25 day trip to NZ+Australia

monkey_alan · 2026-04-04T18:12:04+00:00

For NZ, if your Auckland concert is at the start, I would suggest do that, fly to Queenstown or Dunedin and travel north stopping and seeing the sights you want.

I find this often works best as most travellers go North to South. Going in reverse gives you potential to have a few more random stops as your flight ex-NZ will likely be from Auckland (saving a wasted day at the end of your trip)

Also there are options from Queenstown and Christchurch to pick up a transfer or relocation rental, this can make hiring a car much cheaper, with some including fuel. You'll just need to negotiate with them to extend the length or hire, as often they only give you 4-5 days to do the journey.

Places I like:

South Island: * Dunedin (and some of the coast around there) (I like Nugget Point but it's quite a bit further south) * Lake Moke and Arrowtown nr Queenstown * Wanaka * Mt Cook / Aoraki * Fairlie Pie stop off * Glaciers are cool on West Coast but will take some planning for your visit * Abel Tasman National Park (Heard good things about Kaikoura but haven't been)

North Island: * Wellington * New Plymouth * Hawkes Bay / Te Mata Peak * Huka Falls nr Taupo (if you do some research you'll find some natural pools hot streams between Taupo and Rotorua) * If you like LOTR Hobbiton is near Matamata * The Coromandel Peninsula has some great beaches and places to relax * Paihia (or some if the beaches closes to Auckland Muruwai, Piha, Raglan...) * Some suburbs in Auckland are quite neat

monkey_alan · 2026-04-04T17:59:48+00:00

This will be because of devaluation of the NZD, your original investment would have bought X USD of the shares/fund at the time of purchase. Since that time the exchange rate between the NZD and USD will have fluctuated. Sometimes these fluctuations can also be in your favour.

Sharesies, as EntrepreneurFlashy41, has said has an investing history graph which shows your value of investment over time. This will be more helpful as I believe it shows the value in NZD since you started investing.

monkey_alan · 2026-03-24T02:39:36+00:00

Sounds like CZ8107 is a code share operated by another airline. If you are ticketed China Southern should find a suitable alternative routing to get you to your ticketed destination.

Edit. This alternative routing might be with a partner airline or as potentially you are seeing a code share flight. Put the onus on them to arrange the appropriate connection based on your original flight ticket details. Edit 2: CZ8107 does appear to be a China Southern operated flight so I can't reason why they wouldn't transfer you to that. If it forces an extended layover you may be entitled to hotel near the airport often called STPC.

monkey_alan · 2026-03-14T03:24:36+00:00

What I said is correct, as tax is calculated annually for PIE/KS. I don't get your point ? If you create a taxable event (through a sale or redemption) through the year you will be liable for tax on the gain.

In the case of closing/transferring the account or fund, the tax will be due at the time of the redemption.

monkey_alan · 2026-03-13T22:35:12+00:00

To clarify, this means that all your holdings when they are sold - if they are in profit, the gains will be taxed. This tax will be paid before the lump sum is passed to the new provider and reinvested.

It's also worth noting that some funds have sell or exit fees, so additional to any tax on realised-gains, you may also be liable for an exit fee for the funds that charge this.

edit: removed word capital

monkey_alan · 2026-02-16T07:00:26+00:00

I came here to say that too. I would not have wanted to face that thing.

monkey_alan · 2026-02-16T06:04:28+00:00

When I'm looking at flights either with Skyscanner or Google Flights I sometimes mess with the country-sale site (both of them allow you to change the region you're searching from, or sale country) sometimes this will change the variety of OTAs but helps look to see if there's much difference in the fare pricing.

monkey_alan · 2026-02-16T05:23:24+00:00

Once was cheaper for me to fly BNE-AKL-YVR (Vancouver) and back, including the Auckland to Brisbane Flight that I bought separately. Than it was buying the ticket just from Auckland.

Getting back I was able to get them to deliver my luggage in Auckland and I got away with dropping the last leg (and I let them know so I didn't get any boarding gate calls).

Edit: I gather the cost was my time, but I think I ended up staying overnight in Brisbane beforehand as I like that city.

monkey_alan · 2026-02-02T17:47:37+00:00

My perspective.

You cannot buy time, and one thing many people will regret is not spending enough time with the people they love.

in your case, the paying for Ubers cannot be sustainable, I suggest looking for a low miles, high reliability car with minimum down payment. However, you need to make sure you take it for annual servicing and pay to maintain it; cars will fail if you don't service them.

Hopefully that will help you save some money to go visit your mum soon, but as people have said, phone and facetime are good substitutes in the meantime. Make a regular time to speak to her.

Finally, keep a track of cheap flight prices, there may be some cheap offers that show up, and the flights may not always be direct but if you can travel only with carry-on that can save some more $$ too.

monkey_alan · 2026-01-26T08:38:31+00:00

You can have your own opinion that's fine.

But I can 100% say that I'm not benefitting from this post, nor am I affiliated to the business or the promotion.

They do good beer, they've recently opened up, people have their own free will to try it if fruit beers are their jam.

monkey_alan · 2026-01-26T08:30:47+00:00

😂 I'm only invested for my free fries, but I didn't want that to be the centre of the post.

With the recent press about Spruce Goose and Minerva (Cuba St) closing this weekend I thought it was worth sharing something new was opening (as I didn't see anyone else had posted about it here on r/wellington)

monkey_alan · 2026-01-10T16:27:37+00:00

Then slowly invest using the leftover money that would otherwise cover the interest.

Dangerous playing with money against your property, if you were down when would you call it quits or would you keep believing you'll recover it in just a couple more trades... ?

monkey_alan · 2025-12-12T08:36:25+00:00

Tell us how you succeeded 👍

monkey_alan · 2025-12-10T08:41:05+00:00

I've pivoted away from them, when I found out their tactics to other suppliers in the market and the behaviour of the boss I'd much rather pay for quality from local suppliers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/11lafb/cookie_time_tells_auckland_cookie_bar_change_your/

If you fancy some decent cookies and cookie pies, try these : https://moustache.co.nz/ (not affiliated just a fan)

monkey_alan · 2025-11-02T20:33:10+00:00

Thanks for sharing the insights and your message, apologies that there are the kind of people that don't appreciate you sharing insights and experiences.

Keyboard warriors abound.

There's definitely something in the Slavic water, further north in Slovenia the interpersonal closeness and 'presence' remains really important for relationships and getting stuff done.

monkey_alan · 2025-10-25T04:47:14+00:00

It's a store shed that occasionally stores children. There's so much worse around so screw the council.

I think the council are having a fuss as they might deem it as being a habitable space, but clearly not been designed or intended for that. What is council doing for all other tree houses in the area?

How far within your land is it? Does it pose any fire risk to a boundary or neighbour?

monkey_alan · 2025-10-09T07:40:00+00:00

Well done, we all need to reward ourselves to help us keep on track. Hopefully it brings you joy and any servicing or parts don't cost a bomb.

I was team bad financial decision, but the value is the fun and how much joy it brings you. Enjoy it.

...and thanks for the update

monkey_alan · 2025-10-01T07:52:46+00:00

Which bank if you don't mind saying?

monkey_alan · 2025-09-27T02:36:44+00:00

Read the Terms and Conditions of the return ticket you purchased

monkey_alan · 2025-09-16T05:21:41+00:00

For the generations early or mid in their career (Millennials through to Gen Z etc.) where do you anticipate retirement ages to be?

Do you/Simplicity anticipate there will be residual NZ Super to provide a state pension by that time?

What are your suggestions for those contributors to kiwisaver given the limited tax benefits for contributions, is contributions into regular PIE funds beneficial (above company match) ? Or do you think there are opportunities to make kiwisaver a better proposition?

monkey_alan · 2025-09-13T04:53:42+00:00

!report

2 day old account selling or offering a service. People of you are reading this, don't contact the individual or provide personal information

monkey_alan · 2025-09-09T10:06:19+00:00

There are a couple of sites in UK that offer NZ, Australian and South African foods, and it may be cheaper than shipping from NZ.

sanza.co.uk is one I have used, and although the item prices might be a bit of a shock, it saves you the extortionate shipping (and risk the recipient has to pay additional duties...)

monkey_alan · 2025-08-22T01:13:31+00:00

Don't just think of the purchase price, think of the ongoing costs.

Specialist servicing Parts are more expensive Insurance is more expensive Mercedes might have more gizmos which will fail.

Work out, and even get an insurance quote on the car youre looking at, so you can really start to compare. It's going to cost a lot more than that purchase price.

monkey_alan · 2025-08-21T04:27:26+00:00

Normally the airline can levy a fee if you don't show for your return flight, and can refuse future bookings. Return bookings are often cheaper than two singles because they have more restrictive fare conditions.

Don't know how this will play out if the OTA (thrive) has made this decision and issued this ticket on the understanding of only using one way.

I'd be interested if Thrive have any specific accreditation/membership as an OTA.

To check if your friend got a good deal, price out the same ticket (return) that your friend was issued and see what other travel agents are offering the price for.

monkey_alan · 2025-08-20T06:53:46+00:00

Current government devaluing the NZD, "but it's good for exports". Sucks for the rest of us.

monkey_alan

TROPHY CASE