pikihia

Have a look at the following petition and if you’re interested click on the link add your name.

“NZ Cycle Safety 9-Point Plan”
I want to see New Zealand’s national and local government do the following things in the next two years:
1. Run a national Share the Road promotional campaign telling motorists and cyclists how to co-exist safely on the roads.
2. Change transport planning and funding processes to make sure key problem areas or gaps for cyclists (e.g. Ngauranga to Petone cycleway, Auckland Harbour Bridge) get fixed - no more long delays or buck-passing between various organisations.
3. Spend less on road building and more on encouraging alternatives to driving: more motor vehicles on our roads only make things less safe and attractive for cycling.
4. Promote the use of lower speed zones (particularly 30km/h).
5. Change the tolerance for motor vehicle speed limit enforcement from 10km/h to a maximum of ten per cent of the posted speed limit.
6. Increase the walking and cycling budget in the National Land Transport Programme by a factor of five.
7. Change funding and audit processes to make sure that all roading projects improve the environment for cycling.
8. Change the driver licensing system and driver instruction (including bus and truck drivers) so motorists are educated about how to take care around cyclists.
9. Fund and promote nationwide roll-out of cycle skills training for children and adults

written by Hardman \\ tags: cycling, petition

OK, NZ have won 5 medals so far - 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze, but how does that really compare with countries with a similar population?  Check out the link where you can compare a countries medals v their population and also their GDP.

Let’s hope we can get some more too

Plug for my employer:  And check out all the action on tvnz.co.nz - 4 live streams and video highlights of NZ competitors.

written by Hardman \\ tags: Medals, New Zealand, Olympics, Sport

My cycle route to and from work.

written by Hardman \\ tags: cycle, work

Looking for something a bit novel and different?   Stumbled across this site “The Cool Hunter”  it covers everything from architecture, fashion & gadgets plus heaps more.  The cruise the globe (or the web) looking for funky stuff. 

written by Hardman \\ tags: Cool, Links, Website

Auckland’s dismal rail service continues.  As of 13 July Auckland Rail says they are introducing more trains, more often.  Well for me catching a train from Ellerslie station everyday there are no extra services at peak hour and the times are even less convenient at peak hour to and from work. 

Not sure where the statement “more trains more often” comes from - does this mean that service reliability will improve too?  Currently the southern line which I take everyday has just over a 80% statistic for being on time!  Yes, that means at least once a week both to and from work I can expect the trains I catch to be late (or even worse cancelled!). 

You can check out the delays and increase in costs for the ARTA projects and also the reliability of the Auckland Rail Service in the ARTA monthly business reports.  Will Auckland ever get a reliable and efficient rail service?

For me, a Tui billboard I made up sums it up nicely!!

written by Hardman \\ tags: ARTA, Auckland Transport, Rail, Trains

Off to Gizzie for Xmas with Amanda’s folks and down in the Tron the weekend before with my folks. 

Looks like we might be helping to tidy up a bit in Gizzie this year after the biggest earthquake in NZ since 1987 struck 50km NE from Gizzie luckily offshore.  Amanda’s folks said the place was a mess with all the drawers open, wall hangings fallen down, all the pantry food and plates on the floor and the office a mess with quite a few breakages. 

One ornament to miss the quake was the Christmas tree - the tree was still standing with all decorations intact and only the angel on top had fallen off….whew!

Article, photos and you tube link from the paper here…..

MERRY XMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!

written by Hardman

OK as I have previous said, and with NZ music month on (MAY) I’m plugging a great site www.amplifier.co.nz. All NZ music. Anyway have a look at the Rainbow Warrior twentieth anniversary recording of The Muttonbirds’ ‘Anchor Me’ that has been released, with proceeds to Greenpeace. Check out the video here

PS - Check out Adi Dick there too for some chilled dub, typical kiwi style.

written by Hardman

Auckland Lantern Festival (also known as The Asian festival of light) - Went along on Friday, 2 March 2007, it was super busy and lots of …. “lanterns” funnily enough. Grabbed some food from the asian stalls and took a few photos of all the lights. Check out the photos in the photos section of this blog.

Anyway it is the year of the pig this year! The start of the New Year falls on February 18, 2007.

If you were born in 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983 or 1995 - you were born under the sign of the pig. Like the pig, you are highly regarded for your chilvary and pureness of heart, and you often make friends for life. For pigs in 2007, any recent setbacks or obstacles can be overcome so look forward to a year in which to really shine, either personally or professionally.

Famous people born in the Year Of The Pig include Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Thomas Jefferson, Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, Mahalia Jackson, David Letterman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

written by Hardman