Extreme Weather
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@Stargazer better to be safe than sorry, but being displaced again is the last thing folks need aye.
My sister works for Napier council and most of her team have been moved to help other agencies at support sites. She said some of her colleagues who have been doing that mahi over the last week or so are already burning out as everyone is so stressed and genuine need is everywhere. Not to mention so many people helping out are also thinking of their own whanau and have quite likely had damage to their own homes.
Some amazing stories of people being legends to each other alongside the tragedies. Just hoping the bad weather fucks off to let things dry out and give folks some respite.
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Areas of Mangawhai and Auckland north flooding again, then the HB and Gisborne regions, this is mental, dunno how some people will cope with this.
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Man I hope HB/Gisborne areas don't get the same intense localised rainfall we had in parts up here through to parts of Auckland as well.
Northland is now completely cut off from Auckland, unsure if Hipkins made it out yesterday afternoon after his flight was cancelled and was to be driven back...if so, will at least give some insight into how desperate some of the regions are.
Below is from near Mangawhai
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@taniwharugby that's insane rainfall. Nearly 100mm in an hour is crazy... Thanks for posting
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@nzzp it was absolutely hosing down when I left work at 5 yesterday, I live about 18km from there, get home, dry, had zero rainfall.
I see yesterday they are looking into whether all the wet weather in recent months and obviously Gabrielle is linked to the Tongan eruption where millions of litres of sea water was sent into the upper atmosphere...
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Not extreme weather…but really enjoying our NZ trip (currently on the West Coast SI).
But. I’d forgotten how waiter/waitresses have no idea here. Unlike Europe where waiter can be a career choice, in NZ it’s what students do trying to earn money…
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@Billy-Tell
I fucking loved COVID level... 2, was it? As... table service. And people having to stay the fuck away from me.
BUT - yeah, NZ bar-staff, restaurant staff... don't really know how to actually DO table service.
A few do. And with the amount of time/money I spend at bars/restaurants - the staff typically come to know me and take especial care. But... as a country, it must be fucking atrocious for visitors. -
You’ve got to anticipate but not intrude.
You’re not mates with the people eating.
You need to know the menu options including drinks inside out.
You need to speak proper English on a polite level it’s “what would you like” not “what do you want”.
You’re there to take orders and serve food not chat with the other staff.Only worse are Americans with their plastic friendliness and pearly white smiles
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@Billy-Tell said in Extreme Weather:
You’ve got to anticipate but not intrude.
You’re not mates with the people eating.
You need to know the menu options including drinks inside out.
You need to speak proper English on a polite level it’s “what would you like” not “what do you want”.
You’re there to take orders and serve food not chat with the other staff.Only worse are Americans with their plastic friendliness and pearly white smiles
Wait staff get minimum wage and loads of them don’t get tips. I think you’re asking a bit much.
On the whole I reckon staff in NZ do just fine.
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@MN5 said in Extreme Weather:
@Billy-Tell said in Extreme Weather:
You’ve got to anticipate but not intrude.
You’re not mates with the people eating.
You need to know the menu options including drinks inside out.
You need to speak proper English on a polite level it’s “what would you like” not “what do you want”.
You’re there to take orders and serve food not chat with the other staff.Only worse are Americans with their plastic friendliness and pearly white smiles
Wait staff get minimum wage and loads of them don’t get tips. I think you’re asking a bit much.
On the whole I reckon staff in NZ do just fine.
We’ll agree to disagree. I’d give a tip if I got an accomplished evenings waiting. But minimum wage fits in with the NZ idea that it’s not really a profession. So you get what you pay for.
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@taniwharugby said in Extreme Weather:
Man I hope HB/Gisborne areas don't get the same intense localised rainfall we had in parts up here through to parts of Auckland as well.
Northland is now completely cut off from Auckland, unsure if Hipkins made it out yesterday afternoon after his flight was cancelled and was to be driven back...if so, will at least give some insight into how desperate some of the regions are.
Below is from near Mangawhai
This is insane eh. Mum got similar intensity in the upper harbour area but only perhaps one hour worth a what she said was the worst rain she has ever had.
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Tairawhiti getting hammered again.
The rain here on the lower Shore around 4 this morning was the heaviest I have ever heard but fortunately only for about 30 minutes.
We obviously couldn't go to Napier for Deco so we tagged two days in Mangonui on to the 3 nights we had already booked in Russell. Would have much preferred to be able to grab a shovel and go help in Napier but the last thing they need is some fat old fuck turning up and having a heart attack after an hour's exercise.
The journey north took seven hours!! A lot of that trying to negotiate Managawhai. Ironically coming back on Sunday (originall Sat but...) was only 4. The road crews have worked miracles. Everywhere you see evidence of their mahi. Trees chooppped up by side of road it seems every couple of hundred metres. Slips pushed to the sides of the road. Cones out around subsidences.
But the state of the roads - fuck sake. It was predicted at the time that the shortfall in the funding of the Roads of National Significance would result in the maintenance programme being severely curtailed and man can you see evidence of that. Basically, the road north in its entirety needs to be resurfaced, but with all the urgent remedials required I can't see that happening. It won't be long before SH1 is going to be a potholed embarrassment and a drain on Northland's economy. This is not storm damage although there is plenty of that to add - subsidence and slips, but just the result of years of neglect. The road is so much worse than it was a year ago when I last drove it that the deterioration must be accelerating. Fear for what its going to be like in a couple of years time.
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@Stargazer seems to be never-ending right now, poor people, how would you sleep? In bed, and you hear rain falling the anxiety levels for so many will be through the roof.
Only positive, if you can find one, is the newly formed Cyclone Judy near Vanuatu and another tropical low near where Gabrielle formed are both tracking to move well east of us at the moment, but as we saw with Gabrielle, nothing is certain there.
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@Billy-Tell said in Extreme Weather:
Not extreme weather…but really enjoying our NZ trip (currently on the West Coast SI).
But. I’d forgotten how waiter/waitresses have no idea here. Unlike Europe where waiter can be a career choice, in NZ it’s what students do trying to earn money…
New Zealand doesn't do customer service as a rule.
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@antipodean said in Extreme Weather:
@Billy-Tell said in Extreme Weather:
Not extreme weather…but really enjoying our NZ trip (currently on the West Coast SI).
But. I’d forgotten how waiter/waitresses have no idea here. Unlike Europe where waiter can be a career choice, in NZ it’s what students do trying to earn money…
New Zealand doesn't do customer service as a rule.
... and often folk don't care because we're laid back. Just becomes an issue when you start getting into higher end establishments.
Staffing is a nightmare for people; in the south island had a number of places with young teenage wait staff (14yo or so). Fair play, some better than others, but it's tough times for hospo
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Poor old Vanuatu got smacked by cat 4 cyclone Judy yesterday and now cyclone kevin is heading for them too...
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So after 4 fab weeks we’re heading back to Europe tomorrow. The cyclone forced a change of plans (goodbye Coromandel and Hawkes Bay, hello Whanganui) and the ferries meant we ended up flying from Wgtn to Nelson. NZ remains a friendly, welcoming, laidback place. Some things have changed since the last visit in 2014
*NZ has finally embraced recycling
*Are there now more cows than sheep?
*Maori language is more prominentNZ remains an awesome country to explore by car. It’s no longer particularly affordable but the strong Swiss franc fortunately gave us a 40% discount. NZs reliance on housing as the primary form of investment means you get poor value for money compared to the building standards in Europe. I was personally sad to see tekapo turning into another haven for the rich like queenstown and wanaka before it. I think the earthquake is in a twisted way sort of a blessing in disguise for Chch: central city is pretty cool. Once the stadium is finished reckon the city will be absolutely buzzing.
Best fish & chips: Rivers Catch in rotorua. Outstanding.
Best attraction: the zip line in glenorchy was really good.
Most old school place: whanganui. Felt like NZ in the 80s.
Best top 10 camping: blue lake, rotorua.
Not possible in Switzerland: bonfire on the beach in greymouth.
Will visit next time: coromandel and the bay of islands.
Totally disorientated: the transmission gully entry into wgtn.
Surprised: Drivers generally respecting the speed limit
To be proud of: NZ is basically smoke free. Switzerland is miles behind. The predator free areas are also very cool.
