DawieO

Yup spot on. Debit card system (EFTPOS) in NZ is local proprietary, and also free to the consumer. In order to use your SA Mastercard Debit cards you need access to the Mastercard “rails”, which are the same ones used for MC credit cards, and hence attract scheme fees.

Makara Park, Wellington NZ

Wow could watch this all day...!

Some protection for my new lady. Tats by Dyedbro.com

Pretty much bet on it. I was there last weekend and found myself going up just because I could! Enormous fun!

Last weekend I borrowed one, this week I went to the dark side... It makes you feel as strong as you like to remember you used to be.

I think you are being very charitable describing Rosedale as equivalent to Sandton...

Most of my colleagues are out searching for Springbok jerseys so they can support us in the final!

If there is a gang forming, count me in.

Did they give you any idea of delivery timeline? I’ve been on that list since March 2018!

Tony Quinn, the guy who owns this racetrack, and 3 or four others also owns an Aston Martin Vulcan. THAT thing is a BEAST!

Some gorgeous New Zealand scenery there. Race track at the end is Hampton Downs just South of Auckland.

4 shooters, 3 men and a women walked into 2 mosques at the afternoon prayer and killed as many people as they could. One of them walked out and then came back to kill survivors. NZ Police did an amazing job at rounding them up within hours, but the damage is done. The Muslim community here is very small and close, and we have some very traumatized people who lost friends and family today.

This is an unmitigated tragedy. 40 people killed and the number may still climb. Today we were touched by darkness.

Going to be a bit complicated using that setup on a plane or bus... and sadly, no noise cancelling.

My trusty Ellsworth kicked the bucket, so I was sans bike. And this after having JUST finished a major component upgrade all round. Hunting around I got a blistering deal on this 2018 Yeti SB5.5 frame and a 2018 Fox F36. Had some custom black graphics made for the fork to get it nice and black. Transferred my goodies from the EvolveC and off we go!

At the moment I have the Sennheiser PCX550, the Sony WH1000XM3 , Bose QC35s and Bose QC20 in-ears. I fly really frequently, like twice a week, so I use them a LOT. For shorter domestic flights the QC20 in ears are fantastic because they pack small. Noise cancelling on all Bose is excellent. I do find that after an hour or 2 the in-ears get uncomfortable. The Sennheisers are OK, but the NC is nowhere near Bose. Also, their connectors for external cables when using them for inflight entertainments are tiny and fragile. Sony’s are fantastic and my current top pick. They do have a design quirk in that if you leave them on, but no source connected, they switch themselves off after a while. Annoying if all you want is some electronic silence. That said, Bluetooth performance, noise cancelling and sound quality are top notch. The Bose are always a winning choice and you really can’t go wrong. Their ear-cups tend to wear out, but they are both easy to replace, and supremely comfortable. So at this stage , you will be winning with either the Bose or the Sony.

Yip, exact thing happened to me. With a knife at your throat and 2 guys rummaging over you, the last thing you want is for someone to be a hero and antagonize the knifeman. What you want is for them to take whatever is lying around and leave. It is just stuff. My thoughts weren’t “how do I take them out”, they were “how do I keep them calm and get to see my family tonight”...

If you do decide to do a bit of riding, I have a Spez Camber you can borrow so no need to schlep a bike.

Wow DC8! Haven’t seen one of those for a LONG time.

Back in the 90s I was in the Navy, and some of us junior officers had the privilege of being seconded to other Navies. I spent a year in San Diego and saw very cool stuff around. But a mate of mine took the cake. He was attached to a carrier in the med and had to fly out from Italy. His ride was an F14... He has never stopped telling the story, and I have never stopped being jealous.

There’s another one at Boeing field in Seattle. If you are an aviation nut, Seattle is like heaven. Do a tour of the big factory at Paine Field where they build the wide bodies, and visit Future of Flight museum and the amazing Warbirds Centre. The Boeing factory is the biggest building under roof on the planet. It is 1km long and 500m wide under a single roof. 4 production lines running for 777 and 787. Used to build 747 there too. Next day visit the 737 factory at Renton, they push out 3 new planes a day. Next day get to Boeing field for the Boeing museum where you can take a flip in a B17 and see a most diverse collection. Everything from a 707 that was Aiforce One, a Concorde, a couple different 747s and hundreds of other cool planes. At the same time take a look across the apron where they refurbish Boeings. Last time I was there we saw F18s, AWACS, a new Poseidon, and a bunch of interesting civilian planes. 3 days in heaven. Now don’t even get me started on the East coast, Intrepid, Smithsonian, Cape Canaveral... And then my bucket list is to go visit the Boneyards. Oh my I feel a trip coming on.

I believe that would be Stu Davidson’s Sea Fury. What a beautiful beast!

Nightflyers very much binge-worthy. Did Season 1 today, nicely done.

As requested: