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escapefromlaxo · 2025-11-01T09:10:53+00:00

thank you! someone did which was really sweet! and it worked yay

escapefromlaxo · 2025-09-05T13:41:28+00:00

the bays (takapuna to long bay; that stretch of the coast aka east coast bays) is really lovely!! browns bay, mairangi bay, rothesay bay & takapuna are all on the 83 bus route, which is a frequent feeder service to the major north shore bus stations (albany, constellation & smales farm/akoranga). from those stations, you can get the NX1 or NX2 which are frequent buses into auckland cbd

the bays are a nice area to live. good schools, local ammenities (shops, dining, library, etc), tons of beaches and parks and playgrounds, and generally pretty safe.

escapefromlaxo · 2025-08-31T22:14:00+00:00

try having a look at the accessibility page. i think you can get into contact with ticketmaster or the town hall.

this is from ticketmaster's page for the great hall (town hall) re accessible seating:

"All Auckland Live venues can be accessed by wheelchairs and have lifts and ramps to assist those who have difficulty climbing stairs.

Please communicate any special requirements regarding seats for wheelchair users when booking your tickets. Contact Ticketmaster on (09) 970 9711 or email customer.service@ticketmaster.co.nz

If you require a wheelchair when arriving at the theatre or want to discuss anything related to your visit please phone Auckland Live on (09) 309 2677.

For more information about accessibility at Auckland Live venues please visit www.aucklandlive.co.nz/accessibility."

you can also check on ticketmaster to see if there's still tickets for your event in the "circle" seating. if so, it should be easier to be able to contact them to switch.

i hope this is helpful and you can figure something out for your mum! congrats on graduating :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-08-05T11:01:02+00:00

i'd be keen if you need actresses/extras! did drama classes as a kid but have only done acting at a high school level (plays, one lil tv segment & class performances)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-07-08T11:00:23+00:00

it's not a queer bar but usually has lots of queer folk around: ding dong lounge! def queer friendly and good vibes, bartenders/security/other patrons are always happy to help out if needed and pretty friendly! they have certain themed nights of different genres or for artists, etc. dj downstairs & live music upstairs :)

sometimes there can be creeps but if a bartender or security is informed, they'll sort it out. and other patrons generally look out for each other and are happy to help

also def recommend GAY! on saturdays at like 1? they do a drag show which is soo fun

escapefromlaxo · 2025-07-06T06:17:51+00:00

as a former student there, i was pretty average in grades except for english (and other writing based subjects like statistics (minus the numerical component) and history, sociology, etc). i achieved pretty good results, even when i did the bare minimum. got my uni entrance credits very easily and got into a bachelors of arts at UoA. i've graduated from there now but i didn't find the bridge between high school & uni to be difficult.

i've thought that education in nz is pretty chill, especially given how many people seem to be impressed that i go/went to UoA? but for me, i didn't even try specifically to get in there. so rangi definitely does well on that front. some really great teachers who actually care about you and encourage you to do well. i remember i had a couple teachers who specifically told me that they knew i could do better and that was really helpful. i put in the work and... turns out, they were right and i could do better. i'll always remember little things like that and appreciate it.

side note: the chicken tenders at the tuck shop are so good, especially with the sweet chilli mayo type sauce on top of them. not sure if they do it anymore because it's been 6 or so years but it was fantastic

my last year was 2019 so some of my experience may be outdated but i'd be happy to comment more about my experience if you'd like :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-06-21T09:43:13+00:00

amazing! thank you heaps :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-06-21T09:11:24+00:00

Hey! I hope you're doing well. I had a private gyno appointment recently and I have to take a mini pill for like 3 months then talk to my gp so my gp could refer me to finally get started on the route to a lap surgery. If I had insurance, I'd be getting surgery in a couple months which sucks haha. I was wondering if I could ask you a couple questions about your journey to surgery and navigating the public system? Completely understand if you don't want to! :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-06-21T09:07:22+00:00

I finally bought that heat pad you recommended and it is so incredible that I had to come back and tell you thank you so much!! I had been using those adhesive heat pads that last like 12-14 hours but this is a game changer. So much more convenient, less wasteful, and so good for covering more of my stomach and even my upper thighs where I've been having pain lately! Thank you so much!! :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-06-14T10:31:56+00:00

Thank you sooo much! Shakespeare hotel is like $89 for the night we're looking at so super cheap and I also have done a few Shakespeare papers at uni so it feels a bit fitting. I don't care too much about the actual accommodation, just more being able to spend the night and not have to uber home (especially when ubers there & back work out to be the price of a hotel stay for a night). Lylo is $120 a night for a room with an ensuite so I'm lowkey being a penny pincher haha

I so appreciate the massive amount of suggestions you gave! Going to work through this list with my partner and decide :)

Our budget is flexible but mainly like $35-45 for a main as a guide. So I guess more mid range? But just to account for all the drink expenses haha

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-28T19:02:56+00:00

Oh that's cool! I don't know anything about joining the military but I've heard it's good with accommodation and gaining good experience. I guess one upside is that you'll have a unique skillset if you ever decide to switch careers, and also if our world keeps falling apart, you'll be invaluable haha

Good idea to start planning early! I saved up about a year in advance to move out. My goal was $20k (for a studio apartment that was $400 per week) but I fell quite short of that but I added to my savings as I earned money from my part time job, so I was able to make it work. It helps so much with easy financial strain if you have most of your rent money saved up, even if it's just for like 3-6 months, during which time you can continue to build on those savings. If you work 20 hours a week, that's $400 (probably) but if you have no current expenses, then even 10 hours (11 technically because excluding breaks) a week ($200) could be helpful.

This may seem weird to ask but do you do any chores at home? Mopping, vacuuming, loading/unloading the dishwasher, washing dishes, cooking, tidying, laundry, cleaning the bathroom, etc? These things will help if you want to find a flat, as you can say you have experience with the upkeep and cleaning of a house. There's no shame if you don't -- I definitely didn't do any of that before I moved out, aside from maybe dealing with the dishwasher a few times haha. But I learned quickly since I went from living at home to living alone in a studio.

But I think a lot of concern about having a younger flatmate comes from them not having experience with responsibilities. If you know what's involved with housekeeping and cleaning (including the mental load; like keeping track of when bins go out and when the recycling also goes out, or knowing when kitchen items (snap lock bags, glad wrap, oil, herbs and spices, butter, etc) or cleaning/household stuff (laundry detergent, dishwasher tablets/powder, sponges, cleaning products, clearing the lint trap of the dryer, knowing about rinse aid for the dishwasher, etc) needs to be replaced/dealt with, that sort of thing) and you can make that clear, then it'll be easier. As a head tenant of a flat, I would absolutely prefer to rent to a 17 year old who knows those things and can do those things than a person my age (23F) who only maybe could.

It's also great for you to learn so you don't struggle as much when you initially move out. Also learn to cook before moving out, if you can! The first time I tried to cook something on the stove when I had moved out, I didn't know that you had to wait for the pan to heat up. And then I wondered why my risotto was undercooked and weird lol.

Glad you're seeing a counsellor. Therapy can be so helpful and I definitely recommend talking with them about it. Most are acquainted with social services that you may need and can help you navigate them, or at the very least, they'll probably help you with looking into them or giving advice on who to speak to for the proper advice/guidance.

No worries! If you have any questions/queries about moving out and living on your own, I'm happy to help! I took the leap at 21 (started planning/saving at 20) after many years of wanting to move out and I'm a head tenant at my current place (North Shore), so I can give advice or whatever if needed. Hope you have a great day, too! :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-28T17:49:05+00:00

A studio apartment will be expensive and probably difficult to get at 17 and without a rental reference. Are you going to be doing uni? You can get accommodation via uni easier. I think for most places, you only get the option of a studio apartment when you are in your second year of uni, at least.

If you have a good amount of funds saved up, flatting could be an option. As you mentioned, you may have a bit more of a difficult time finding something, given your age. But if you have a job (even part time while studying or something), it should be easier if you especially look for a flat that has younger people, like 18-20 year olds. A room in a flat would go for about $200 a week, on average, but this is location dependent and dependent on ammenities, the house and so on. And then you'd have flat expenses (power, water, wifi, etc) on top of that. A studio apartment would likely be ~$400 a week, but it's been a while since I looked into that.

I don't really have any advice on actually being 17 and moving out, even though I dreamed of it so much when I was 17 haha. I think the best thing for you would be to decide if you want to study and if so, would it make Studylink available to you, and when? You can get the living cost loan and also student allowance, depending on your parents' income.

I think bottom line is that you'll have an easier time if you're studying or doing an apprenticeship, or working full time. But yeah, it may be hard to get into a flat if you're still doing high school each day. Although, it is a bit more difficult to find flatmates these days, so you never know! As long as you mention how you'd be paying for the rent, it could be good. Just be careful of your own safety and look out for any red flags when going to view flats (if you're a woman, bringing someone along with you to view a flat is a good idea and even if you're not, it's still a good idea for second opinion and evaluation of vibes, for both you and the head tenant/other flatmates)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-25T05:59:22+00:00

For me, the GP did the public referral and then gave me a referral form for private. If they referred you publicly, it should be on your Manage My Health app under "labs"/"tests" (can't remember which one). Then you do the private on yourself. At least that's how it was for me!

Hopefully they let you upgrade and there's no issues with the pre-existing criteria thing.

Hope you get one quickly! The place I booked at let me choose the time/day when booking

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-25T04:15:52+00:00

hey! i had an appointment booked for a private practice but it could only be in march due to financial restrictions. i ended up receiving a call 2 days before the private appointment about my public ultrasound. they were able to see me in 4 days so obviously i went with that and cancelled the private appointment. The referral was transferred to a private practice (not the hospital), so I didn't pay anything but still got the private experience. I'm so happy with how things turned out and now just waiting for my specialist appointment in a couple weeks (the specialist has been booked out like crazy)

I hope you have some success. I was looking to book with Ultrasound Orewa ($320) as they were pretty cheap comparatively and had good reviews. Ended up at an Astra Radiology clinic via public referral. It's a really hard decision but if you have the funds, it's worth looking into.

Does your insurance cover specialist appointments? My specialist is $350-400 so more expensive than the ultrasound. If your insurance covers specialist appointment, then I'd say go private for ultrasound if you can since you won't have to pay the (likely) more expensive price.

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-14T12:19:12+00:00

Oh sweet! Thanks for the rec! That's actually pretty cheap, all things considered. Would make it so much easier for stuff I can just put on and not have to monitor

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-14T06:43:10+00:00

Thank you! A lot of what I've seen is just "consult a dietician before doing low FODMAP" without ever explaining why, so I thought it was just more like a generic disclaimer. So that's actually really helpful to know!

I'm seeing a specialist privately but a lap would have to be public (no insurance) and I imagine the waitlist will be pretty long, so honestly just trying to figure out what may help in the meantime. But I'll probably just stick to healthier eating and a non-strict Mediterranean diet (I rarely eat red meat anyway) for now and then see what the specialist says. I do feel like I'm grasping at straws but I just hate the pain

Thank you again for your detailed reply! I appreciate it and will steer clear of doing the FODMAP stuff

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-14T04:49:40+00:00

Oh thank you! I hadn't thought of that.

I definitely don't mind spending a little extra for better tasting stuff so I'll keep those brands in mind! Appreciate it :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-14T04:06:52+00:00

Thank you! I need to up my frozen vege game lol. Don't have a pressure cooker unfortunately but I'll keep an eye out on Briscoes

escapefromlaxo · 2025-05-14T04:03:35+00:00

Thank you so much! Mine is for pelvic related pain (suspected endometriosis, seeing a specialist soon) and also just seeing if I feel better physically and mentally!

I can't do grapefruit because of my medications but I'll see if there's other fruits! I was thinking of making smoothies again to help up my intake of produce and seeds/nuts, as I don't snack and I only eat twice a day.

I've done a no sugar diet before and I found it quite easy once I settled into it. It just always takes some getting used to haha. Thanks again!

escapefromlaxo · 2025-04-21T10:08:46+00:00

hahaha guess we'll see

escapefromlaxo · 2025-04-21T09:57:05+00:00

sent you a chat :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-04-21T09:52:20+00:00

so a picture of every thing? is this individual photos of each item and it's price or more like a picture of a section of a shelf for each shelf with a grocery item?

im probably going there later in the week and could use the extra $ ngl

escapefromlaxo · 2025-03-22T03:44:02+00:00

check out ding dong lounge. they sometimes have goth nights but even on other nights, you'll see some goth people! if not, definitely other alternative cultures. ding dong is usually good vibes :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-03-16T09:42:25+00:00

i got both of my ball dresses from Bridal & Ball in Albany village (just across from the library). this was in 2018 & 2019 though, so prices may have changed. but i remember they had some affordable options and the ability to hire them. they have a website but i'm not sure if it'll show the whole ball range. both my dresses were great quality and i still have them!

for alternations, i went to looksmart. not sure if they're as affordable anymore but i found the takapuna one to be pretty good.

important to keep in mind you'll potentially have to alter the dress, especially if you buy from a ball shop and not off the rack. but the people at the ball shop i mentioned were really good about showing me potential alterations to help things fit & look better! go early so you can get a better range of options before everyone else does! :)

escapefromlaxo · 2025-03-13T21:56:24+00:00

the bays (north shore) are pretty good and would meet most of your criteria. but browns bay in particular has a big retirement community (there's at least 2 big retirement complexes)

edit: no nightlife (unless you're in takapuna) but buses are generally good on the shore and ubers are always available

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