Gulf Eco Charters Hen and Chicken Islands

Day boat tour on Gulf Eco Charters‘ Launch “Kokomo”, with Kurt Salmond and his Family. Click Picture below to access the Gallery on NUI.NZ

Taranga Island on aboard “Kokomo”

Departed Sandspit Yacht Club, around past Tawharanui where conditions was quite wavy, then direct to Taranga Island, part of the Hen and Chickens archipelago for our first snorkelling stop.

Then westward to the west side of the island where we anchored for a nice light lunch prepared by Clair (Kurt’s other half) of wraps and muffins.

We then cruised around north past West Chicken island before heading east towards Lady Alice Island where we anchored at Karimoko Bay for another spot of Snorkeling.

Aftewards, a short stop by Sail Rock and then a smooth cruise back to Base at Sandspit. Continue reading “Gulf Eco Charters Hen and Chicken Islands”

Gulf Eco Charters Hen and Chicken Islands

Riot Matrix: Background + Findings

The following post deals with the background, along with my personal experiences and findings to-date with the RIOT/Matrix instant messaging and group chat system. To connect to the Matrix Synapse instance, please refer to the basic guide to get started.

In Late December 2017, some concerns were raised among friends regarding their discomfort with Relying on WeChat (along with other proprietary commercial instant messaging apps) for communicating among ourselves, and subsequently I was asked whether or not it would be possible to add some sort of chat function to my website.

I’m going to be upfront. I don’t believe at this stage that I am ever going to pull the majority of my Facebook Addicted friend base out from the clutches of the Facebook eco-system (FB Messenger and WhatsApp) and at this present time, only aiming this service at Family and a handful of closer friends who have expressed desire to use an alternative instant messaging platform. Continue reading “Riot Matrix: Background + Findings”

Riot Matrix: Background + Findings

Waiarapa Exploration Road Trips

Over the New Year period, did a couple of road trips to explore around the Waiarapa region

First port of call was visiting Cape Palliser (Click Photo below to access gallery)

Cape Palliser Sunset

…and Putangirua Pinnacles (Click Photo below to access gallery) before diverting to Havelock North

Putangirua-Pinnacles

A later attempt to finish off the road trip was made shortly after my King Country Road Trip, where I went to visit the Gallipoli The Scale of our War Exhibition at Te Papa. Click picture below to access the Photo Gallery

Te Papa, Scale of War Exhibition

With a visit to Castle Point, Tinui ANZAC walkway and Stone Hedge Aotearoa (Click Photo below to access gallery) staying at Rusty Nail Lodge in Taihape on the way back.

Castle Point, Waiarapa

 

Waiarapa Exploration Road Trips

Victoria – A Fine State

If you are planning to drive in the state of Victoria, during your trip to Australia, please note…

Self Drive Tourism Warning

While I never received a fine during my Road trip in Victoria, Australia, many other foreigners including tourists and those newly emigrated to Australia haven’t been so lucky (much to their horror at how comparatively strict and expensive the penalties were). If you’re used to driving at the speed limit, there is less wiggle room for even a momentary lapse in concentration should you be in the vicinity of an enforcement camera.

In Australia, the ethos of the “Speed limit not being a target, but the absolute maximum speed you are allowed to drive at” is perhaps instilled a bit more vigorously than say in New Zealand or North America for that matter.

  • The State of Victoria for example may set higher speed limits, but enforce them a lot more strictly (with a 3 km/h effective tolerance, by way of deducting 3km/h of the detected speed to form the alleged speed, along with heavy fines for even low level speeding).
  • In New Zealand, the speed limits may be set lower for the equivalent roading environment, but enforced more loosely (Higher general speed tolerance enforcement of 5km/h during holiday periods along with much lighter fines for low level speeding)

Victoria, Australia has some of the heaviest monetary penalties for speeding with fines that I’ve heard of, starting from 200 AUD for even just a few km/h over the speed limit along with 400 AUD fines for running red lights.

  • There are concealed (Not easy to spot) traffic enforcement cameras all over the state of Victoria. Melbourne in particular is swarming with Fixed Traffic Enforcement Cameras dotted all over the place, particularly on their Highways / Freeways, particularly under the over bridges cross over the motorways.
  • In Australia (and New Zealand), You can not make a free left (kerb side) turn on a red traffic signal as you can in many places in North America.
  • Road works zones are ENFORCED at the temporary speed limit, The State of Victoria’s fixed cameras can be adjusted to accommodate on the fly. There have been countless reports of even locals losing their licenses while traveling on the Freeways at 100km/h having missed the temporary 50km/h speed limit in place.
  • If you are driving a rental car at the time of the infringement, your Rental Car provider will most likely also slap an additional Administration Fee on top of any fines of around 66 AUD (if it’s a mailed speed camera fine). Unfortunately, it appears many Car rental companies do not make the hirer aware of how comparatively heavily and strictly enforced speeding is in the State of Victoria upon the hirer picking up the car from Melbourne Tullamarine international Airport.
  • The parking signs to those unfamiliar can be extremely confusing. Again heavy fines from around 80 AUD upwards applies for parking infringements.

While as a foreigner you may be able to get away with not paying any infringements, issues may arise at the border should you wish to enter Australia again.

The reason I’ve heard for such seemingly heavy enforcement for low level speeding is that it’s “aimed at bringing about cultural change in the driving public”. Another words, an attempt at “Nipping it in the bud”. That said, Victoria still has their fair share of speeders (The occasional hooner that is clearly 30 km/h above the speed limit) and the usual tailgaters following other vehicles closely as anywhere else in the world.

Continue reading “Victoria – A Fine State”

Victoria – A Fine State

Week Beginning 1st January 2018

Note: These are simply quick thoughts that have been jotted down. They have been categorized as “Insignificant” for very good reasons. They may contain hunches which will be unsubstantiated, unqualified and unquantified. Some of these points (each separated into their own paragraphs) may or may not be spawned into more substantial posts.

Happy New Year

Fireworks in the Hood. The Sky City Fireworks though as a comparison against others years, wasn’t anything special… In fact, It may have been a little more subdued than prior years.

Yes, Phone software updates can cause Utility loss.

As with my Xperia Z2 D6503. The 6.0.1 firmware update reduced performance, stability and subsequently utility + usability of WiFi. This was demonstrated to be the case when as an experiment flashed the Firmware back to Kitkat. There was demonstratably a Marked increase in stability and faster Access Pointing connecting over a range of regular access points I use during the week. Reflashed the firmware back to 6.0.1 and the issues returned. Sony never fixed this… Anyway, going to be replacing this device, has developed a few issues including a stuffed gyro (Think’s it’s upright when it’s 10° on the piss)

 

Week Beginning 1st January 2018