Another week in Kiwiland, its much cooler in the mornings and I’ve started to use lights on my bike as well as reflective vests and rucksack cover. I cycled in front one of my colleague trying to get cross my road in her car, when I got to work I asked her if she saw me as she was waiting at the junction – ‘No’ was the reply 'I was looking for traffic'. And you wonder why cyclists don’t trust car drivers here! In fact my 20 miles a day is pretty uneventful, if I leave the office at 5pm (not very often) I count the cars I overtake and deduct one for ever car that passes me. I can often get over half way home until my ‘net cars passed’ drops to zero.
Things to buy (or not to buy) at New Zealand garage sales……
A digital indoor/outdoor thermometer – special feature is that the clock only ‘ticks’ 30 seconds in a minute ….
Footpump for a bike – with a hose that cannot take the pressure….
7 new bike lights – of which only 3 work
5 Water proof cycling shoes – all different sizes
Although none of these cost more that £2 each so I won’t complain.
On the new Honda we could only get one radio station – apparently because it is a Japanese radio which only works on 76-90MHz whilst New Zealand radio stations work on 88 – 110MHz (you following this). Well the station was at 89.8MHz but wasn’t Chris’ favourite ’98.8 The Breeze – Waikato’s Easy Listening Station’. Good old kiwi ingenuity though, at Repco (a tacky version of Halfords) they sell a little box that moves all the NZ radio stations 14MHz down the dial – so 98.8 would be on 84.8 – simple really. After 2 hours on the internet I finally locate the instructions for fitting a radio in a 1996 Honda CR-V car – it runs to 8 pages and involves taking off most of the dashboard. Anyway I spent a happy Sunday morning installing the little box behind the dashboard and to Chris delight (overstatement) the radio blasts out (I also replaced 2 broken speakers) all those hits of the 70’s and 80’s. If you ever wondered what happened to Spandau Ballet and Tears for Fears they are playing in Auckland on 29th April… you have to be there…
The car now has a roof box which more than makes up for the fact that it is smaller than the hideous white people mover we brought when we arrived here. The white car will be replaced with a more economic little run around which we may lent to my Uncle Geoff when he arrives here in 6 weeks time.
Other news – my Oliver! rehearsals are underway as are Lana’s Scarlet Pimpernel and Kirsty’s and Chris ‘Woven’ choir. Kirsty heads off swimming after school one a week in the new outdoor pool at school – she ploughs up and down with her bestest friend Elizabeth (Aussie).
Friday last week was M-Day at work – a visit by Minister Stephen Joyce. He was here to announce the award of one of my contracts to build the next bit of ‘my’ Expressway. The event went like clockwork and thanks to some excellent connections we managed to get this ‘good news’ story on the front of the paper one day and on the inside pages the following day. Everyone went home very happy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/3408104/Te-Rapa-bypass-on-track
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/3411567/Joyce-vows-work-on-expressway-to-start
Earlier in the week I’d gone along to take with a load of tenderers to look at the most interesting bit of the Expressway – a section through a range of hills. If you know your Maori culture you will know that the South Island Te Waka o Aoraki (the canoe of Aoraki) where Maui (a Polynesian deity) caught a fish Te Ika-a-Māui (The Fish oh Maui) and hauled it to the surface. The first part of the fish to appear was this range of hills which are still the sacred burial places of high ranking Maori folk. The existing road (and railway) passes between the burial ground and the Waikato River which causes great angst to Maroi as it blocks the departed spirit’s route to the river. From the river the spirits move upsteam (over 5 huge dams) to Lake Taupo (an old volcanic Caldera) and to Mount Tongariro (where we skied last October) where the ascend – I think that’s about right..
Made the mistake of going to watch the Waikato Chiefs play the Queensland Reds at rugby on Friday, a dismal game – so we made up for it in a couple of bars afterwards….
Had a very enjoyable night out to hear Chris sign at the Hamilton Garden Festival last weekend, Chris is just visible behind the soloists! Fireworks finale was great...
