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

[davetapson]

A plb is essential.

 

Not too badly priced and literally a lifesaver.

 

Can even rent them if need be.

As everyone who has pressed the button would say, the price is nothing after the fact.

 

Not that I've stumped up for one yet - but as soon as the boat is done, it's going to become compulsory in my eyes.  I've seen them in the $300's - $370 odd if I remember right.

[patches]

Hehe... the mindfk in working that one out must have been interesting... 

 

 

Totally!

 

I was lucky that I stopped to zoom out on the Route and then noticed it headed straight into the mountains. It was at that moment I knew I'd f'd up 

 

I then took my helmet off, sat next to my bike. Checked my fuel, and had a minor panic attack

I was low on fuel, food, and empty on cell signal. I was tired, and getting cold. I also knew that I had crossed part of the river that was so deep and fast flowing that I knyped harder than a duck on a bidet. I did NOT want to have to cross that again. But i had no choice.

 

As a boatie you may enjoy this:

 

Here's a water-side view of the river and valley in question

 

[intern]

Which probably leads to a Good/Bad/Ugly all in one... NZ bush is something else.  You may think you have mamba navigation skills and could walk across the Kalahari with a pair of shorts and two hansas, but in NZ bush... ai yi yi.

 

Dense, can't choose where to navigate due to terrain (gullies, but 20m or whatever deep) and matted vegetation, can't see out of it to keep land marks / navigation points.  Once you've taken 13 detours to get to the place 50m across the gully, you've walked 800m, don't know where you are, let alone the original spot you were trying to get to. 

 

And every move from there on consists of repeats.

 

Heh, one of my Safa mates was gobsmacked with how hard hunting is over here. Back in Africa, you drive up in the Hilux, open fire randomly in the bush and head home with 7 different species of biltong. Over here...well, let's just say, you gotta put in a bit more effort than that!

[davetapson]

 

 

No one could accuse the Kiwis of not finding ways to have fun with what they have...

 

 

Back in Africa, you drive up in the Hilux, open fire randomly in the bush and head home with 7 different species of biltong. 

 

And you get to gut and carry it yourself too...

 

The one thing that always gets me is just how empty all the ecological niches are here.  In Africa you drop a crumb, there is a fight between the flies, ants, geckos, birds to get it, and one or two of each gets eaten by the others in the process.  Here, nada.  Crumb is still on the ground three days later.

 

Something dies in the bush in Africa - there's an entire ecosystem involved in breaking it down from beginning to end.  Here, well, the pigs will probably get it, and after that, there isn't a whole lot.

Edited August 7, 2020 by davetapson

[davetapson]

$299 for Aus coded PLB (apparently makes no diffs where it is coded)

 

http://www.adventuresafety.com.au/survive-at-sea-range/kti-safety-alert-sa2gn-personal-locator-beacon-plb/

 

Can pay an extra $40 for NZ coded version.

Edited August 7, 2020 by davetapson

[rad006]

Totally!

 

I was lucky that I stopped to zoom out on the Route and then noticed it headed straight into the mountains. It was at that moment I knew I'd f'd up 

 

I then took my helmet off, sat next to my bike. Checked my fuel, and had a minor panic attack

I was low on fuel, food, and empty on cell signal. I was tired, and getting cold. I also knew that I had crossed part of the river that was so deep and fast flowing that I knyped harder than a duck on a bidet. I did NOT want to have to cross that again. But i had no choice.

 

As a boatie you may enjoy this:

 

Here's a water-side view of the river and valley in question

 

Ever since I went on 2 Jet Boats in NZ, its all I want back in SA....

[davetapson]

Ever since I went on 2 Jet Boats in NZ, its all I want back in SA....

 

Have a look at the boat shop this guy recommends.  Dang...

 

 

http://www.outbackboats.nz/category/Solar-Inflatable-Jet-Hulls

[patches]

Have a look at the boat shop this guy recommends.  Dang...

 

 

http://www.outbackboats.nz/category/Solar-Inflatable-Jet-Hulls

 

Interesting!

 

I've never seen outboard jet motors like that before. Not the inflatable type

 

All the jet boats I'd seen (bar the commercial ones like Shotover) were small little alu hulls with inboards.

 

 

The inflatable with outboard seems a little more versatile. Probably more affordable too!

[rad006]

Interesting!

 

I've never seen outboard jet motors like that before. Not the inflatable type

 

All the jet boats I'd seen (bar the commercial ones like Shotover) were small little alu hulls with inboards.

 

 

The inflatable with outboard seems a little more versatile. Probably more affordable too!

Very interesting, I wonder how far under the hull it sticks out?

[davetapson]

Interesting!

 

I've never seen outboard jet motors like that before. Not the inflatable type

 

All the jet boats I'd seen (bar the commercial ones like Shotover) were small little alu hulls with inboards.

 

 

The inflatable with outboard seems a little more versatile. Probably more affordable too!

Yeah, it's a great idea. I wonder if it's Kiwi or Russian?

 

So 'Rona, she's back. But 4 cases does not an epidemic make. Who those cases have touched might be another story.

 

I see men's shed has closed. I've been there twice with timber (I was going to say wood [emoji848]) in hand, to find out closed. This working gets in the way of real life.

[davetapson]

Question: is there Kiwi Twitter? Anybody follow anybody who might have something interesting to say in NZ?

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

More cases and of unknown origin.

Guess sticking your head in the ground and hoping it goes away isn't a viable strategy.........

[intern]

In anticipation of the inevitable second wave, I've sold my house and even my boat (  ) and here we are. There was no way this wasn't going to happen, not with the lax border management for the first 6 or 8 weeks or whatever it was, then suddenly they toiten it up and we have a few cases here and there being intercepted (but nothing got past...uuh)) and then also the workers surrounding incoming folks not using PPE or being tested (Michael Morrah story last week I think).

 

And now look. Auckland locking down. Quo vadis? We can't hide from a heavy flu forever (check out Queensland's stats, by the way, a little over 1000 infections in a population over 5 mil, and ONE death. I'm no mathematician, but that's not a super deadly disease now is it).

 

Now the problem I have is what to do with my 10c. Maybe some shares or something, they look likely to take a vicious beating in the coming days, so maybe I can buy in cheap.

[Wayne Potgieter]

My son is stuck at year 6 camp near hamilton.

 

He was supposed to go to camp in March but it was cancelled because of Covid. Then they rebooked it and now its cut short from Covid.

 

Going to have one pissed off kid to deal with....

[patches]

Yeah, it's a great idea. I wonder if it's Kiwi or Russian?

 

So 'Rona, she's back. But 4 cases does not an epidemic make. Who those cases have touched might be another story.

 

I see men's shed has closed. I've been there twice with timber (I was going to say wood [emoji848]) in hand, to find out closed. This working gets in the way of real life.

 

Damn! yeah I also got the email from the Shed last night. I know generally they are only open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I have taken a day off on a Thursday only to find that out

 

Hopefully they open up again soon... or I might have to accidentally buy a table saw 

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

In anticipation of the inevitable second wave, I've sold my house and even my boat (  ) and here we are. There was no way this wasn't going to happen, not with the lax border management for the first 6 or 8 weeks or whatever it was, then suddenly they toiten it up and we have a few cases here and there being intercepted (but nothing got past...uuh)) and then also the workers surrounding incoming folks not using PPE or being tested (Michael Morrah story last week I think).

 

And now look. Auckland locking down. Quo vadis? We can't hide from a heavy flu forever (check out Queensland's stats, by the way, a little over 1000 infections in a population over 5 mil, and ONE death. I'm no mathematician, but that's not a super deadly disease now is it).

 

Now the problem I have is what to do with my 10c. Maybe some shares or something, they look likely to take a vicious beating in the coming days, so maybe I can buy in cheap.

 

Yeah dude, no logic being used these days......