Hot from the “Straight Out of ThunderBirds” file, comes the soviet Caspian Sea Monster Look at this baby!It’s called an Ekranoplan. Unlike other planes, this modified sea plane is designed to fly just meters over sea level, exploiting a aerodynamic effect called the Ground EffectThis beasty was created at the…
Single Issue Voter
Responses First response in from ACT Does ACT have a view on the Commission’s opinion around a 50-50 split, and would it seek to implement the Commission’s advice in the elected new parliament?ACT has not formed a position on the 50:50 split as advocated by the Law Commission in 2019….
The Best Stories are Economic
I’m watching These Final Hours. All the best movies are grounded in economics. This wasn’t a Wall Street movie. It wasn’t about money, or greed. It was about economics: choice, constraints, outcomes and uncertainty. It was an apocalypse story based on economics. Wasn’t this an Australian Sci-fi? That’s the thing…
Getting Creative
I’ve gotten myself a new drum kit 😁It’s a Alesis Mesh Drum KitLast week, I wasn’t feeling that great on Monday, so I took the afternoon off sick. Of course, with a new electric toy, my first idea was how do I connect it to my computer 🙂A few years…
A Foolish Government and Our Money are Soon Parted
I’m reading the late Brian Gaynor’s articles on the activities of the New Zealand government and corporate New Zealand in the early 1990s, especially around the privatisation, and ultimate sale of the BNZ to the National Australia Bank. Poor management and irresponsible lendingUp until the bank was partially privatised in…
When a Couple Means Three
From the Bad Supreme Court Decisions file comes this latest missive: Fiona Margaret Mead v Lilach Paul and Brett Paul.A relationship property case starring one guy (Brett) and two women (Fiona and Lilach) all sharing the same bed for 15 years, temporarily swapping in and out other partners, before finally…
Bertrand on Democracy and the Socialist State
I’m currently reading The Bertrand Russell CollectionBertrand was one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, and widely regarded as a super smart guy with his head in many different subjects. Political IdealsBertrand had a lot to say about the State which I’m finding, when you look at…
Sounds to Sounds – Final Cost and Updated Gear List
Back on the 26 March, I wrote a gear-list for what I expected I’d need on the Sounds to Sounds ride. Also, I’ve reconciled the total cost of the event as a guide for future riders. CostIn total, for the 17 days on the road, I spent $5,702.18, or $4,442.35…
Day 17 – Last Day – Lessons in Risk
Day 17 – when I was doing my big push up into Milford Sounds – could have turned out extremely differently, and cost me my chance at glory because of a very very simple omission.But it ended up in MASSIVE GLORY, beersies, a steak dinner and me sleeping with three…
Day 16 – Let’s Do That Hill Again
Wet wet wet: shitty 1980’s band and nasty way to start a 87km ride between Mossburn and Te Anau, but that’s bike packing for you. The day was tricky because I’m so close to finishing, it was difficult getting my head into the right place for this ride. That’s my…
Day 15 – Make Something Small Bigger? Go See Mum
The guide’s plan for today is easy: 60 km from Garston to Mossburn. I thought I’d kick it up a notch and go another 70km and see my mum. I had an interesting historical ride around this ends of Southland. I dropped south at Lumsden and stopped off in Dipton…
Day 14 – Walking on the Moon
An early start coming off a bad nights sleep after a nasty day in the sun. Sounds like a receipe for success? Absolutely, with help from my friends 🥰 The Statistics A long day – over a 12 hour ride – in heat that started at 5 degrees this morning…
Day 13 – Nothing but Pain
Today was nothing but hurt. I’ll blow some mobile bandwidth so you can see.I slept in my tent in Omakau and the temperature got close to zero. But then later in the day it cooked, as the temperature rocketed up to 31 degrees. The killer is the temperature: 9 degrees…
Day 12 – New Zealand on adrenaline
The Omarama Saddle gets bad press on the sounds to sounds Facebook page. It marks the break between the McKenzie and Central Otago, and comments are about the hard climb, the wet feet from the fords, and even two stories of guys having been helicoptered out. I found this day…
Day 11 – Lake Ohau to Omarama
The biggest issue of this day was the weather: how was it holding up for tomorrow when I have to cross the Omarama Saddle. Tomorrow was my biggest hill climb, and we weather would both make it stupidity difficult and increase my hyperthermia risk. The Statistics I’ll put these in…
Day 10 – Taking it Easy
After the ordeal of getting to the McKenzie Basin, today was a lovely day of toodling around in the rain. The Statistics Today was a gentle 93 kms over 8 hours, pretty much just toodling along on a flat tarsealed surface. It doesn’t actually come any easier than this, with…
Day 9 – Trial by Ordeal
This day started badly, turned worse ended painfully and was a trial by ordeal. But, today, dammit I want my scalps!! (All the photo checkpoints are my “scalps” – a la Brad Pitt from Fury) The Statistics Today was a long hard winding road of temperature extremes, dust, and uphill…
Day 8 – Greendale to Geraldine
This day started off with hope and promise, but turned into a nightmare at the end as I experienced something I’ve never seen before – rural New Zealand fully booked out. The end of the day left me scrabbling around for a place to stay, including entertaining the option of…
Day 7: Good Fortune from the Fairies :)
Now I didn’t mention it yesterday, but I found a Fairy Circle. And today, the fairies gave me gale force tailwinds, and graced me with luxury (yet affordable) accommodation when I needed it. There are Fairies So there I was! Hurtling down the road between Hanmer Springs and Culverden. Juices…
Day 6 – In the Zone
Wow! What a day, I blew out 130kms and walked off my bike feeling I could blow another 130km. I’m sitting in the Amberly Hotel still buzzing from the endorphines from today’s ride. The Statistics So yeah, 130kms in 11 hours. Admittedly, I had a big pig out stop at…