Island Life: See Waiheke before you die.
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With regard to the subsidy, I guess you're either down with it or your not. Subsidise one form of public transport, subsidise them all.
I agree - but I can appreciate the political issues around selling such a particularly nice route.
I've always had a hankering for the "ratepayer discount' type of approach. Stick a nice integrated ticketing smart-card in everyone's ARC rates bill next year with $10 loaded on it. You'd see them on Tradme for $5 the next day, but who cares? Then charge less for top-ups for ratepayers thru a secure web-site (all easy to implement - 90's technology... unless you're ARTA... <sigh>)
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I have a distant memory of the superannuation traditionally kicking in at age 60, and being incrementally raised to 65 in the 1990s?
Yep. Muldoon moved it to 60. Before that it was 65. The Bolger govt gradually moved it up to 65 again, over the decade.
I don't know why the Seddon govt picked 65 when they introduced the first Old Age Pensions Act, but they may have simply copied the first modern scheme, which was the one Bismarck set up in Germany in (I think) the 1870s.
The mortality rate in Germany was even lower than in NZ but the odd war or two may have skewed that figure downwards.
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She could never believe us that the Quickcat was actually a pleasant form of transport. Kids these days will never know (or care) how much things have improved.
Not me. I count a school trip on the Kestrel to Motuihe on a rainy, stormy day as my lowest point in passenger comfort, for any mode of transport. I doubt it'll ever be beaten.
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Was going to pop over to Waiheke this morning using my Gold Card, but um hard to access from Blenheim.
I'd be interested in how far a card carrying OAP could get in one day - the length of the country?
Maybe someone could organise a race.
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I'd be interested in how far a card carrying OAP could get in one day - the length of the country?
Maybe someone could organise a race.
They could be fueled by Mad Butcher saussies and McDonalds' tea.
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Will it cost Fullers? It's hard to say for sure. Commuters are one thing, and old people don't commute so I guess that won't affect things. But holiday goers account for a huge amount of fares at certain times. My Dad is a good example - he's never going to live on Waiheke but he goes there all the time. They will never get another cent out of him from the moment he can get the free fares, except on kiosk sales. Probably lost $500 a year there, and another lot when Mum graduates. A whole bunch of baby boomers own bachs there, possibly even the majority. At least 5 of their friend-families are in a similar situation. Half of the valley our bach is in are seniors or will be pretty soon.
But I'm personally very happy about the whole thing. Anything that gets oldies out and about is a good thing. I doubt that it will improve tourism to the island much, because getting around Waiheke is a physical struggle that puts off seniors totally, but the idea of them enjoying scenic trips during the day together warms the cockles of my heart.
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Impossible to get a handle on Fullers performance, cos they're part of Infratil and as a NZ-owned private company not required to file. When Infratil acquired the last bit it didn't own it published Fullers' net assets at around $25m. The Infratil Transportation segment assets are worth $250m+, so the ferries are a tiny part of the company.
Getting people over to the island is a good thing. Having the bus service integrated with the ferry timetable is a good thing too. Half an hour on the ferry, bus to Stefano's for lunch, bus back to Oneroa for a walk on the beach, bus back to the ferry. Nice.
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Steven, competing for a ferry run is a pretty large investment, and Waiheke is a pretty small market. I'm not surprised there's no serious competition. Such is NZ. At least the ferry service itself is very good. It could be cheaper though, maybe competition would drive that. I wouldn't hold my breath.
Competition on major transport infrastructure is a luxury that only megalopolises seem to be able to afford. I'm not convinced it works even there. I could have avoided the tollway in Melbourne, and my father-in-law does so religiously. But that's because he's the kind of person who doesn't mind adding half an hour to a trip each way time to save $5, and more importantly, make his point (usually to his family who have to put up with his scary driving for that time). Everyone else just eats it.
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No thats not what I meant!
Ha, wish it was - "Oh yeah Australia? Well you're just getting all our liquid above our solid crystallised residue. Sucks to be you!"
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Was going to pop over to Waiheke this morning using my Gold Card, but um hard to access from Blenheim.
I'd be interested in how far a card carrying OAP could get in one day - the length of the country?
Maybe someone could organise a race.
I bags the copyright for "World's Greatest OAP Race" - what a gripping TV series this would be!! Formulaic television and a chance to sell New Zealand's green and pleasant scenery to the world when the series gets sold abroad!!
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I bags the copyright for "World's Greatest OAP Race" - what a gripping TV series this would be!! Formulaic television and a chance to sell New Zealand's green and pleasant scenery to the world when the series gets sold abroad!!
Go for it - I only require a 6 figure concept fee. (10% of that goes to David for providing the forum for the brilliant idea .:)
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Although thinking about it, OAPs don't rate so well. We may need a party to implement free travel cards for hot people.
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Has anyone noticed that this is the 1000th PA post?
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I'm thinking an over sixty five 'boobs on bikes'.
OK.
Now I'm not thinking that.
Ever again.
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Although thinking about it, OAPs don't rate so well. We may need a party to implement free travel cards for hot people.
And now that I think about it a bit more, now that the buggers are mobile instead of sitting in front of daytime TV, perhaps we have lost the target audience.... unless we can fit it in to the 7.30pm time-slot on non Coro St days.... or tie it in to Coro St somehow. A distant relative is a scriptwriter there... I'll see what I can do!
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Go for it - I only require a 6 figure concept fee. (10% of that goes to David for providing the forum for the brilliant idea .:)
Just because Russell is in a drunken stupor mumbling about MLK and Obama, don't think that he doesn't provide the forum.
David just provided the spark?
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OK, 5% to each of them.
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Slarty, I commute to Waiheke everyday and agree with the protesters that the ferry fares are becoming an issue. The problem is not the cost, which is what it is, but that Fullers refuses to access the ARC subsidy that will help bring down the cost of ferry fairs for regular commuters. We'd get the subsidy if we were on the bus.
Paul: I'm not so sure it's Fullers refusal to take the subsidy so much as the ARC's reluctance to allocate it. Mike Lee admitted as much at a recent meeting on the whole kerfuffle. If they did subsidise the run, it would mean raising ARC rates on Waiheke by a sizeable amount.
For example, the Half Moon Bay run (which is subsidised) costs people in that area about $120 a year in transport related ARC rates. By way of a comparison, Waihekeans currently pay about $30 I think. Which covers the buses.
Lee's pretty adamant Infratil are gouging simply because they can, so I'd guess the ARC are also reluctant to put in any more public money.
It's a good service right enough (even if we're saddled with the Tomb Raider again tonight!) but it's also a monopoly and at the moment, we simply have to take their word that the increased costs are 'unavoidable'. Plenty of people don't believe 'em...
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Tass,
sorry david, going to have to call you on this one. the free travel for senior citizens does not cost much at all. it's very simple: in off-peak hours, the buses and ferries were all doing these routes anyway, only with empty seats. now the seats will be full, but all the routes are the same.
It may not cost Fuller's much, but as far as the tax payers go, Fuller's gets a subsidy per passenger for all the supergold card "free" trips - that's why they are advertising them.
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these plans do not and cannot create extra wealth
but they provide a pool of investment funding for ventures which certainly do create wealth.
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Cheers Richard, nothings ever cut & dried, is it?
even if we're saddled with the Tomb Raider again tonight!
I've only been using the ferry for three months and I cringe every time I see it!
but it's also a monopoly and at the moment, we simply have to take their word that the increased costs are 'unavoidable'. Plenty of people don't believe 'em...
Quite. but like someone said above, I'm not convinced having another operator or two will make any difference.
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I've only been using the ferry for three months and I cringe every time I see it!
I assume this is the Jetraider you mean. Why is it so bad? Please post the horrible details for my edification. (Does this finally qualify as genuine schadenfreude, Giovanni?)
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Quite. but like someone said above, I'm not convinced having another operator or two will make any difference.
Agreed. It was before my time, but another operator - called Pacific - did try and take them on. Didn't work out very well from what I gather (rows over berthage, scuffles on the wharves etc) and Fullers ended up buying them out...
The recently passed Public Transport Management Act should give the ARC a sharper set of gnashers. But we were told it'll take at least a year before it can be used with any real force.
And Infratil are already lobbying (guess who?!) to have the Act repealed.
Wouldn't want to live anywhere else, mind :o)
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I assume this is the Jetraider you mean. Why is it so bad? Please post the horrible details for my edification.
Oooh, Sam, let me count the ways!
1) Orrible design - she’s all narrow gangways, low ceilings and cramped, weirdly located decks. I’m told it was originally built in Freemantle as an America’s Cup charter, but this is clearly a lie. She’s actually the bastard offspring of a powerboat and a Boeing 747. On bad days, escaping it after a 40 minute crossing comes with all the relief of escaping a 13 hour flight.
2) No luggage space - or at any rate, nowhere near enough. End result: a teetering mass of Samsonite cases, plants, golf carts, pets, mega-baby-buggies, fishing rods, newly bought appliances et al that blocks the one and only exit.
3) Foul smells – actually not so much a problem of late, but come high-summer it can get mingingly unpleasant.
4) Mysterious law of the bastard which, inevitably, brings her into service at the worst possible time (see: long weekends, Christmas party season and any other really busy occasion).
Hem. I exaggerate (a bit) but in all seriousness, I think the frustration comes from the fact that the other boats are so much better. And it's so annoyingly reliable!
Hey ho – from what the veterans say, Steven’s quite right: the Glenn Rosa was much worse, so I probably shouldn’t complain, eh? Oh…
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Would the release of money from the Super. scheme in 1975 have been the kick-start that drove the mid 1970s house-price boom and the rampant inflation that followed?
A cousin of mine grew up in Howick. From there Waiheke is the horizon.
When she moved to Waiheke she lived where she could look across to her previous home.
She was a competent swimmer who, with preparation, swam to Howick to visit her parents. Just once.
She liked the thought that she had reached the mainland under her own power and didn't need the ferry.
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