Kiwis chilling with Netflix in summer

There’s a new summer pastime – connecting to the internet.

Gwynn Compton has been logging in during the warmer weather to watch his favourite television shows.

At home on the Kapiti Coast, Compton likes to kick back and watch Stranger Things, Star Trek Discovery, and NFL, all streamed from online viewing platforms.

‘‘We probably watch about 80 per cent of our television shows online,’’ Compton says. His wife Renee and 1-year-old son Alex are busy watching, too.

‘‘We’ve got Freeview so we can keep up, but most of it’s Netflix or YouTube. Renee watches Netflix almost exclusively.’’

And it seems the Comptons are not alone in using non-traditional methods to watch television shows.

According to internet provider Chorus, average household demand for broadband has quadrupled from 44 gigabytes a month in December 2014 to 173 gigabytes in November 2017.

It really started to pick up after Netflix was introduced in March 2015, says Chorus spokesman Nathan Beaumont.

Chorus crunched all of its 2017 broadband usage numbers.

The highest data usage times were crammed into the end of the year, despite the record high temperatures outside.

New Zealand’s peak broadband moment for 2017 was at 9.10pm on Sunday, November 19, when 1.328 terabit (tbps) a second was going through the cables – the equivalent of 260,000 highdefinition movies.

Monday, December 9.25pm came in at the 10, at second there’s a lot of job-sharing, except for the washing, and the washing up. Clarke does all of that!’’

BILL and MARY ENGLISH

Opposition leader Bill English says he takes a secondary role in the kitchen, with wife Mary taking charge and giving orders. However, sous-chef is a rather ‘‘glamorous title’’ for his role in the lead-up to the main Christmas meal, he says.

‘‘The division of labour is not so much about who does what but who gives the instructions. I carry out a wide range of tasks,’’ he says. ‘‘There’s not really much that I would do, that she wouldn’t check.’’

The National Party leader cooks breakfast, however, and tasks are shared between the family. ‘‘One of the things we do is Christmas breakfast, just with our kids. I do the bacon and the eggs. The other thing I do for them is have a little sleep in the afternoon.’’

It’s always a big Christmas for the extended English family. 2015 was the biggest, when they fed 96 people. ‘‘It’s pretty traditional, but we do sometimes have the addition of some Samoan food which I really like.’’

ANGEL FULLJAMES and BRETT RENALL

Married at First Sight lovebirds Angel and Brett Renall will be spending their first Christmas together this year, having tied the knot on television in October.

Angel will be meeting a lot of her new extended family at a Canterbury Christmas for the first time, so she is keen to make a good impression.

‘‘I believe that we’re on dessert . . . I’m going to make a cheesecake. Brett’s not really that into cooking,’’ she says. ‘‘Over the past highest – also at 1.328Tbps – but the data nerds say that is only due to rounding, in raw terms it was slightly less than the November winner.

The third highest demand – 1.327tbps – occurred aweek later, at exactly the same time of day. Labour Day at 8.55pm, came in fourth with 1.304tbps and Tuesday at 9.45pm fifth at 1.297tbps.

Vodafone figures for mobile few Christmases, I’ve helped quite a lot, made a good variety of salads, but you can’t go in all guns a’blazing on the rellies.’’

And the shopping will be down to her too, because she enjoys dawdling around the supermarket.

JAY and ANNA REEVE

Jay and Anna Reeve recently moved to Mt Maunganui to live, and would be spending the day with family at Jay’s grandfather’s place.

Jay Reeve says there’s going to be plenty of lamb and beef, some pork, and some fresh fish from around Mt Maunganui. There’s a chance they could get some kingfish, gurnard or butterfish, and that will be on the menu because otherwise ‘‘it’s not Christmas at the beach’’, he says.

‘‘As a former cooking teacher, I like to take the reins in the kitchen.

‘‘Anna’s in charge of all lifeadmin. Supermarket shopping falls under life-admin.’’ Natasha Utting and Anika Moa are data usage also correlate to Chorus – the five highest data usage days were in December.

Compton reckons increased data usage at this time of year is due to the release of new shows during the American winter.

Chorus’ Beaumont says the daily data use cycles validates the rise of Netflix and chill.

The lowest amount of activity on an average day is at 5am, says Beaumont. in North Canterbury for Christmas to celebrate with friends.

Having shared the shopping duties, the couple will be foraging for plenty of wild food for the likely 20-strong crowd on Christmas Day.

‘‘Anika essentially stays out of the kitchen for events and parties. I end up doing more of the foodie

‘‘It begins to rise from 6am to 8.30am. Usage remains consistent during the day and then jumps sharply from 3.30pm,’’ Beaumont says.

He points to the data hungry members of the family coming home from school around that time, but the usage declines as real-world hunger sets in and people eat dinner. Things climb again from 7.30pm to the peak period from 8.30pm to 10pm. stuff and she does entertainment and the drinks,’’ Utting says.

That includes keeping the kids busy, and Moa’s good when it comes to cleaning up the aftermath too.

However, this year they’re staying with friends, so Utting will be sous-chef for their Middle-Eastern inspired feast served al fresco.

We probably watch about 80 per cent of our television shows online. Gwynn Compton