Things Not Better Here

I usually write about good things — family, daily life, experiences. But I thought I should mention what genuinely doesn’t work well here.

You might guess it’s the houses and their lack of insulation. But no — it’s not just that.

I think one of the most incredibly disorganised, money-wasting things here is LOGISTICS.

This caught my attention when we first arrived, and nearly 5 years of living here has only reinforced my opinion.

Delivery services:

• Packages left on doorsteps in the rain
• “Attempted delivery” notes when you were home the entire time
• Estimated delivery windows spanning entire days
• Couriers who can’t find addresses because the numbering system is inconsistent

Supply chains:

• Shops regularly run out of basic items
• Replacement parts for anything take weeks to arrive from overseas
• “In stock online” often means “in a warehouse in Australia”

Construction logistics:

• Building materials arrive late, arrive wrong, or arrive damaged
• Tradespeople book weeks in advance and then don’t show up
• Permits take months for things that should take days

Compare this to Hungary where, for all its problems, you could get almost anything delivered next-day within Budapest, tradespeople were responsive (if sometimes rough around the edges), and the supply chain for everyday goods was reliable.

I think it comes down to geography. New Zealand is a small country at the bottom of the world. Everything has to be shipped in. The domestic market is tiny. These are structural challenges, not laziness.

But when your third delivery attempt fails because the courier “couldn’t find the address” that Google Maps locates perfectly, you do wonder.