the world, and subsidise the other half whilst under the delusion that their country is still a rich world power, they would have to rob as much money off their working inhabitants (the good old motorist, he'll do, we can fire a load of green flannell to make him the bogeyman while we're about it too)as ours do.
Sorry chaps, its the way i see it in my simple way, i'm no doubt misguided.
Happy New Year to those in NZ too.
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