Wayne Potgieter

i had a heap of learners licenses and just bribed my way out of trouble back in SA. Not proud of it. Decided to do things by the book here.

Passed it. Now I need to ride for twelve months before attempting the full locense.

Doing my restricted license assessment today. Strangely nervous. The license process here is pretty long. About 12 to 18 months from nothing to full. Three different physical assessments. Three eye tests and one theory test. All while riding a lower power bike. Not allowed to own anything larger than a 660cc or lower than a certain power to weight ratio.

worms aren’t vegan.

@patches. You are doing it right. Well done mate!

Looks like you sorted your special part out?

I was told this week by the RSA consulate in Wellington that I need to allow twelve months to renew my passport. And I have to fly to Wellington to do so.

thanks. Based on your tip I have booked one for 2 January.

yes. People here are really upset over it. Marches through the streets and so on. Even our prime minister got all choked up on the news about it.

Thanks man. Its a great bike. Its a lot bigger than you think in terms of frame size and the engine has a decent amount of power. At the moment I am trying to keep the revs under 6K as I wear in the motor. I took it for a nice ride out to Maraetai on Sunday and it was epic. It is really nimble and likes corners. I need to get my confidence up on it though, but that will come with time.

I used to work for Fliway. Is there any way you can pick it up from the head office? I dont mind grabbing it for you if you need a hand.

I think I might soon need to get the Mrs one.

I take delivery in a few hours of this.

I agree here. Vegan cheese is ghastly.

i am in a similar situation. We vegan as much as possible but when travelling we make allowances for vegetarian. It’s not a perfect system but it’s the best we can do. And I think that’s important. Even though it’s not a perfect system I believe it’s significantly better than the alternative.

They dont follow any logic. 2 years ago I applied for a business entry visa for me and the wife. She got 5 years, I got 2. Probably because of a dodgy photo. Now I am busy renewing it. Also going to apply for the kids as well and take them to the gold coast or something.

Thanks. Ill give them a call.

Actually, I completely agree. I saw this on Facebook a while ago and if its on facebook it must be true. Seriously though, if this information is reasonably accurate, thats a pretty scary reflection of how harmful humans are as a species. I think we are pretty lucky here in NZ. Most of our energy (over 85%) is renewable. We have great Vegan options and our electric car market is really strong (we love our little EV) Granted, none of these things are silver bullets that stop our harmful impact, but they are better than nothing. Perhaps we can start a side thread for vegan recipes and food? I dont want to distract from the evidence based debate on this thread, but its always good to see what others are cooking?

Look, I see Gens Point to be honest. If the whole planet switched to veganism, then there would be heaps of animals that would essentially have no purpose. However, I think its an argument that wont happen. For the simple reason that the whole planet WONT go Vegan at the same time. In a perfect situation it would happen gradually as people start their own journey and farmers would simply have to match animal production to match the need of consumers. As the need decreases, so the production would decrease. From a planetary persepective, it is well documented on how harmful commercial animal agriculture is to the environment. But the solution is not an "all or nothing" approach. Simply reducing the amount of animals being farmed will have a profound effect on the environment. If each omnivore decreased from 7 days a week worth of meat to 3, we would reduce the harmful impact SIGNIFICANTLY.

Has anyone on here needed to renew an RSA passport from NZ? As far as my research can tell, it can take 6-12 months (from home affairs website) I need to present myself in Wellingon to apply. Basically I need to renew mine and the two kid' passports as they expire before citizenship. Is the above correct and do you need to book an appointment or simply rock up? Thanks

Been Vegetarian for over 18 months now. We eat strictly Vegan at home but are a litle more flexible when eating out or on holiday. We might introduce small amounts of dairy or eggs in baked goods but never actual meat. I absolutely love it. I feel great and am in the best shape of my life. My daughters exema has been cured and my children seem to be more experimental in how they eat. Eldron is right, its all about spices. We genuinely no longer long for meat or animal products. I genuinely believe each to their own and dont judge the meat eaters even though they are mass murderers (kidding kidding) I dont care what you eat and I dont discuss what I eat (unless actually asked by an interested party) I think there are a lot more vegans than most people realise, but not all of us preach and shout it from the rooftops. I have been doing a lot of nutrition research as part of my Bsc and am abasolutely amazed at how little most people know about what they put in their bodies. will be following this thread closely.

Thanks! I am rather ashamed to admit that the only license for a motorcycle I ever had in RSA was one hundred rondt in my pocket.

So let me explain... In NZ you are not allowed to simply buy whichever bike you want. The license process is geared around competancy and slower entry into riding. Step 1: Complete a basic handling course. Complete a learners theory test Once completed, you will be given a learners license. With this license you can only ride a LAMS (Learner approved motorcycle). Generally speaking these are less than 660CC or less than a particular power to weight ratio. So we have a HUGE array of choice in the sub 600 class. Far more than I EVER remember existing in RSA. With a learners, you have to ride with a giant "L" sticker on the back of the bike. You cant ride after 10pm or before 5am and you cannot lift anyone. A Learners is valid for 5 years Once you have been riding for a while, you can move on to step 2. STEP 2: Complete another practical assesment to move from a learners to a restricted. The same restrictions as above apply, except for the "L" sticker can now come off. You must wait a minimum of 12 months before applying for a full license. STEP 3. To get a full license you need to pass another physical assesment. Then all restrictions fall away (including bike size limitations) Its a pretty good system. You actually dont need any licensing centre run by the government. You can do it all privately. After each step your drivers license is renewed and redone and posted to you. It gets to you within 5 days of completing the test. (first world postal service) Then, the government, through ACC (our free accident medical aid) sponsors rider courses and ride days for you to go on. There are these amazing 8 hour outrides through some amazing countryside. Essentially the government pays for private training providers to give you rider communication devices and a trainer who rides with you and coaches you whilst out and about. 6 riders MAX per trainer. These are completely optional but highly recomended. Its a pretty cool system. They are also investigating giving bike commuters a tax rebate for using bikes and behaving safely on them. If you are caught speeding or behaving like a hooligan, then your tax brackets shift back to normal. Its still under discussion but its gaining momentum.

HA HA...I wish. Its a 310 GS