New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[Slowbee]

 

We stay close to the Ashleigh River, so get to ride along the flood berm as part of my ride. There are some nice little single track sections, but I will only ride those when my North Canterbury Cycling Club board arrives. 

If I ride from home, all of the riding is flat. And windy. Always windy. And it always changes direction when you hit the turn around point. Always. 🙃

 

[Slowbee]

[Slowbee]

We might have gone snorkeling with Dusky Dolphins as our Christmas present, with Kaikoura Dolphin Experience. If any of you NZ'ers get a chance, it is well worth it. As we get closer to winter the chances of seeing orca's also goes up. And if you like your sea birds, you get to see them as well.

The family decided that Christmas was not about presents, but about experiences. Birthdays can be about wanting stuff aka "birthday gifts".

 

 

[patches]

Back in the office and procrastinating clearing my inbox, so I'd rather reminisce over the fleeting December break...

This road-trip took roughly this route

Christchurch > Dunedin > Riverton > Doubtful Sound > Queenstown > Christchurch

Aaand some snaps...

Old timey street in Oamaru

Nugget Point (the Catlans)

Random shop in Invercargill

Dropping down towards Doubtful Sound (after ferry and bus ride)

Cruising out on the sound (technically a fjord, but ya know)

Kayaking in my socks

Cant go past Lake Pukaki on a clear day and not stop for a pic!

The entrance to Lyttelton harbour as seen from the Godley Head loop track. (FYI London Street Lyttelton is a pretty cool Saturday morning out).

aaand the Christchurch Wizard's parking spot

All-in-all, great holiday! Spent a fair amount of it in Christchurch. The city has transformed a lot since I lived there, we really enjoyed it... still working on convincing the wife to move 😅

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by patches

[patches]

On 12/29/2021 at 9:54 PM, Slowbee said:

We might have gone snorkeling with Dusky Dolphins as our Christmas present, with Kaikoura Dolphin Experience. If any of you NZ'ers get a chance, it is well worth it. As we get closer to winter the chances of seeing orca's also goes up. And if you like your sea birds, you get to see them as well.

The family decided that Christmas was not about presents, but about experiences. Birthdays can be about wanting stuff aka "birthday gifts".

Great pics! Looks like you got really close! 

I've only been to/through Kaikoura twice. Once pre-quake and once post. That drive in is pretty awesome (although not for the easily car-sick).

Did you try some of the seafood whilst there?

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

On 1/10/2022 at 10:05 AM, patches said:

Back in the office and procrastinating clearing my inbox, so I'd rather reminisce over the fleeting December break...

This road-trip took roughly this route

Christchurch > Dunedin > Riverton > Doubtful Sound > Queenstown > Christchurch

Aaand some snaps...

Old timey street in Oamaru

Nugget Point (the Catlans)

Random shop in Invercargill

Dropping down towards Doubtful Sound (after ferry and bus ride)

Cruising out on the sound (technically a fjord, but ya know)

Kayaking in my socks

Cant go past Lake Pukaki on a clear day and not stop for a pic!

The entrance to Lyttelton harbour as seen from the Godley Head loop track. (FYI London Street Lyttelton is a pretty cool Saturday morning out).

aaand the Christchurch Wizard's parking spot

All-in-all, great holiday! Spent a fair amount of it in Christchurch. The city has transformed a lot since I lived there, we really enjoyed it... still working on convincing the wife to move 😅

 

 

Man, this place is special....

[patches]

So after our little December road trip and my poor wife never hearing the end of how beautiful and amazing the South Island is, I decided to make a more concerted effort to notice the beauty in my Auckland suburban neighbourhood.

After all, whilst I dream of living in Canterbury or Central Otago, I do realise that living there may dull the lustre one experiences while visiting such places.

Here are some pics from a recent afternoon walk, appreciating the "good in the hood"

Views from Kennedy Park

Castor Bay Beach

[Saag]

Vey good idea @patches. I have been here for close to 5 years and ashamed to say I have not even made it to the South Island yet 🤪.
Anyway, here are some from Orewa, Wenderholm and Mahurangi West.

[patches]

19 minutes ago, Saag said:

Vey good idea @patches. I have been here for close to 5 years and ashamed to say I have not even made it to the South Island yet 🤪.
Anyway, here are some from Orewa, Wenderholm and Mahurangi West.
 

with scenery like that, it's understandable that you have not felt the need to explore too far away.

It also puts into perspective the decent percentage of Auckland born kiwis, who have also never ventured across the Cook Straight (or they have but only for Queenstown ski trips). With the beauty of the Hauraki Gulf and the convenience of a "big" city, and short drives into the countryside, it's pretty easy to be content in the AKL.

[hayleyearth]

28 minutes ago, Saag said:

Vey good idea @patches. I have been here for close to 5 years and ashamed to say I have not even made it to the South Island yet 🤪.
Anyway, here are some from Orewa, Wenderholm and Mahurangi West.
 

Damn! What's keeping you from going?

 

Nice pics though!

[hayleyearth]

14 minutes ago, patches said:

with scenery like that, it's understandable that you have not felt the need to explore too far away.

It also puts into perspective the decent percentage of Auckland born kiwis, who have also never ventured across the Cook Straight (or they have but only for Queenstown ski trips). With the beauty of the Hauraki Gulf and the convenience of a "big" city, and short drives into the countryside, it's pretty easy to be content in the AKL.

One doesn't even have to drive to get a country feeling in Auckland. This spot is 400m from our new house, which is 14km from CBD...

[Saag]

58 minutes ago, hayleyearth said:

Damn! What's keeping you from going?

 

Nice pics though!

I can come up with many excuses, but that is all they will be....excuses 😀.

[Wayne Potgieter]

First morning back in the office and I have a bad case of the "Meh's"

 

 

[Wayne Potgieter]

Due to a little mixup at Rebel Sport, I have been sent two of the new Garmin Epix Gen 2 watches.

These are now fully out of stock in NZ.

I am fully entitled to return it to Rebel for a full refund, but thought I would first check if any fellow NZ based hubbers want it.

It was $1,598.99 and is still in its sealed box.

Let me know if you want it or Ill return it by Thursday.

[patches]

1 hour ago, Wayne Potgieter said:

Due to a little mixup at Rebel Sport, I have been sent two of the new Garmin Epix Gen 2 watches.

These are now fully out of stock in NZ.

I am fully entitled to return it to Rebel for a full refund, but thought I would first check if any fellow NZ based hubbers want it.

It was $1,598.99 and is still in its sealed box.

Let me know if you want it or Ill return it by Thursday.

Damn! I wish!

I still have a Fenix 3 (non-HR version), and about a week ago I accidentally left it trail-side while doing the walk at Tarwharanui (took it off to reapply sunscreen, and forgot to put it back on). About 30min down the trail when I realised it was missing, my wife (not wanting to turn back) said "that watch is 7 years old and you've been eyeing out a new one for a while, so I'll get you one for your birthday", hahaha!

Me (being a cheapskate) decided to "run" back to find it and then "run" to try catch up with the group.

Short story long, the old Fenix 3 lives on, and whilst it does, I toil with justifying the purchase of a replacement 😅

EDIT: Side story...

My wife's affinity for not returning to collect lost items was first noted when she visited SA for the first time. On the country-wide tour we had a stop in the Drakensburg at a National Parks campsite. The drive there and back was tricky in the tiny little Toyota Etios rental car. After our stay there and once we were about 1hr down the road going through a local settlement (with local kids bombarding the car for "SWEETS!!" when she realised she had left her pretty new iPhone at the chalet. Overwhelmed by the swarming kids and the dread of repeating the bundu-bashing in the tiny-car, she wrote it off.

But thanks to a lovely staff member at the camp and creative relaying between friends visiting that camp weeks after us, and friends of those friends visiting NZ a month after that, the phone made its way back.

Edited February 7, 2022 by patches

[Wayne Potgieter]

20 minutes ago, patches said:

Damn! I wish!

I still have a Fenix 3 (non-HR version), and about a week ago I accidentally left it trail-side while doing the walk at Tarwharanui (took it off to reapply sunscreen, and forgot to put it back on). About 30min down the trail when I realised it was missing, my wife (not wanting to turn back) said "that watch is 7 years old and you've been eyeing out a new one for a while, so I'll get you one for your birthday", hahaha!

Me (being a cheapskate) decided to "run" back to find it and then "run" to try catch up with the group.

Short story long, the old Fenix 3 lives on, and whilst it does, I toil with justifying the purchase of a replacement 😅

 

LOL. I upgraded to the fenix 6X and then they launched the Epix. The fenix was always big on my wrist, but when I saw that OLED screen I really regretted my upgrade.

 

Long story short, managed to sell my Fenix 6X to a mate and then ordered the EPIX, which is...well, EPIC.