The low quality of buildings in New Zealand amazed me when I visited.
It was like my understanding of the poorest parts of the UK, or my impression of the UK before I was born (e.g. 1970s).
Many buildings only had single-glazed windows, and some only had electric heating. The latter might be reasonable for an earthquake-prone region, but that should make double- or even triple-glazing more important. Walls were thin, and everywhere was draughty. I went from a summer of 36°C to a winter of 12°C, so I was probably going to feel cold anyway, but many people at the conference were wearing coats indoors.
On the other hand, the people seem pretty tough. It was the end of the winter holiday, and students were returning to their university, so many were wandering around the town. Around half were wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
It was like my understanding of the poorest parts of the UK, or my impression of the UK before I was born (e.g. 1970s).
Many buildings only had single-glazed windows, and some only had electric heating. The latter might be reasonable for an earthquake-prone region, but that should make double- or even triple-glazing more important. Walls were thin, and everywhere was draughty. I went from a summer of 36°C to a winter of 12°C, so I was probably going to feel cold anyway, but many people at the conference were wearing coats indoors.
On the other hand, the people seem pretty tough. It was the end of the winter holiday, and students were returning to their university, so many were wandering around the town. Around half were wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
You all must think Europeans are soft :-)