The Razors Edge

2011-02-02T01:08:00.002+13:00

Dogs detect colon cancer?

So...apparently according to the attached link dogs can detect colon cancer?

Great so the next time I go to the Park I can get a free GP consult with the first labrador I see? Cool!

The Canterbury Earthquake 2010

2011-01-13T12:12:00.002+13:00

Well its been 4 months and one week since the earth ruptured 15 km down the road from out gate, in an utterly monumental manner. It's time to chronicle my experience of that life changing time.

The day before had been cold, winters last major flick. Sleet in town, snow on the hills. It cleared that Friday night to a frosty winters evening, quite normal for spring in Christchurch. Rob had come round and we watched Sonny Bill Williams' first turn out in red and black colours as Canterbury put the Bay of Plenty team to bed. Sharon was out on the town. Just another night in front of a roaring fire at home for me. This was to be our last roaring fire for the year.

My first though at 4.35am was "why am I on the floor?". Somehow I got back in bed and suddenly was bolt upright and in tune to the surrounds- the noise was unbelievable as the house lurched violently from side to side, up and down back and forward. The brain wasn't able to process what was really happening until the street lights went out with the rest of the power mid shake. I couldn't hear anything except the roar of the ground heaving, the house rattling and things falling. If the boys, 2 rooms away, were making any noise I didn't hear it til the shaking stopped. The moment the power went out the mind comprehended things, this was The Big One. This was bad. Probably the Alpine Fault. Maybe- god forbid- Wellington. Still the shaking went on, the main shake latest nearly a minute at which point it became possible to go and get the lads out of their cots and into our bed. They were yelling, but god bless them they were happy as anything once in bed.

I went out to the kitchen to try and find a torch. Got the cellphone and rang Mum in Wellington. Despite the ungodly hour apparently this shake had been big enough to wake folk up there- but I was relieved to hear it wasn't the Armageddon quake for Wellington that some think is coming. Mum was soon able to tell us it was a 7.1 (initially 7.4) centered near ChCh. Couldn't believe it, centered near here? Not in the hills? WOW!There was plenty of broken stuff and things on the floor, so I went back to be, shivering, and and we all cosied up, talked on the phone while the first (and in the end biggest) aftershocks started rolling through. Unnerving but adrenaline was flowing. Somehow, as dawn approached we nearly nodded off again.

Then the neighbour came up the drive yelling "are you ok, your house is bad":...and Sharon was first out the door. Remarkably, the chimney had come down, taking out the front of the house on its way, and we simply hadn't heard it above the roar of the quake and the noise of the house shaking and groaning. The neighbours reckon they heard it though, quite a thud.

We got up and had breakfast. Tried to instill some normaility for the day. Lovely morning, a stunner, not a cloud in the sky. they talk of earthquake weather- I believe it. Decent aftershocks were coming through with increasing frequency. Wanting to hear news we jumped in the car and had a wee drive to check on offices, family etc. All was well, remarkably but the news was suggesting bad damage in town and out east. Just the beginning.

We went to Mark and Loren's- they had power. The kids played, happily. Saw the first liquefaction, round Halswell. Just weird, little disks of mud that had burst out of the ground like volcanoes- they looked like flying saucers. Later on the scientist in me wished this thing had happened in daylight hours so we could have seen how it happens.

The rest of the day was a blur.Seeing the damage on tele, saying to self...is this really our town? Getting and receiving texts and just generally feeling edgy. The day was quiet, had a similar feeling to the peace and solitude of Xmas Morning, just with a scary twist. All the neighbours were talking to each other. The community really came together- this is one of the enduring memories of the whole event, a sense of sharing in history and a community coming together. Christchurch will be stronger for it.

I think Jason Gunn had a great line on tele...."It's like someone took a baseball bat and attacked the family", My thoughts are that it is a deepy personal affront to have mother Nature clobber you so suddenyl and comprehensively.

Sometimes the views of others in hindsight are really interesting, heres a Youtube I found from Australia's Channel 7:

I won't analyse the following 4 months, suffice to say its been a roller coaster. Slowly we have got used to the smaller aftershocks, but we still have heart attacks at the big ones. And they are still coming, 4 months, 4,000 aftershocks. Sept 8 and Boxing Day in particular will stick in the memorybank for a lifetime.

But we are still here. We still love living in Christchurch. Sleep patterns are starting to return to a semblance of normality for most people. We already look back at September as last year, which it now is.

Now lets make something of the rebuilding of those tooth-like gaps around town. out of disaster comes opportunity. Lets make it work.

Theres a great documentary on National Radio, heres the link I recommend it:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/documentaries/faultlines

2010 sure ended with action stations

2011-01-07T09:22:00.000+13:00

We finished the year in fine fettle despite mother natures worst intentions. the Boxing Day earthquake swarm was a nasty one, but we seem to be unscathed round our neck of the woods. Half the buildings round my office aren't so lucky though- sure glad it wasn't a work day!!!

Then we shot through to the Marlborough Sounds for some R & R and respite, and had the flood of the year. So the elements are after us thats for sure! Once again we escaped relatively unscathed but Sharon had to miss work.

Fortunately we avoided any plagues of locusts on the way home.

Summer is here

2010-11-11T21:47:00.001+13:00

29 degrees today. Taking the lads to the Show tomorrow, more of the same forecast.

Fantastic stuff!

Kane Williamson- An Emerging Hero

2010-10-15T21:37:00.005+13:00

I have to say I'm still coming to grips with the fact that we have lost a series to Bangladesh. And we are facing a whitewash.

Like with anything, perspective is important. Lets be careful here, a few years back Bangladesh were thrashing anyone and everyone at age group level. They have a massive population and a clear love of cricket. And like Sri Lanka 20 years ago, they are now emerging as a true cricket power. Of this I am sure.

New Zealand just happened to be the unlucky possum in the headlights this time, to some degree.

But there is a brightside, particularly while we are looking at young cricketers. Make a note, last night Kane Williamson became the youngest New Zealander to score an ODI century, breaking Martin Crowes 25 year old record.

This is a very big deal.

Kane has been touted as something special- even the "next Crowe" by some. Last night he soldiered through adversity, after a harrowing introduction to international cricket with consecutive ducks last tour to Sri Lanka. Last night he managed to valiantly score a heroic century and come bloody close to winning the match. And the latter part of this was done on one leg, with wincing agony on most shots due to cramp and maybe an injury. What a legend in the making, especially when we look at the many "glass jaws" that claim to be New Zealand cricketers.

I just hope Jacob Oram was watching Kane show how to break the pain barrier.

A standing ovation for young Kane please. This is a kid who will soon be a household name.

NRL Final popular in Pakistan?

2010-10-06T20:36:00.002+13:00

I know theres rumors about bookies, but this screen grab off the news was a bit OTT I thought

The Earthquake....

2010-10-06T20:34:00.003+13:00

...yes I know another month without action here.

I will post a story about it all soon! Just need time to write it all

Our house....could have been worse

Swimming Stags

2010-08-25T21:31:00.005+12:00

This is a cool article and pic from Stuff.co.nz

Stag surprises fisherman

I saw something similar once when in deepest, darkest Fiordland, in the Dark Valley in fact. We were trying to work out how to get round cliffs at Lake Grave, when a wapiti (large deer) jumped out from the bush and swam round the bend. Amazing to see, put the wind up us at the time though!

On a similar tangent we saw young seals swimming up a river by the dozen to play in a waterfall in Kaikoura on the way back from Wellington on Monday- will pop a pic or two up when we get the chance to upload them

Kepler training

2010-08-25T21:22:00.001+12:00

Well underway. Had some niggles this year but about to pop over the 1200km mark for the year and looking better than I have in an August before. Still much work to do though....wanting to do 8 hours this year!

England

2010-08-13T22:00:00.002+12:00

Now I don't pretend to follow soccer much, but this is genuinely funny, as stolen from Pandasport

The Football Association today proudly unveiled Total, fcuk and UPS as the new sponsors of the England football team. ‘The combination of these three corporate giants perfectly captures the ethos of the England side,’ said an FA spokesman. ‘After all, they had nothing in the tank when it counted, and they’ve proved themselves to be a bunch of expensive posers who always fail to deliver.’

The new shirts come in a range of bright ‘easy to spot’ colours after claims from England players that the old kit was painted in ‘magic invisible ink’ which made it impossible to pick out an easy and obvious pass to a team mate. The new shirts are also made of a super lightweight material, unlike the old tops which were apparently made of extra-heavy chain mail which left the Premiership stars lumbering around looking exhausted and unfit. However, one criticism has been made of the design of the new England kit with claims that the neck hole was inexplicably too small for the heads of the Premiership stars.

Players say this will make it very hard to pull the shirt off during an over-exuberant goal celebration, but a spokesman for the manufacturers said ’we don’t envisage this being a problem.’

Just another day in paradise

2010-08-10T19:46:00.003+12:00

I love being able to knock off work, nip up the hills and see stuff like this...for free :)

Its been a bloody wet winter here in ChCh, not much snow but there has been a crapload over in the mountains. Off tramping next weekend to have a look at the new Hawdon Hut, so will post something after that.

Ouch

2010-07-22T20:14:00.004+12:00

Is this the Whale equivalent of walking into a door frame?

Full story here

I suppose it could have been worse, the boat could have been a Japanese "Scientific" Vessel...

Doggone it!

2010-07-13T19:57:00.001+12:00

Seems appropriate on a sad day when a Police Dog is killed that this story should run. Just the ticket for reactiviating the blog- we like this sort of oddspot here

Dog shoots man....
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10658533

Waking Up

2010-07-13T19:22:00.001+12:00

Hmmm time to start using this old chestnut of a blog again?

Fire and Ice

2010-03-22T09:19:00.008+13:00

Now this is interesting, Iceland is a country I would love to see, but this is pretty gnarly (click)

In other news it was 22 degrees here at 5.30am, which is pretty nuts for this time of year. Hopefully its sending some rain to save the hapless Black Caps in Wellington today

Clarke and Lara?

2010-03-17T11:24:00.004+13:00

Well knock me down with a feather I never knew these guys were an item.

Autumn

2010-03-11T12:22:00.002+13:00

Well todays rainy spell probably means the end of the stunning weather we've had over the past few weeks.

Off to the West Coast over the next few days to reacquaint myself with all things agricultural. Should be good.

Feb 28 Tsunami

2010-03-01T17:32:00.003+13:00

Well Darwinists would have had a field day with the number of idiots in NZ that rocked on down to the beaches yesterday to look for the "wave" after the devastating quake in Chile.

Its amazing how poorly understood tsunamis are. We were lucky yesterday that it was at low tide, and not as big as it could have been. But as the attached You-Tube shows, ChCh may well have dodged a bullet.

The Deans Stand

2010-02-12T15:28:00.003+13:00

Went to the cricket last night and sat in the new stand for the first time. Good spot to watch cricket from. The Black Caps made heavy weather of it but got over the line in the end. Will definitely pop back for the Aussie game

It is amazing what they can do with grounds these days, cricket one day, then rugby two days later with the Super 14 kicking off this weekend. Not sure I'm ready for the rugby season to start yet though, it just seems like overkill.

One month down...

2010-02-02T22:07:00.000+13:00

179km run, 1831km to go :)

2010 Target

2010-01-27T12:31:00.004+13:00

Nearly the end of January already...gulp. Anyone seen summer?

I have set a handful of training targets for this year.

Target 1- to Run/ walk/ tramp 2010km minimum. So far I'm sitting on 140-odd km so I'm kind of tracking ok.

Target 2- Sub 8 hours on the Kepler. Need to find 21 mins of improvement.

Target 3 - Run the ChCh Marathon. On a road. Yuck!

Target 4- Compete in 6 events.

Target 5- Do the Abel Tasman race. Never done that one, always wanted to.

Theres a cool website I've hooked onto via Madman Marvin to tally up the KM's for the year. If you are into running I reckon you should hook onto it.

Its here: The Daily Mile

The New Decade Is Here

2010-01-05T15:05:00.006+13:00

Do we call it The Tens? The Teens?

Whatever the case I rang in the new years gong at Okarito Beach on NZ's wonderful West Coast en route to an excellent few days up in my beloved mountains. Pure bliss. 2 fine days- and 2 wet ones, 400mm of rain actually!

Anyway, back to work today and its a battle to remember where things were at just 10 days ago with the workflow. We'll get there.

To underline matters, yesterday I was here (yes, thats a hot pool):

Back in business.

2009-12-29T19:08:00.004+13:00

Well, two months ago I promised. And didn't deliver. 2010 will see more regular updates, I hope!

Suffice to say its been a busy time, some bad and some amazingly good. Overall the outcome for the decade is outstanding.

And on that note, short and to the point, for what its worth here are my Top Ten albums for the Decade:

1. Radiohead- Kid A
2. Muse- Absolution
3. The Killers- Hot Fuss
4. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Dig Lazarus Dig
5. Green Day- American Idiot
6. Arcade Fire- Neon Ballroom
7. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers- By The Way
8. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
9. Dimmer- You've Got To Hear The Music
10. Guns n Roses- Chinese Democracy

And my Top 5 Gigs for the Decade

1. Iron Maiden in ChCh 2009
2. The Cure in Auckland 2007
3. U2 in Auckland 2006
4. Kasabian at the BDO 2006
5. Muse at the BDO 2006

I'll Be Back

2009-10-31T12:14:00.000+13:00

I really must start posting here more often again. Don't give up!

Bears get thirsty too....

2009-10-19T14:23:00.002+13:00

I doubt this was helpful for business. And half an hour in a beer cooler without cracking one open? Can't have had it's preferred brand in stock!

Viscious Attack Confirmed on the Aussie Male Psyche

2009-10-06T21:55:00.003+13:00

There will be riots.... it has been confirmed on stuff.co.nz that Aussies will be limited to a mere slab of beer when they attend Bathurst. How will the average aussie survive on just 24 cans of beer in a given day????

David Boon and his cronies will be devastated!!!

Shakey Week

2009-10-02T19:54:00.002+13:00

All I can say is lets hope the earth settles down now

Indonesia Aid appeal
www.reliefweb.int

Samoa Aid Appeal
online donation

Thoughts are with all affected by these.

Storm season underway

2009-09-22T21:24:00.003+12:00

Summer is here in the Mainland. And with it comes the awesome thunderstorms we sometimes get in ChCh. Today one of them decided to develop right over my head in the middle of my Hagley Park lunchtime run. Didn't last long and was very localised, but it hailed enough to sent the golf greens white, put welts on my arms, and it had me wondering if I was in danger from a rogue lightning bolt at one point!

Pics are of the storm clearing away to the east of the city when I got back to the office

Back in the swing of it all

2009-09-13T20:01:00.007+12:00

Well its been a great three weeks for reactivating one of my favourite past times- live music.

Three weeks ago it was Liam Finn and friends. A fantastic show, a bit like last years one man mad professor shows with EJ Barnes in part, but also very interesting as a big part of the set saw him as a bit player in a new band with Conan Mockasin and Larence Arabia. It was intriguing, and had me thinking of early Split Enz. I really did wonder if we were witnessing the birth of something special. Have a look for yourself if you are a fan at the new Liam and EJ track...

The next week it was Head Like a Hole. What a stunning trip down memory lane! Booga has aged as ungracefully as we all would have hoped and is now the proud dad of twins no less. HLAH ripped through a stonking set of all the old favourites from Fish Across Face, to Spanish Goat Dancer, to Comfortably Shagged. Best track for me was the highly energised version of I'm on Fire. The warm up act were good too- Luger Boa. I definitely recommend them. So many memories came flooding back of the crazy student years and this has rekindled hope that HLAH might come up with some new material now.

We all know HLAH inside out so I'll give you a Luger Boa track to chew on instead- this song just won't leave my head! We were close enough to the front row to see the whites of their eyes...the true test of a live music experience.

Finally last Friday it was two of the most talented acts up and coming in NZ- The Valves and Midnight Youth. Both acts were standouts at Southern Amp last year so it was good to see them again a year down the track. The Valves are almost what you could call a "Christchurch Institution" now, and deservedly so. They play a great set, each and every time. They did in fact steal the show from Midnight Youth.

I was concerned I'd be the oldest person in the crowd at Midnight Youth. Fortunately I was about the middle. They have a solid album out from all accounts- I have only heard the singles, but they played a good set. I was very surprised to see them cover Alice In Chains and Black Sabbath though- as was half the crowd I think! A very promising band, could become one of NZ's biggest music exports. Lets see how their "difficult second album" goes.

and Midnight Youth making a "run" for my Kepler playlist...

Chinese Democracy update

2009-09-13T19:55:00.003+12:00

You will remember my raving review and top ten placing for 2008 for the GNR album Chinese Democracy last year.

It would appear sales have been slower than hoped due to a lack of promotion or a tour. Axl has had to seek a new income source...

Fathers Day

2009-09-06T17:49:00.005+12:00

This is why we do it , big ups to all the other Dads out there

The Rules need not apply?

2009-09-06T10:49:00.004+12:00

So what applies- road rules or maritime rules? And will the AA attend if they breakdown in the middle of Cook Strait?

From Stuff.co.nz

Men set out to drive van across Cook Strait
By BLAIR ENSOR on a support boat - The Marlborough Express
Last updated 10:23 06/09/2009

DEREK FLYNN/Marlborough Express
VAN-CY A TRIP: The two men left Waikawa marina under the shroud of darkness at 6am, heading out toward the northern entrance of the Marlborouh Sounds.

LATEST: Two men's attempt to cross Cook Strait in a van has gotten underway this morning.

Aeronautic machinists Adam Turnbull and Dan Melling made the news late last month after converting their Toyota Tarago van - called "Roofliss" - into an amphibian vessel.

The two left Waikawa marina under the shroud of darkness at 6am, heading out toward the northern entrance of the Marlborouh Sounds.
They have now entered Cook Strait, and are perched on the van's roof with a map.

Conditions remain good with the sun shining, very little wind and a gentle roll lifting the van.

The men aim to be at Mana Bay marina by 3pm this afternoon.
Responding to earlier doubters about the viability of their attempt, Dan Melling said, "Not many people would have taken a van across the Strait, so until you do you don't know, do you?"

Why?

2009-09-04T14:14:00.003+12:00

Why on earth would you want to spend 30 years voluntarily with a physical disability?

Lunacy.

Full story at Stuff

Now this is funny

2009-09-04T10:52:00.002+12:00

From NZ Herald.co.nz

Traffic cone on top of Sky Tower

An orange traffic cone has appeared on top of the Auckland Sky Tower.

It's unclear how the cone got there or who is responsible.

There is some suggestion it is a marketing ploy.

The cone on top of the Sky Tower today. Photo / Brett Phibbs

- NZ HERALD STAFF

Early Spring

2009-09-01T08:51:00.003+12:00

Well today is officially the first day of spring.

But unofficially its been spring for over a month. Here in ChCh the blossoms are out in full, the daffodils have gone nuts and in general the place looks like it normally does at the end of September, not the beginning. All this is because of a remarkably warm August with mild temperatures, little rain and much sunshine.

True to form though, this means the West Coast has had a hammering. There's been over 1000mm of rain in the Cropp Valley (Hokitika headwaters) in just the past 8 days. Now that's about the average annual rainfall of Auckland and Wellington- just staggering, although its not unusual for spring- mates at Arthur's' Pass refer to this time of year as the Monsoon!

It wouldn't be the greatest time to go tramping ....

All Is Well With The World

2009-08-30T01:01:00.001+12:00

Something for your HR Team to consider...

2009-08-26T22:38:00.006+12:00

New Pearl Jam track

2009-08-21T23:09:00.002+12:00

I just love the positivity and life in this song. Uplifting. Roll on Nov 29!

What next? A Whale in your Bathtub?

2009-08-11T16:25:00.002+12:00

Full story.... From Stuff.co.nz

The Weatherston Case

2009-08-10T22:35:00.005+12:00

Just watched the documentary. This whole story just makes my flesh creep.

Clayton Weatherston appears still to not know what he has done. Dear god, what a heinous crime, this is up there with the worst NZ has seen. He simply has to have known he was killing her, yet he carried on. The Bain family, the Aramoana and Raurimu killing sprees- pretty sure those killers 'flipped' and never came back. Weatherston did and then proceeded to rape the memory of his victim by media at his trial. And still he seems not to accept his tremendous failings.

Its straight out of a Jeffrey Deaver novel.

The Otago Daily Times today ran perhaps the most effective story on this whole terrible saga that I have seen. A compelling narrative, please read this

Rest in peace Sophie Elliot. Apparently her economics thesis was outstanding- its getting published all over the place now. So sad she couldn't celebrate that.

Hotel Checks Out

2009-08-10T14:52:00.004+12:00

I'd say somewhere, somehow, an engineer/ hotel builder is feeling a bit guilty....

At least the neighbours have thier waterfront view back.
Reportedly no one was was hurt, not every day a typhoon nails an entire hotel!

Pearl Jam are on the way

2009-08-06T08:20:00.002+12:00

I know where I want to be on November 29....

Pearl Jam were one of my first great musical obsessions.

They have always played unbridled rock, and they've done if with a sense of fun. Thats the key element that has seen them be the only survivors of the early 90's "Grunge" era. Rising from the ashes of the tragic Mother Love Bone saga (Apple is one of the greatest albums ever made, rest in peace Andy Wood), Pearl Jam represent what classic rock music should look like.

New album next month and a full tour of NZ and Oz coming up, I cannot wait. From Ed Vedders haunting voice to Mike McCready's freestyle guitar solo's these guys are a must see. Their mid 1990's set in Auckland is one of the best gigs I've seen- I wonder if the Finn Brothers will join them for a Split Enz encore again?

Heres a taste of what the fuss is about, the band were understandably nervous after crowd problems and a death at an earlier festival, but its a great version of one of their best tracks, Corduroy from the Vitalogy CD.

The Magical Mackenzie

2009-07-27T18:50:00.004+12:00

Just got to share some pics from a wonderful long weekend in the Mountains. The boys 'tramped' their first snowy Mt Cook National Park epic. I was 22 years old when I first saw that view!

And how did the lads celebrate this momentous feat? They fell asleep! But they really did enjoy their time in the High Country. Many more times like this to come.

As the pics will show, it was mid winter perfection.

Lake Alexandrina from Mt John

Evening light from the Hotel room in Tekapo

The Cloud Piercer

Jordan likes it :)

Its hard work this tramping lark

Late afternoon corona sunburst over The Footstool

Mt Sefton looking savage

Another Trademe Gem

2009-07-23T22:17:00.013+12:00

Courtesy of Sideswipe you simply have to click this link....here

I dare ya to bid.

$1 RESERVE YELLOW MITSUBISHI MIRAGE

This vehicle is an ex workshop courtesy car.Has been well looked after by all our customers (see photos).

Haha

Hats off to the seller, kicks the arse off "one careful lady owner"

Be sure to check the comments. My favourate: " Is that a real car in the moon photo, or is it just a mirage?"

Tramper Boys

2009-07-23T21:20:00.010+12:00

Well, the lads have no choice. They are going to be outdoorsy types who know the back country inside out. And their education is underway.

We took them for what could technically be called their first tramp last Sunday. It was a glorious winters day up the Port Hills. We chucked them in the backpacks and wandered up trails to the top of the hills for about an hour and a hald and both lads love it. Pointing, touching trees, laughing, its all a good sign!

This weekend we're off to Tekapo and Mt Cook Village so there will be a batch of good pics next week for sure. In the meantime...Sundays pics:

It was one of those magic winters days in Canterbury- and it was fantastic being above the fog in ChCh and the Harbour basin

Google Moon

2009-07-21T14:27:00.002+12:00

Yes folks, you too can fly to the moon on your PC. Fantastic resource!

Just in time for the 40th anniversary of Neil and Buzz et all. Funny coincidence that.

Its all here

Rules for Visting Our Place

2009-07-20T23:26:00.002+12:00

(Thanks to Stacey!)

Rules for visiting NZ's South Island are:

1. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.
2. Turn your cap right, your head ain't crooked.
3. Let's get this straight: it's called a 'gravel road.' I drive a Ute because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're gonna get dust on your Lexus.Drive it or get out of the way.
4. They are cattle. That's why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? SH1 goes north, find it and F*** off.
5. So you have a $80,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 Harvesters that are driven only 3 weeks a year.
6. Every person in the South waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.
7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese/pheasants/ducks/quail are coming in during the season, we WILL shoot it outta your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time..
8. Yeah. We eat trout, salmon, deer, pig and duck. You really want sushi and caviar? It's available at the bait shop.
9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of duck season. It's a religious holiday, we will observe it.
10. We open doors for women. That's applied to all women, regardless of age.
11. No, there's no 'vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak, or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham and turkey.
12. When we set a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and Watties Tomato sauce! Oh, yeah - we don't care what you folks in Ponsonby call that stuff you Eat. . IT AIN'T REAL CHILLI!!
13. You bring 'Coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and with a Speights label. You bring 'Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair...
14. College and High School Rugby is as important here as the All Blacks, the Highlanders and the Crusaders and a heap more fun to watch.
15. Yeah, we have golf courses, but don't hit the water hazards - it Spooks the fish.
16. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity -thump crap ain't music. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers! Refer back to#1!
17.. For role models refer to the "Mainland Cheese" and "Speights" boys........... 'good on ya, mate'!

I hope you can begin to understand what a real life is all about!!!

Aotearoa Dodges a Bullet

2009-07-16T20:14:00.004+12:00

Massive earthquake in Fiordland last night- 7.8 on the Richter Scale. Talk about lucky, it couldn't have been in a 'safer place' under Resolution Island miles from civilisation, and while we did send an attempt at a tsunami at Aussie it was only a baby one.

The real tsunami will hopefully be the All Black Tide on Saturday night.

So yea, it could be argued we just had the big one. Or will it start a chain reaction up the Alpine Fault like the Boxing Day megaquake did in Indonesia 4 years ago? Hope not!

The Faroe Islands

2009-07-12T21:01:00.005+12:00

Random post this one. Its coming up a couple of years since a wee gem in the middle of the Pacific called Atiu completely punched a whole in my consciousness. Sometimes the smallest places on the planet punch way above their weight, and now I've just finished reading the Denniston Rose series of books with the final stanza "Catching the Current".

Without ruining the plot for those of you who want to read the book its a tale of a wandering spirit named Conrad or Enok who sets out from the Faroe Islands in the 1800's and ends up settling in pioneering New Zealand. What a tale, but the Faroe Islands sound an incredible place. Check out Wikipedia for the full story, but they appear to have much in common with the Outer Hebrides in Scotland- and if you are a family member of mine your interest should be well and truly honed now.

Read on here at Wiki... and then read Jenny Pattricks series of books- "The Denniston Rose", "Heart of Coal" and "Catching the Current". Outstanding New Zealand literature!

Great Viral for Parents

2009-07-11T19:50:00.001+12:00

I am somewhat releived that the wee fella's at our place aren't quite this active!

Boys on Tour

2009-07-08T21:26:00.005+12:00

In 14 months Joshua and Jordan have been on more planes, boats and road trips than I think I did in my first ten years! They seem to love it too, god bless them. We had another great trip to over the weekend for Catherine's 21st festivities and general catch up and show off time with the whanau. Thanks to all for a wonderful weekend!

Only two months till the next visit... before then we will be sneaking a trip in to Tekapo to chase the snow.

Saddam and Iraq

2009-07-03T08:11:00.003+12:00

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that it is now confirmed that Saddam had:

No weapons of Mass Destruction

Would have been happy to formulate an alliance with the US due to fears over Iran

No links to Al-Qaeda whatsoever

So, remind me again why the US deemed it so necessary to invade Iraq, and cause the deaths of tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of civilians and military personnel?

Oh, that's right....

$70,000 for a Tele?

2009-07-02T18:04:00.000+12:00

Cripes you have to be kidding! Stuff.co.nz

Its a Strange World

2009-06-30T17:35:00.002+12:00

Some bizarre headlines have been grabbing my attention this week- click the links and chuckle

Stoned Wallabies making crop circles.

Stoned Wallabies are sighted all round the world, makes sense!

Man attempts suicide by long drop.

I can think of better ways to "go".

Scientists prove Ducks like water.

Huh? They needed a million bucks to work that out?

RIP The King of Pop

2009-06-26T11:03:00.003+12:00

Maybe somewhere tonight theres a gig going on with the King of Rock n' Roll, and a Charlies Angel in attendance?

My thoughts are what a strange life, but what a talented one.

Heres a clip from a moment they say changed pop music forever- the first moonwalk

I suspect we are moving into a new era with the Culture of Celebrity- there are so many more 'celebs' these days that there will be obituaries for them on a daily basis in the coming years

President Jolie?

2009-06-24T11:11:00.002+12:00

Brad Pitt and the First Lady? haha

Angelina reportedly going into politics story here

Would you vote for her?

Food Terrorism

2009-06-23T08:00:00.005+12:00

Brussell Sprouts are evil. The one foodstuff that I will flee a room from- I'd rather have my mouth washed out with caustic soda!

and now the experts are with me...Read on here

Feeders and growers and Smart Cookies

2009-06-18T20:56:00.002+12:00

Our lads are growing up waaaaaaaaaaay fast.

Today they had their paediatrician check up. They ticked every box. Our lads are complete winners, they basically got an A+.

For those who are interested in detail- Josh is slightly taller and slightly heavier, but there is only a pair of socks in it really!

We rock :)

Obama- Swift and Decisive action

2009-06-17T14:27:00.001+12:00

If only John Key could display this trait...

Swine Flu

2009-06-15T17:09:00.004+12:00

It strikes me that I seem to be feeling overtly complacent about this bug. Am I wrong to be feeling this way? From what I gather the current strain is no worse than the "normal flu" (if there is such a beastie) in terms of symptoms, although it is obviously considered highly virulent.

So, on the basis of that are we overreacting? Should we all be off having "Swine Flu Parties" where we share drinking vessels, etc, so we all catch it off each other and get immunity from this apparently relatively benign strain before it mutates into something mean?

This interests me because the 1918 Spanish flu came in three waves, and the first wave was quite benign, however the second and third waves were real humdingers that did the killing.

I just don't really know. It sure is a good way to sell Tamiflu stocks that are due to expire soon though....;-)

A Big Day

2009-06-05T20:09:00.003+12:00

Had a wonderful drive to Picton today and then a very "cruisey" trip over Cook Strait to Wellingtron with my incredible boys. The were perfect the whole way, we are so lucky to have them.

Accross the strait we even has a massive pod of dolphins, and then the icing on the cake, an orca!

First Day of Winter looms

2009-05-31T19:46:00.004+12:00

I've never seen so much snow about in May. This week in particular is snowed in some highly unusual places, like Rotorua, Wellington, Blenheim.

Seems to have bypassed ChCh today but we had some earlier in the week and another good fall weeks back. Makes you wonder what sort of winter we'll be getting, what with it starting tomorrow and all!

Pic attached from Naseby, Central Otago, three weeks ago. God bless the South Island!

Everest Epic

2009-05-30T21:12:00.002+12:00

Well, he's done it!

Glenn has nailed the worlds most epic marathon in the Himalaya's. Read all about it here...

The hard way too by the looks of things.

Standing ovation for that man folks!

Kea Busts Out of Fiordland Penetentiary!

2009-05-29T10:23:00.003+12:00

Fun story at stuff.co.nz...Kea steals Passport

The single most amazing animal I have seen, it scares me there may be as few as 1,000 left. I reckon these birds should be our national icon, not a flightless near blind bird that forages in the dark of night. Give me an irrepressible mountain flying brainbox over a kiwi anyday!

UFO invasion

2009-05-28T23:17:00.003+12:00

This stunning picture is linked from metvuw.com credited to Pam Blackwell

Stunning stuff!

As an aside, it looks like snow is a possibility for ChCh on Sunday....

Madman Marvin

2009-05-26T13:16:00.002+12:00

Good luck for the Everest Marathon to my arch-nemesis! I would love to be there, but that would involve being in two places at once.

Keeping a weathered eye on his blog for a report in the next week or two...
http://www.knockthebastardoff.blogspot.com/

Now Here Is An Inspiration

2009-05-24T11:30:00.002+12:00

Check out this bloke at Stuff.co.nz, hats off chap!

His own site is at www.7in7.org.nz/

Winter has its grip

2009-05-22T18:04:00.003+12:00

Its been a wild week. Snow, hail, thunder, sleet, gales, heavy rain...and the weekend looks even worse!

Go the Crusaders
Go the Hurricanes

Now, I'd better check my bank account and see if the bank has credited me with my $10,000,000.

Thursday

2009-05-21T23:37:00.001+12:00

In the old days it used to be THE drinking night
Not any more, clearly

Fingers Crossed

2009-05-17T00:16:00.001+12:00

From Stuff.co.nz- Go Crusaders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Jerseys with the appearance of falling on ones sword is still not the greatest look though!

Is it a Full Moon?

2009-05-16T23:04:00.003+12:00

Not every day you have an upside down taxi at the end of your driveway.

As if the adrenaline wasn't already flowing enough from a fist raised yellfest at the TV from the Auckland V Canterbury rugby cliffhanger, some drunk woman decided to take on a taxi driver, and the story is hazy but it sounds like she stole his cab, tried to run him over and ended up totalling the cab at the end of our driveway.

Action!

Thankfully it appears there were no injuries, and the losers have been caught by the cops after fleeing on foot.

The Routeburn Classic 2009

2009-05-11T16:35:00.022+12:00

The first snowflakes fell about 5 minutes before the race start. True to form. But then its called an "Adventure Race" with good reason....so off we went with a couple of raucous keas squawking us on. Or were they laughing?

The Routeburn is my favourite race- I think because its a bit rougher, a bit more of an alpine experience and just the right distance that you don't feel like you are completely killing yourself.

It was definitely winter from there. From Lake McKenzie hut to Routeburn Falls we were in serious snow and at times ice- at times I felt like I should be diving for an iceaxe, running without even a bag on my back as I was wearing all my gear- well it made me feel strangely exposed, but definitely free to charge!

This years finish line felt good. About 5 and a half hours, and I had a strong finish for the last 10km once out of the ice. I reckon the snow added about half an hour to times (not to mention the endless clicking of the camera) so the target of 5 hours might well have worked in snow free weather.

Some great stories were shared at the prizegiving, none less than the woman who came last ("The Worlds Slowest Indian" award), who had never seen snow before starting! I think she enjoyed it, but talk about a baptism by fire!

I'll be back next year for sure. In the meantime you'll just have to live it vicariously through a few photographs-:

As always just click on the pics for bigger sexier versions :)

The Lads Birthday

2009-05-11T16:23:00.007+12:00

Belatedly...heres some pics in lieu of the big birthday a couple of weeks back. I really have no idea where the time goes, but Joshua and Jordan had a wonderful day, despite deciding that sleep was an optional extra. Party animals!

One already...gulp. We now have two crawlers. We wouldn't trade them for anything!

Another Midweek Viral For Your Viewing Pleasure

2009-05-07T10:02:00.000+12:00

Weather for Raceday

2009-05-06T16:09:00.002+12:00

It would be fair to say its looking marginal...seems to be a recurring use of the word "snow"! Maybe we should pack ice axe and crampons.

Fri 8
Showers with snow down to 700 metres, clearing during the day and fine spells increasing. Cold southerlies.

Sat 9
Fine with frosts at first and light winds. Rain and cold southerlies developing in the afternoon with snow lowering to 400 metres.

Sun 10
Showery with snow down to 400 metres. Cold southerlies.

Mon 11
Showery with snow down to 400 metres. Cold southerlies.

Tue 12
Snow with not much wind.

Flight 666

2009-05-04T22:50:00.002+12:00

Saw it, loved it. I feel like I've been to church.

You have 2 more days to get to your nearest cinema, otherwise its out on DVD and accompanying double live album later in May.

Come to Razors house and watch it anytime :)

Up The Irons!

Routeburn Classic

2009-05-03T22:45:00.001+12:00

One week to go. My favourate event...here we come!

Really really keen to break 5 hours this year please!

Michael Cullen

2009-04-30T14:23:00.002+12:00

He was Scrooge McDuck for many years, and I suspect holding off the tax cuts all those years may have buffered the current recession a bit for us here. Of course its a bigger debate than that, perhaps he could have spent less too.

However, he will be missed in Parliament, one of the true legends of debating.

My favourite quote relates to him not being a lawyer yet managing to hold the post of Attorney General:

“The attorney-general does not have to be a lawyer any more than the minister of education has to be a teacher, the minister of health a doctor, or the minister of corrections a convict.”

Autumn on Fire

2009-04-28T17:07:00.002+12:00

Stunning. The past few days have seen temps roaring up into the high 20's here in Christchurch. Its just perfect. Made for a great birthday party for the lads (some photo's from that soon, I promise!)

Meanwhile over on the West Coast some monumental rainfalls are going on. Worst of it, as usual, is in the notorious Cropp River Catchment near Hokitika, with a mammoth 987mm falling since Saturday.

Hope Fiordland dries out for the run next week...

Routeburn all go

2009-04-17T17:59:00.002+12:00

I just got email confirmation that I am expected to run the Routeburn track 3 weeks tomorrow in the Routeburn Classic race. No longer waitlisted.

Should I:

a) Cast aside the colds, late nights working, sleepless nights parenting, and general downturn in training and take the bull by the horns and slaughter the course?

or

b)Hide behind the couch for 3 weeks cowering in fear?

This never happens at Warbirds over Wanaka!

2009-04-16T23:20:00.002+12:00

Some say its a fake, but TV3 here in NZ played it as a true story...

I'd pay to see it for real. We mustn't forget that our blogs are here to propogate these things...I think they call it "viral".

And from Youtube....again

2009-04-16T22:58:00.002+12:00

One of my favourate scenes in a film about tramping. From a film that could not be further removed from tramping. One of the greats... love it! Must be the Scottish in me....

The strangest story this week award goes to....

2009-04-16T22:25:00.003+12:00

This Poor Bloke who deadset has a tree growing in his lungs. Jeepers...do not look at the link if you are in the middle of tea!

Makes me wonder though, can he apply for Carbon Credits? Innovative...now, where'd those seeds go again?

The Auckland Sandpit

2009-04-13T08:57:00.004+12:00

I think the Auckland unification into one super-council is a great idea, and its about a hundred years late. So they have a lot of work to do.

I just hope and pray that none of the existing childish leaders get the job. Right now we have Banks calling Williams a lunatic, Harvey looking after his own image, Lee stuck in 2006 and calling Bobs ideas 'elitist bullshit'...and so the sandpit handwringing continues.

Auckland deserves a fresh face for the 'Lord Mayor' role, I just hope that for the sake of the country they get one in order to start this brave new future on the correct foot- a complete divorce from the past is required.

Afghanistani Cricket

2009-04-12T09:35:00.004+12:00

Yes, you read that right. Your eyes do not need testing. Afghanistan have a cricket team.

And the news is good for them, they are playing bloody good cricket. Not only have they qualified for the top 8 playoffs in the World Cup Qualifiers, but they have beaten Ireland in the first game. Yes, that's the Ireland who beat Pakistan in the last big boys World Cup.

The Afghan boys have apparently learnt the game in war-torn refugee camps, using shoes for wickets and wrapping up things in cloth for a ball.

Its a truly inspirational story this- Cricinfo.com has a couple of reports here and here.

An Old Friend

2009-04-11T14:20:00.002+12:00

I must bring you to the attention of a wonderful blog that an old tramping and drinking mate of mine is running. Many of you will know Derek well from the old days at AUTC. Derek and Liz are currently having one hell of a bikeride round the planet, and their postings and pictures are just unreal- a daily must read for me!

The site is here, I'll add it to the blogs I read list, I'm sure they won't mind the plug!

You Don't Scare Me!

2009-04-10T20:57:00.002+12:00

Another Day Another First- First Snow

2009-04-10T20:40:00.006+12:00

It was another one of those "mountains sing out loud" days. Fresh snow and a beautiful crisp clear day saw us heading up to Arthurs Pass for the boys first "mountaineering" expedition. They loved it. They weren't sure about the snow thing though...as the picture shows!

It was just a perfect Good Friday.

Someone Started Crawling Yesterday!

2009-04-06T10:07:00.002+12:00

So now no remote control is safe!

Christchurch- Number One

2009-04-06T10:00:00.003+12:00

Stuff.co.nz has confirmed that Christchurch is the safest place in NZ to live. Having lived in a few other places in NZ I have to agree. Full article here.

We have had a glorious summer to boot...as I speak its sitting on 25 degrees and its meant to be the middle of autumn, got to love that.

Posting here has been quiet lately, kids have been sick, so we've had a massive amount on at home. On top of that I think I've just got through the busiest working week of my life, with two major tenure review submissions going in. But when you are dealing with iconic landsacpes that inspire you, its really not that hard to stay motivated.

Heres one of those landscapes I've had the pleasure of working on lately- the Kirkliston Range in the Hakataramea Valley, South Canterbury.

Haha!

2009-03-25T10:40:00.013+13:00

From The HeraldSun:

A STUDENT has some scrubbing to do after his parents discovered he'd painted an 18m penis on their roof. Rory McInnes, 18, decided to make his family home stand out after watching a documentary about Google Earth. Armed with a tin of white paint, he climbed on top of the $2 million home in Berkshire, south east England, and set to work. His artwork remained unnoticed for 12 months until a helicopter pilot spotted it and swooped down low so his passengers could take photos. Dad Andy thought it was a prank call when a British newspaper contacted him about the painting this week. "It's an April Fool's joke, right? There's no way there's a 60ft phallus on top of my house,'' Mr McInnes told The Sun. He confronted his four children, finding his answers when he reached Rory over the phone in Brazil. Part-way through gap-year travels, Rory could not hold back his laughter as he confessed: "Oh, so you've found it then.'' The image has been compared to the Cerne Abbas Giant, a 55m-high naked figure carved into the hill at Dorset which is said to attract couples seeking to have children. Mum Clare said: "We don't want any more children, so the idea of sleeping under a giant fertility symbol is rather worrying.'' Mr McInnes added: "We don't want to lie in bed at night and hear couples at it above us. "When Rory gets home he will be given a scrubbing brush and white spirit and he can go and scrub it off.''

Running in Porridge In Paradise

2009-03-25T10:40:00.012+13:00

Lake Hawea the day before for Work

Sunset over the Crown Range for Play

Its taken a while to post this thanks to sick Mum and Dad and sick boys too, but we are all on the mend now.

Well the Motatapu race was a cracker. I had a really difficult day, feeling fit but for some reason lacking energy to really crank into top gear- like the title says I felt like I was running in porridge. Consequently I was nowhere near Madman Marvin (well run Glenn- you were on fire!) but I have to be happy that after 5 hours and 12 minutes I just felt like keeping running at the end. So the endurance was there, which augurs well for the Routeburn, hopefully. I'm sure with some good preparation and a few decent sleeps beforehand that the speed thing can be found next time.

The weather was magic, and it was fascinating to see what a few million bucks can do to a Pastoral Lease. Shania Twain and her ex hubby have got these stations in absolutely pristine condition, it really got me thinking about my Tenure Reviews while I was blatting across- what do we really want for our High County outcomes?

A few pics of the day, just magnificent. It was one of those magical autumnal days where the colours of Central Otago just explode, and the mountains sing out loud.

An honour and a privilege to be lucky enough to be there.

Razor - Marvin Trophy Clash tomorrow

2009-03-13T11:01:00.002+13:00

Thus time tomorrow morning Madman Marvin and I will thrashing it out accross the Otago High Country on the Motatapu mountain marathon from Wanaka to Arrowtown. The race crosses three high country stations, Motatapu, Soho and Glencoe. Shania Twain is the leaseholder for the first two, although I don't imagine she'll be there given the marriage meltdown.

Can I regain the trophy? Glenn must be firing on all cylinders but training has been good the past few weeks, so as long as the dodgy knee holds together I'll give it a good shake!

Main objective otherwise is to beat Finance Minister Bill English, who's in the mountain bike sectin.

Will report back after the event...

The Epicentre of a Property Crash

2009-03-10T09:17:00.003+13:00

In response to this Stuff.co.nz article... (clickety here)

Aucklands downtown apartment industry was a primary focus for greed and overdevelopment up to about 2 years ago. You could see the bubble starting to burst in 2006/07 but now it seems the sector is in complete freefall.

I believe this was a primary driver in the storm that has swept through the Property Sector and has now been overtaken by the Global Credit Crunch.

Once this "correction" is complete we may start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in NZ- I think this is the image of the property downturn bottoming out.

At least I certainly hope it is!

Some You Tube clips from the ChCh Maiden Gig

2009-03-04T23:37:00.005+13:00

I still can't beleive they were here..... The Trooper and a clip from the Ryme of the Ancient Mariner

2009-03-03T21:49:00.002+13:00

From the Stuff Website... outstanding story...if any prick tries to break in here they will feel the full force of the Razor Blade (cricket bat)

Pensioner strikes back: Intruder hit with rolling pin

Crying teen found in his boxer shorts

Stuff.co.nz Tuesday, 03 March 2009

Hamilton police are praising an elderly woman who fought off an aggressive youth with a rolling pin as he tried to break into her home.
The woman successfully managed to keep the 15-year-old at bay in the early hours of Saturday morning by repeatedly striking him on the head with the rolling pin after he smashed a back window and tried to reach around to unlock the door.
Constable Chris Mankelow said officers arrived at the woman's address to find the offender embarrassed and wearing only his boxer shorts.
"The woman who is aged in her seventies and lives on her own was awoken about 3.30am by a man swearing and banging on her door, claiming he lived there."
Despite the lady's assurances that it was her home, where she has lived for 30 years, the boy would not leave and call centre operators could hear him yelling abuse at her, police said.
"So he's stuck his head in and the victim has promptly struck him on the head with her rolling pin, she noticed he was still there so she's hit him a second and third time," Mr Mankelow said.
"When we arrived we found the offender crying. He'd had had a wee 'accident' and stripped down to his boxers and was pretty keen to be taken away."
He had been bailed to his parents' address and referred to Youth Aid.
Mr Mankelow said responding officers were impressed by the pensioner's bravery

One last thing for today....

2009-03-01T00:01:00.001+13:00

Type your name and "needs" into Google and enjoy the results

Its a laugh and three quarters

The Science of Sleep

2009-02-28T23:47:00.000+13:00

Its pretty simple, apparently

Running To The Hills- Iron Maiden Razor Review Inclusive

2009-02-28T22:48:00.011+13:00

I know its going to come as a great shock to most of you, but I went to Iron Maiden last week.

It was more than just a gig however, it was a story that took a whole weekend to unfold, after waiting a lifetime for the opportunity to see the band that I have constantly been blown away by since I started listening to music some 25 years ago.

The first highlight was getting involved with the Maiden Fan Club who had organised a bus trip on gig day as a fundraiser for Canteen, to fight cancer affecting kids. What a cause. We even got some kids into the gig, preferential seats, backstage, etc. They deserve every good thing we can give them, what a privilege to be involved.

The first mission was on Saturday to meet the crew of "Ed Force Two" as our bus was lovingly christened, and pick up my t-shirt, et al. Josh and Jordan came along, and did a great job of sweet talking a couple of young blonde lasses. Problems ahead in 15 years I fear....

From there Saturday night morphed into a very nice dinner for Paul who was back from OZ for the weekend. And then out on the town...never before have so many Iron Maiden T-shirts been present in downtown Christchurch. What a night. We even ran into Tall Paul...tramping buddy from the Jaffabowl, who I have a habit of running into in the most unexpected situations!

Ah....the Crew :) As always thats Razor in the thick of it.

This guy from Sweden had the dudes from KISS tattooed on him, thats devotion above and beyond...

So anyway, gig day. People had come from Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Australia, and I'm sure many other places just to see the tour. The devotion of Maiden fans is up there with that of the top British soccer clubs, its just complete madness! We had two buses on Sunday, Ed Force Two and Three and did the rounds of ChCh for several hours, including a surreal BBQ at Scarborough where a Brass Band just happened to be playing. Lets just say we weren't sure how popular 100 Iron Maiden Fans were in this setting, but the good folk there really pitched in to the Canteen Fundraising. Hats off.

Eventually it was gig time, and after a long and entertaining drive across ChCh in Ed Force Two (you heard us before you saw us) we set about auctioning off everything that wasn't bolted to the bus, and then in we went. The Obligatory Warm Up Act from ChCh, Tainted, played a solid set. Lauren Harris, Daughter of the Maiden bass player Steve Harris followed with a very tight set- and her guitar player is I swear the spitting double of Zakk Wylde.

Then the main event. I won't dismember it song by song, but suffice to say the sold out Westpac Arena spent 2 and a quarter hours in complete and utter awe. I had high expectations, and they were all met. Some wag wrote in the media that the only problem with the gig was that its going to be impossible to go to any other gigs this year as the bar has been set so high. I completely endorse that statement!

There were more pyrotechnics than I thought possible, especially indoors- at one point they pretty much had the whole stage on fire. Bruce had the crowd in the palm of his hand for the entire set- there aren't many frontsmen in rock who carry that sort of charisma. Loved his two fingered verbal salute to the establishment hot on the heels of Maiden being named "Best Live Act" at the Brit Awards.

All the expected songs were there, outrageous guitars, the galloping bass of the finest technician of the rock world, and Nicko hidden behind his drum kit going berserk for the whole set.

In a nutshell, they delivered the perfect gig. My highlights? Hard to nail out anything in the mix of excellence, but Phantom of the Opera, The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner and Hallowed Be Thy Name were my personal high notes among many.

And the best news, they are coming back in 2010/11!

I'm going to stop before I lose my entire blog readership from boredom, but this was special. A concert of a lifetime.

So it has been written, so it has been done. :)

UP THE IRONS!!!!!

Razor Rating: THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE

No I Haven't Been Kidnapped By Iron Maiden

2009-02-28T12:51:00.002+13:00

Although the option of a flight to Easter Island with Captain Dickinson was tempting...

No I've actually been away in Dunedin for work and training hard for the Motutapu, and in between having some quality family time.

Review coming tonight for those who were asking!