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

[patches]

Thanks Patches!

And PLEASE come ride down here, it's too good not to share! You won't regret it. If the weather's been dry for a bit, we can have a crack in Manawahe, too, which is quite technical. Last time I went on my own and realised I need a couple things before I go again:

* Recovery straps and a grab handle on my seat

* Basic tool kit

* Water

* A riding buddy.

There were a few occasions where I got stuck, including one where my WR250 was upside down in a narrow donga/deep rut on a slope, and another where it was nose-in on a sharp downhill into a stream. Both required some ingenuity for recovery! Would have been way easier with at least two of the above listed items (the water and the tool kit, OBVS).

You can look on Gmaps at Manawahe, alongside Lake Rotoma. Then also check out Coastlands to Thornton and on to Pikowai if you want to see what else we regularly ride...

 

Yeah, I would like to say I have learnt those lessons on a few occasions, but the fact that there has been more than one occasion indicates that perhaps I did not learn.

 

First occasion - Exploring the back-country between Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, I decided to ride through a flooded section of trail. Turns out it was not trail, but the floodplain itself. 45min of wrestling a bike stuck in a swamp, then getting a pinch flat racing to get to my destination.

 

Lesson: don't just follow the trail blindly, and moving a bike stuck in the mud can be a 2-person job.

 

Second occasion - Solo exploring some South Island wilderness (Wilberforce Valley). I loaded the wrong GPS track by accident and followed it up a very unforgiving valley, crossing cold, deep fast flowing braided rivers. By the time I realised I was off course, I was low on fuel and only had 1 banana for food, and had no way of contacting the outside world. Luckily I had just enough fuel to get out before sundown, and I managed to channel my inner Chris Birch and probably rode the best I ever have and will.

 

Lesson: Tell someone where you'll be going. Double check your maps. Read the trail descriptions (Remotemoto said not to ride solo and to take 3 days worth of food incase one gets flooded in), and ensure one has a means of signalling for help (EPIRB or Garmin Inreach etc).

 

Third occasion: Solo exploring forestry area west of Warkworth. Rode through a "puddle" on the trail that happened to be saddle-high. Bike drowned and I could have too (tipped off the bike when it went down and luckily managed to push it off me as only my head was sticking out of the "puddle".  After strip-down of my cold & wet gear, I had to drag the bike out and tip it upside down and to try "pump" the water out by rotating the rear wheel whilst in gear.

 

Lesson: AGAIN, Tell someone where you'll be going. AGAIN, don't trust all "puddles" on trail unless you can see the bottom, and even then walk it. Wet boots are far better than drowned bike.

 

So yeah, I don't learn too good, but as your list says, having the right supplies, and riding with someone makes it a hell of a lot less risky!

[intern]

Yeah, I would like to say I have learnt those lessons on a few occasions, but the fact that there has been more than one occasion indicates that perhaps I did not learn.

 

First occasion - Exploring the back-country between Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, I decided to ride through a flooded section of trail. Turns out it was not trail, but the floodplain itself. 45min of wrestling a bike stuck in a swamp, then getting a pinch flat racing to get to my destination.

 

Lesson: don't just follow the trail blindly, and moving a bike stuck in the mud can be a 2-person job.

 

Second occasion - Solo exploring some South Island wilderness (Wilberforce Valley). I loaded the wrong GPS track by accident and followed it up a very unforgiving valley, crossing cold, deep fast flowing braided rivers. By the time I realised I was off course, I was low on fuel and only had 1 banana for food, and had no way of contacting the outside world. Luckily I had just enough fuel to get out before sundown, and I managed to channel my inner Chris Birch and probably rode the best I ever have and will.

 

Lesson: Tell someone where you'll be going. Double check your maps. Read the trail descriptions (Remotemoto said not to ride solo and to take 3 days worth of food incase one gets flooded in), and ensure one has a means of signalling for help (EPIRB or Garmin Inreach etc).

 

Third occasion: Solo exploring forestry area west of Warkworth. Rode through a "puddle" on the trail that happened to be saddle-high. Bike drowned and I could have too (tipped off the bike when it went down and luckily managed to push it off me as only my head was sticking out of the "puddle".  After strip-down of my cold & wet gear, I had to drag the bike out and tip it upside down and to try "pump" the water out by rotating the rear wheel whilst in gear.

 

Lesson: AGAIN, Tell someone where you'll be going. AGAIN, don't trust all "puddles" on trail unless you can see the bottom, and even then walk it. Wet boots are far better than drowned bike.

 

So yeah, I don't learn too good, but as your list says, having the right supplies, and riding with someone makes it a hell of a lot less risky!

 

I need to adventure with you. And your one banana haha

[patches]

The bad and ugly...

 

douchebags are universal, and living in such a relaxed and peaceful country doesn't exempt one from encountering them now and again.

 

The incident - My brother-in-law (Wellington) tried to dispose of 1x cardboard box and mistakenly was not aware that he couldn't use the big green dumpsters placed in an shared area between their townhouse complex and a small commercial park.

 

He was met by an extremely confrontational  employee from one of the businesses who proceeded to shout, swear and threaten him. My brother-in didn't get a chance to get a word in edgewise, let alone explain that he's only been living in NZ for 7 months and was genuinely unaware.

 

Anyway, if it had stopped there, it would have been bad enough of an encounter. But then yesterday he returns home from work to find this piled up in front of the front door.

 

 

It seems the vitriolic individual he encountered the day before had gone through the effort to empty half a dumpster load of cardboard and polystyrene as "payback" for mistakenly trying to dispose of 1 box in the wrong dumpster.

 

To make matters worse, my sister and nephew (18 month old) were stuck inside, unable to exit the house due to the obstruction. My sister has severe rheumatoid arthritis, a shoulder replacement, and cardiac arrhythmia. In the event of a medical emergency or fire she would have been trapped.

 

So yeah, my brother-in-law is now fuming and in a bit of disbelief that someone can be such a tjop and do such a thing.

 

Douchebags are universal!

[davetapson]

I just sold a car privately and it was so easy.

 

Bought our first car from Turners when we arrived.  Paid cash (it wasn't much), the lady behind the counter went clickity-clickity click and said "Ok, done."  

 

I asked where the cert of reg was and she said "What?"

 

I kept feeling like I was being ripped-off - it was too easy and too non-bureaucratic - something must be wrong... 

 

 

[davetapson]

It seems the vitriolic individual he encountered the day before had gone through the effort to empty half a dumpster load of cardboard and polystyrene as "payback" for mistakenly trying to dispose of 1 box in the wrong dumpster.

 

There is a yellow recyclers bin near one of the local garages, between the garage and public parking. 

Was chucking a fiew boxes in it once when the forecourt jockey came out and gave me lecture about how he didn't mind me using 'his' recycle bin as long as I broke the boxes down flat.  Given that it has recycling company branding on it, and that he is the pomp-jockey, I had some internal opinions about how much it was 'his'. 

 

That he was a long-term ex-saffa made it a bit strange.  Garage was then bust for doing dodgy WOF's, so there is that.

Edited August 5, 2020 by davetapson

[Wayne Potgieter]

The bad and ugly...

 

douchebags are universal, and living in such a relaxed and peaceful country doesn't exempt one from encountering them now and again.

 

The incident - My brother-in-law (Wellington) tried to dispose of 1x cardboard box and mistakenly was not aware that he couldn't use the big green dumpsters placed in an shared area between their townhouse complex and a small commercial park.

 

He was met by an extremely confrontational  employee from one of the businesses who proceeded to shout, swear and threaten him. My brother-in didn't get a chance to get a word in edgewise, let alone explain that he's only been living in NZ for 7 months and was genuinely unaware.

 

Anyway, if it had stopped there, it would have been bad enough of an encounter. But then yesterday he returns home from work to find this piled up in front of the front door.

 

IMG-20200805-WA0002.jpg

 

It seems the vitriolic individual he encountered the day before had gone through the effort to empty half a dumpster load of cardboard and polystyrene as "payback" for mistakenly trying to dispose of 1 box in the wrong dumpster.

 

To make matters worse, my sister and nephew (18 month old) were stuck inside, unable to exit the house due to the obstruction. My sister has severe rheumatoid arthritis, a shoulder replacement, and cardiac arrhythmia. In the event of a medical emergency or fire she would have been trapped.

 

So yeah, my brother-in-law is now fuming and in a bit of disbelief that someone can be such a tjop and do such a thing.

 

Douchebags are universal!

At the risk of sounding like an old man - i would totally report that dude. 

 

Your Bro's mistake does not warrant such a response.

[intern]

 

Douchebags are universal!

 

Bloody Wellington greenies!! I sure hope there is some CCTV, this dude needs a punch in the mouth at the very least. But a CIVILIZED punch, of course, we're not savages you know (except for the Dbag).

[intern]

There is a yellow recyclers bin near one of the local garages, between the garage and public parking. 

Was chucking a fiew boxes in it once when the forecourt jockey came out and gave me lecture about how he didn't mind me using 'his' recycle bin as long as I broke the boxes down flat.  Given that it has recycling company branding on it, and that he is the pomp-jockey, I had some internal opinions about how much it was 'his'. 

 

That he was a long-term ex-saffa made it a bit strange.  Garage was then bust for doing dodgy WOF's, so there is that.

 

Spotted the Safa    

[davetapson]

At the risk of sounding like an old man - i would totally report that dude. 

 

Your Bro's mistake does not warrant such a response.

 

Dunno if that company has much of a social media presence, but if it does a couple of coordinated tweets / posts linked to that company with 'Hey, xxx, do you think this behaviour is acceptable?' might generate a response from someone higher up in that characters hierarchy.

[RossW]

At the risk of sounding like an old man - i would totally report that dude. 

 

Your Bro's mistake does not warrant such a response.

100%

[arabsandals]

Dunno if that company has much of a social media presence, but if it does a couple of coordinated tweets / posts linked to that company with 'Hey, xxx, do you think this behaviour is acceptable?' might generate a response from someone higher up in that characters hierarchy.

 

This is the correct response.

[Wayne Potgieter]

Change of subject...

 

Most of you know that I have started studying again (actually, I am almost done with the degree)

 

I have been doing some work in the Abnormal Psychology field this semester and the PTSD and Depression sections are fascinating. There is so much synergy with my old life in RSA and the extreme levels of stress and Mood Disorders we all accepted as being the normal way of living.

 

It is really good to put things back in to perspective.

 

Sure, the winters are wet and RSA has wildlife and cheap houses and restaurants, but when you put things into a more holistic perspective, we really are quite privileged to call this place home...

[patches]

At the risk of sounding like an old man - i would totally report that dude. 

 

Your Bro's mistake does not warrant such a response.

 

Bloody Wellington greenies!! I sure hope there is some CCTV, this dude needs a punch in the mouth at the very least. But a CIVILIZED punch, of course, we're not savages you know (except for the Dbag).

 

100%

 

Dunno if that company has much of a social media presence, but if it does a couple of coordinated tweets / posts linked to that company with 'Hey, xxx, do you think this behaviour is acceptable?' might generate a response from someone higher up in that characters hierarchy.

 

By BIL went to speak to the manager of the small business. He knew straight away which one of his employees was the culprit as that particular guy has a tendency to over-react and do so violently.

 

The manager agreed that the retaliation was uncalled for.

 

It seemed that the matter was resolved, and the individual is well aware that he is the bad guy in this instance.

[Wayne Potgieter]

By BIL went to speak to the manager of the small business. He knew straight away which one of his employees was the culprit as that particular guy has a tendency to over-react and do so violently.

 

The manager agreed that the retaliation was uncalled for.

 

It seemed that the matter was resolved, and the individual is well aware that he is the bad guy in this instance.

Lekker uit ge ***.

[patches]

Change of subject...

 

Most of you know that I have started studying again (actually, I am almost done with the degree)

 

I have been doing some work in the Abnormal Psychology field this semester and the PTSD and Depression sections are fascinating. There is so much synergy with my old life in RSA and the extreme levels of stress and Mood Disorders we all accepted as being the normal way of living.

 

It is really good to put things back in to perspective.

 

Sure, the winters are wet and RSA has wildlife and cheap houses and restaurants, but when you put things into a more holistic perspective, we really are quite privileged to call this place home...

 

So true indeed!

 

I'm sure many of you who have the Facebook have seen the Move ONE Million group pop in your news feeds. I get to see it becasue a number of my SA based friends and acquaintances share posts from there.

 

Whilst I haven't delved into the group and I do think it's great to see Saffers banding together, the issues being raised there are now a foreign concept. I have definitely taken for granted the very favourable environment in which I live.

 

The toughest part is knowing that there are daily stresses and challenges which my Mom and siblings face and I have very little power to do anything about.

 

Hopefully one-day in the near future I can extend the this privilege of my new home, to those loved ones. 

[davetapson]

By BIL went to speak to the manager of the small business. He knew straight away which one of his employees was the culprit as that particular guy has a tendency to over-react and do so violently.

 

The manager agreed that the retaliation was uncalled for.

 

It seemed that the matter was resolved, and the individual is well aware that he is the bad guy in this instance.

 

Nicely done...