Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: What did you do yesterday?

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  • BenWilson,

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    I gardened for most of the day, and then stargazed until midnight. I had planned to go for a swim three times, but every occasion was stuffed up. On the first, the pool was closed because someone pooed in it. The second and third were blown by the tsunami warning. But it was a pleasant day nonetheless.

    Turning over compost heaps and tending to the worm farm shouldn't be so much fun, but I'm rather fascinated by the underlying processes. Killing all the worms in the farm is apparently like smoking a motherboard, a basic rite of passage if you want to fiddle with such things.

    Oh, and there was a round of golf. I love how he kept his eye on the ball here, despite cleanly missing it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Brent Jackson,

    We cycled around the waterfront from Westhaven to Bastion Point, and went to the wonderfully laid back Waitangi Day Festival. Was hoping to get a tour of the meeting house there, but the tours were cancelled (the helpful guard didn't know why). We even got up and pogoed a bit when Dave Dobbyn played his older numbers (though there would have been very few in the crowd that were born when he bought his guitar in 1976). Found a couple a geocaches, and had a very pleasant ride home again. Everyone we met was good natured and friendly, and seemed to be enjoying themselves - at the concert, at Okahu bay, and at the Viaduct. It was nice to be out amongst it all.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 620 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    the focus on only two groups

    you mean Maori and all citizens represented by the Crown (including Maori)?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Chip Matthews,

    I ended up doing my radio show, on a day which I would usually had off. Dunno why, but this year my co-host and I both thought it'd be good to do. And it was. The listenership were up for a great morning of music and sun. Great way to start the day.

    Every year on Waitangi, I think of my pops. I think of one who was so disengaged with his heritage. And I look at it in relation to the Treaty and it's place in NZ for the past 173 years. And whilst I don't blame shit on the Treaty in that way, I always find it quite poignant to think of my dad, from the Hoks, part of the urban migration and one of those born of parents intent on pushing all things Maori away from my dad and his siblings. I also think of stuff like the Native Lands acts, Settlement Act, or Judge Prendergast.

    Social media helps showcase a lot of , ahem, different opinions on all things Waitangi. But as I likened it to yesterday, Waitangi is like a national booze up, a party where there's always gonna be people who say things that they ONLY say on the turps. In this case, you have a whole bunch of people who feel it's a day where they can vent, like REALLY get their negative shit out. I do wonder if any of those people look back at their posts with some sort of Waitangi-hangover lense.

    Anyways, for me, it was radio, into the office to take care of some things, and then home to hang out with my son, who got to experience, even unkowingly, Waitangi for the first time.

    All in all, I had a frikkin brilliant Waitangi Day!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 46 posts Report Reply

  • Sara Bee,

    Classic NZ activities - going to the tip, incl. recycling store. Nice bacon-containing lunch at a cafe - no surcharge. Movie & visiting with family. Son went to Mount Zion and loved it.

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 67 posts Report Reply

  • Gabor Toth,

    Mid-week holidays always throw my perceptions of which day it is out the window. Tuesday night felt like Friday night, yesterday morning felt like it was Saturday and by the evening I thought it was Sunday. I was coming out of the lift this morning at work and for a fraction of a second I thought it was Monday…

    Wellington • Since Dec 2006 • 137 posts Report Reply

  • Robby Hickman,

    Tweeted a hat tip to Naida Glavish who as a tolls operator in 1984 stared down her bosses at New Zealand Post Office over the use of 'kia ora' as a greeting. Thought some of the younger tweeps might find that story a useful insight into New Zealand as it was. The story is in NZ History Online History of the Māori language http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/maori-language-week/history-of-the-maori-language

    Auckland • Since Feb 2012 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Marcus Turner,

    Pruned the pyracantha. Practiced the banjo.

    Since Nov 2006 • 212 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Robby Hickman,

    Tweeted a hat tip to Naida Glavish who as a tolls operator in 1984 stared down her bosses at New Zealand Post Office over the use of 'kia ora' as a greeting.

    Wonderful woman.

    I was genuinely sad when it was reported that Hinewhare Harawira had physically pushed Naida out of the way to give her mother centre stage, and quite roughly too.

    I don't understand why this sort of bullying from this family is tolerated, and I do find it alienating.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Dastardly Bounder,

    After a lovelly garden party to celebrate a one year old's birthday, the family and I ended up at the beach in Pt Chev... Which was heaving. Some thoughtful chaps had even turned up with a wee sound system and were playing out some awesome old school dub. When we left it felt like we'd been at a free festival. Great day.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2012 • 61 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Hinewhare Harawira had physically pushed Naida out of the way to give her mother centre stage, and quite roughly too.

    Watched it on tv. Disgusted. Marae trustees and iwi runanga need to apply some justice.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Robby Hickman, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Yes - I felt sick at that too. Thus the hat tip.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2012 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Barry,

    We went to [(http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/ | Tiritiri Matangi)] for the day. Felt really connected to natural NZ,it seemed a very valid way of marking Waitangi Day. it's fantastic to see the progress made on the Island, the native birdlife, much of it very rare indeed is thriving. The reforestation is progressing well.
    Great to be able to support what is being done there and assuage some of the guilt of a 2 cat household :)
    Aucklanders, if you haven't been, put it on you list.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 13 posts Report Reply

  • Julian Melville,

    I contemplated working (contractor etc) but decided not to. So it was off to the sculpture walk on Waiheke first thing. Good thing too as the harbour was sparkling and it got better and better as the day went on.

    The bus from the ferry terminal to the start of the walk was too expensive (would have been $35 for us lot) so we just walked slowly up and back, and the kids played along nicely. The walk was packed with people who all seemed to be having a good time and the sculptures were fun. Ferry back to Devonport mid-afternoon and down to Beach Haven beach where the kids swam out to the stationary boat on the perfectly-timed high tide. There was a security guard at the gate to our nice new wharf - probably because there's no ferries to or from it for the vast majority of the day, which is a shame.

    Finished off with takeaways from Food City at Northcote (Love a Duck om nom nom) and plenty of hoppy New Zealand beer. Everyone fell into bed exhausted. Excellent day.

    Auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 200 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Markham,

    I chainsawed, watered the stock and ran for an hour and talked to my wife and chooks.

    Richmond NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 4 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Dastardly Bounder,

    When we left it felt like we'd been at a free festival. Great day

    Damn! I almost came down, but sitting on the deck reading won out.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Martin Barry,

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    Great to be able to support what is being done there and assuage some of the guilt of a 2 cat household :)

    Found a great, big, juicy dismembered rat on my lawn yesterday. I presume it was an offering from the cat I've been courting. I don't want a pet, but if there's to be predators prowling my back yard, I'd rather they were cats. Snapped it camping this hole in the compost this morning. I doubt that it's birds in there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Well, what did I do yesterday, hmmmm.
    Got up around lunchtime, had a light lunch and dyed my hair purple as a protest against (insert current gripe here)
    Well, it was Waitangi day.
    ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    I love Waitangi Day. I love that there's still unrest and protest because it keeps us honest. I love that it's also a holiday because you can never get too many of those. I spent the large part of yesterday with dogs and one of my favourite people. The rest of the day was spent in a dark room, lying down. So all in all, a perfect day.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew, in reply to BenWilson,

    That's an impressive pile of compost!

    And also, you get tsunamis in your swimming pool? How big is it?!

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Will de Cleene,

    Took advantage of our singular pluralism by blogging on topics which would be illegal to discuss in many other countries.

    Raumati • Since Jul 2011 • 107 posts Report Reply

  • Karen White,

    We were among the throngs walking the Sculpture Trail on Waiheke. Which was brilliant. After a cold beer in the Pavillion & a refreshing dip at Matiatia, home for fish & chips and the Entourage box set.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 79 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Jeremy Andrew,

    That’s an impressive pile of compost!

    I picked an angle that made it look especially huge. It's actually on elevated ground relative to the cat, but it's still a big pile. Mostly weeds, spent vegetable roots, and quite a lot of tree trimmings. What amazes me most is that it will be about one tenth the size by the end of the month.

    And also, you get tsunamis in your swimming pool? How big is it?!

    It's the biggest pool in the whole world. Covers most of the surface of the Earth!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Andrew, in reply to BenWilson,

    It's the biggest pool in the whole world. Covers most of the surface of the Earth!

    They closed the ocean because of a poo?! ;-)

    Hamiltron - City of the F… • Since Nov 2006 • 900 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

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    Thanks for the mention! I was moved to write that because I spent a good chunk of the day glued to Twitter getting crosser and crosser. I don’t know why. Just walk away Stephen, walk away.

    I also managed to spend the afternoon (eventually) successfully fitting a new Sturmy Archer gear cable to my old Hercules which I’m doing up. I learned a lot of things in the process:
    - there are some amazing online resources on ancient bike tech
    - you really must read those resources before you get all excited and just pile in
    - the previous owner had removed a number of useful and necessary fittings before repainting and then put them back in the wrong place or not at all :-/
    - the reasons I was so crap at metalwork at school are all still there, namely lack of patience, an inability to put things in a consistent and logical place (how did that nut end up in a fold of my tshirt?), tendency to maniacally thrash at things without stepping back to ask why they’re not working.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

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