Seriously Concerned About The City I call Home- Auckland !
A walk around Auckland city last night left me in disbelief. The city is falling to rack and ruin. Rates rise and the council have their head in the sand. They have just written of 65 million dollars in scrapping the automation of the container terminal. Some of that is my hard earned money, but whoosh, a flick of a pen and 65 million dollars is down the gurgler. And yet they rely on the likes of me to report dumped rubbish, litter, blocked drains, fallen trees, graffiti etc. because they do not have enough money to be proactive concerning rubbish and so they are only reactive! So they have littered the city central streets with cheap, nasty triangles of leaf littered red carpet (with a trip able edge) with just as cheap, completely out of place, concrete pipe cylinders, AKA planter boxes, full of half dead, half missing, scrappy ? natives sitting on top. Hideous!! Embarrassing! They are used to dispose of rubbish in & cigarette butts and vandalise. There are many shops for lease, (this I can understand post Covid) ram raided broken windows, homeless in many doorways, old phone box debris, bags of rubbish littering the pavements (why they do not have to use bins I do not understand) you have to walk around, graffiti, shop signage dirty and defaced, ugly planters which are unkempt, ugly temporary cheap looking scooter parking, great chunks of the city blocked with construction, speed limits at a snail’s pace, one way or no way on many streets, difficult parking, and no life or vibrancy. This city is really an embarrassment to call my home. Would love to hear from other likeminded Aucklander’s, who care with some real doable ideas that we could do as a group to improve our city as not ready to let go of this city yet!
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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Tour Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi & experience Vietnam’s culture
This premium 12-day Vietnam food tour, hosted by Leanne Kitchen from 15–27 October 2026, offers an exclusive culinary journey from NZD$5,995 per person (twin share). Book via Helloworld Travel Ponsonby (09 267 6758) on a first-come, first-served basis
Itinerary Highlights
The journey includes 10 nights of accommodation in boutique hotels and a 1-night cruise in Ha Long Bay
Ho Chi Minh City & Mekong Delta: Explore floating markets, visit coconut gardens, and sample regional specialties like "elephant ear fish".
Hoi An & Hue: Participate in cooking classes, tea tastings, and salt coffee experiences in these historic centers.
Halong Bay: Experience an overnight cruise with on-board cooking demonstrations.
Hanoi: Discover the capital's food culture through a guided street food tour and a traditional water puppet show.
What’s Included:
• Return flights ex Auckland + internal flights
• 11 nights premium accommodation
• Guided culinary experiences
• Discover Mekong Delta, Hoi An & Imperial Hue
• Overnight Halong Bay cruise with activities & all meals onboard
• Airport transfers & private transport throughout
• Small group: Maximum 18 travellers
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.5% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.2% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.4% ... It is complicated
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