One Step Either Way
Upper Hutt is growing but are the services provided within Upper Hutt keeping up?
Recently needed a computer printing machine cartridge checked. But the only shop in Upper Hutt who was doing this for years has closed up completely so one now has to go to Lower Hutt or Wellington to find out if new cartridges re-filled cartridges are needed or if the printer is misreading it/ not functioning correctly.
There is still the Newbolds used goods store in Upper Hutt that will provide new cartridges or at least order one in but doesn't have the equipment to check things out nor sell or discuss printers etc.
This is a bit like shoe etc repairs. The only experienced shoe etc repairer in the Upper Hutt CBD retail strip moved to the Wairarapa a couple of years ago leaving a controversial shoe repair operation in The Mall as the sole service in that realm. That repairer wanted $40 from me to glue the front piece of a clean shoe stating he had to clean the shoe first whereas a shoe repairer in Lower Hutt charged me an acceptable $10.
But a step up is the new upmarket butchery-deli shop in Upper Hutt's CBD which has replaced a former cheap butchery that was in the same locality. Wow, beautiful cuts and quality of meat (eg lamb chops that are all but devoid of fat and bone) , marvellous flavours and types of sausages, family size pies out of this world but actually made in Waterloo, variety of cheeses from all over the universe etc etc
This deli flies in the face of an UH City Councillor who advised me that Upper Hutt CBD wasn't for expensive or boutique.
REMINDER - THE WAIKANAE BEACH NEW YEAR MARKET IS ON TOMORROW
WHERE:- Waikanae Beach Community Hall
22 Rauparaha St
Waikanae Beach
When: - Sun, Jan 12 2025, 10:00AM - 1:00PM
Celebrate the arrival of 2025 with your family and friends by discovering hand made treasures and local creativity by highly talented stallholders at the market where every piece tells a story.
You will find a huge variety of quality items and gifts along with locally produced award winning Olive Oil, Bakery Treats and Local Honey.
Don't miss it....Support local!!
EMPIRE BUILDING TRUMP
So Donald Trump does not want to start any wars and is a peace maker.
And yet he is seriously seeking to annex the world's largest island, Greenland from Denmark, take over the Panama Canal from the sovereign country of Panama who have owned it since 1977 and even forthrightly suggesting that Canada ceases being a nation and become a state or series of states of the USA.
Greenland above everything else, harbours minerals vital for todays and tomorrows world and that is what probably attracts Trump most. His son is looking things over in Greenland as this thread is being produced. Climate change is also changing Greenland which despite its name is currently mainly covered in ice and snow all year round. Greenland has a population of 55,000.
Panama's major asset after tourism and services is the canal with a current revenue of $5 billion. It operates its shipping charges through an international organisation so that the USA gets an unbias deal for its ships etc that use the canal. Panama is a poor country on the improve and has a population of 4.5 million.
Denmark is a member of NATO. But Trump has threatened many times for the USA to pull out of this Europe-USA defence alliance and Greenland may be the straw that finally breaks the pact.
Canada is surrounded by the USA but it is so much unlike the USA and much more akin to Australia and NZ. In contrast to the USA, Canada is one of the happiest countries in the world and in total land area is the world's second largest.
NZ is going to come under the scrutiny of Trump and his henchmen/women. He will probably look to cut NZ away from its free trade arrangements with China with some kind of ultimatum.