Island Life by David Slack

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Island Life: See Waiheke before you die.

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  • Rob Hosking,

    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?

    No. The inflation began before the housing boom - mid-1960s - and the housing boom really crested early seventies. Muldoon deep-sixed the fund in '76. And in any case the Fund had only been going about a year at that point - there wasn't a huge amount of money in it.

    I first visited Waiheke early 1968, on the old wooden ferry. I was three. Got blisters on my hands, swinging round and round on the poles supporting the roof inside the cabin.

    We stayed at a bach just up the hill from Little Oneroa. Outside dunny. Tin bath tub which had to be filled at the sink. All the roads were gravel.

    The bach was at the top of a hill: I woke about 5am one morning, went outside and sat in my little brother's pushchair. Pretended it was a truck. Went brm! Brmm!

    Would have been fine except I decided to pretend the brake was a gear-lever, and put it off. The pushchair rolled down the hill & catapaulted me into the blackberry bush at the bottom of the garden. Bit of a downer, especially as I didn't have a shirt on.

    Much later, early 1990s, as a student, used to do cheap weekend chill outs to the backpackers at Little Oneroa.

    One evening in particular sticks in mind: there was about half a dozen of us and a Brit, who was a chef by trade, said if everyone chipped in some food he'd put together a dinner. We all did: he came up with something like a beef stroganoff, only with kidney beans. Very nice. I chipped in with some dessert wine I'd been hoarding and we all sat around till about 1am Talking About Life.

    Sigh.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    So why not "rent" that empty space during the day with the subsidies you are handing over anyway? That way we stimulate the economy, effectively for free.

    And if you can't get to the bar, be assured that the ferry company is making money there ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    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?

    David is the application, I'm just the platform.

    And dude, getting tiddly yesterday was actually my job. Although I had to concentrate throughout. Turns out to be a rather tiring combination ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

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