Bus To Pukekohe
Something interesting I saw the other day . Busit have now ( from 1 Feb 2019 ) extended the Northern Connection bus service ( it goes to Huntly ) to Te Kauwhata and Pukekohe .
It leaves Hamilton at 9.10am , departs Huntly at 10.05 , Te Kauwhata 10.30 , Meremere 10.46 , Mercer 10.53 , Pokeno 10.58 , Tuakau 11.10 and Pukekohe 11.25am . This is every day , Monday to Friday .
The return trip leaves Pukekohe at 2.30pm , Huntly 3.50 , gets to the Transport centre 4.40pm .
Cost for the 'full' trip is $10.20 each way if you have a Busit card ; $15.20 one off cash traveller . Students and over 65 etc are cheaper .
I find this interesting .
At some stage in the next 2 or 3 years , there is supposed to be a commuter train to Pukekohe . The bus service , by comparison , someone decided there is a need , so it happened .
The train will be over $30 each way , each day . The bus is around $10 . THIS bus service ( to Pukekohe ) won't suit commuters , but it shows what can easily be done .
Does it take 2 or 3 years , numerous meetings , numerous studies , numerous consultants , for Bus It to bring in this service ?
Does it take LTNZ , Government , Ham City Council and Waikato Council money to get this service operating ?
Does it take at least $78 million to get this service operating ?
Does it take new car parks and platforms to get this operating ?
Does it take $20 million to refurbish buses to get this system operating ?
Does this service operate on tracks , which need $100's of millions a year of Government money just to keep operating , or does it pay RUC and petrol taxes and fees to operate on roads that are already built , and which are more than self-funding ?
Does this 300horsepower diesel bus produce more or less harmful emissions to take 10 or 40 passengers , compared to what a 3000 horsepower diesel locomotive produces ?
It sort of makes all the crap around running a commuter train costing AT LEAST $78 million , and ongoing costs , and ongoing meetings , and ongoing time frames , all seem incredibly idiotic , doesn't it ?
Yes , I know , I go on about this , but really -- is there no-one in Government , HCC , WDC or LTNZ with the logic to go -- Woooo , this is a really stupid use of taxpayers and ratepayers money ? Presumably not .
Plan to keep cash alive
Keeping cash alive in rural Waikato towns is a big problem, but help could be on the way.
The Reserve Bank is proposing banks keep a minimum ability for their customers to access cash - often a lifeline in small rural communities where banks have cut branches and opening hours.
Poll: Should we ditch daylight saving? 🕰️
First introduced in New Zealand in 1927 with the passing of the Summer Time Act, it's what we know as 'Daylight Saving' and this year it ends on the first Sunday in April.
While we do get to sleep in this time around, some people would like to scrap the clock tinkering for good.
And why? Some evidence suggests the time changes are bad for our health as they mess with sleep patterns leading to short-term fatigue and affecting mood. Meanwhile the hour change is frustrating for farmers and a nightmare for getting the littlies to sleep. But what's your take?
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40.3% Yes - get rid of the clock changes
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57.8% No, I enjoy it
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Mr Minit in Chartwell: Be wary
Hi all,
Just sharing my experience. I had the battery for my car key replaced in March 2025 at Mr. Minit in Chartwell. I was given a one‑year warranty, which seemed impressive at the time.
However, the battery stopped working early Mar 26. With the warranty card, I brought the key back to have it checked and replaced. What I didn’t realise was that the battery was *not* actually replaced. He only tested it with a meter. When I asked whether he had replaced the battery, he said “yes,” but that wasn’t true. He then said he had tested the battery level and there was no need to replace it. When I asked to see the meter, it showed the battery was in the green zone which means it was ok.
I was then advised that I might need to replace the entire key unit. I asked whether he had properly troubleshot the issue to confirm it was the battery and not the key itself. His reply was that he normally doesn’t do that, but I was a “special case.” That means, the warranty card was a misrepresentation and there was no real intention of replacing the battery when it was faulty.
After he finally replaced the battery with a new one, my key worked perfectly again.
**Lesson learned:**
Make sure you take a photo of your warranty card. I feel like the warranty is mostly for show — if I had lost it, I would have been charged another $20+ for a battery. Worst still, I would have to pay more to change the key unit unnecessarily.
Make sure you witness that they replace your old battery with a new one if it's still under warranty.
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