If, like us, you coming from a country where houses are solid and made to provide a shelter from wet and cold - be warned... winter by Kiwis is that few weeks when we get sick and cold, when we fight mould and spend most of time looking forward the summer...
Heating is non-existing in most of the - n comparison shabby - flats. The idea is to go out for a run or a cycle at 6am to warm up before the day... but evenings can be painful: it's dump (85%!) and cold (10C does not sound cold - but the humidity gets into your bones).
So the things to get are a heater, dehumidifier some jumpers and lots of lemon and honey.
The irony is that the government is realising the cost of winter sickness - yet no subsidies to insulate the houses. A recent visit by one of leading UK architects highlighted the fact that NZ is a perfect place for sustainable housing - yet at the moment it must be the place where most of energy is wasted in winter. Indeed houses are more like swiss cheese...
Top advice given by the very worrying (about income, not the wellbeing of citizens) government: draw those curtains up to keep the heat inside...
Well - guess we'll huddle in one room and like Kiwis look forward the warmer months. And if it's too cold - go and get a coffee - cafes have heaters!
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