22nd July 2018 – Day Trip out towards the Dargaville direction to Hike up Mount Tutamoe Track and Hukatere Reserve (Both scheduled to be closed). Click picture below to access gallery…

Another spur of the moment (Snap decision) walk on Saturday 14th July 2018, this time around Te Arai and Mangawhai. Click Picture below to access gallery…

Quick Drop in visit to Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens en route back to Auckland. Click Photo below to access the gallery…

They recommend about 1 and half hours to walk around. Could easily spend 3 hours there if you include Don’s loop at a leisurely pace. Hills are moderate (Easy for a seasoned hiker, may be challenging for though for the less fit)

I have been an investor for a while with Harmoney. They seem alright to date, however will admit that I have started to feel unease at the amount of “Charged off” loans appearing on my books. Interest rates seem to be trending downwards for across all risk grades with a feeling that the platform fees are gradually edging up, slowly putting the squeeze on any NET Returns. I have also noticed that the Platform RoR is also gradually declining.

As such, I’ve now decided to stop reinvesting the proceeds and started backing out by way of their Auto-Withdraw facility as I feel the risk reward has gradually become less favorable.

Walk with the Auckland Hiking Group Meetup to Waipu, click photo below to access gallery…

Weather was pretty Rainy through much of it, with fine breaks.

Short little walks around Clevedon and later on, a stroll around Eden Gardens. Click Picture below to access the gallery…

 

A little walk around Pasifika Festival today, Small album of pictures posted to NUI.NZ.

With a surprise (to me) appearance of Jacinda Ardern along with Phil Goff (Mayor of Auckland).

Came earlier in the morning to avoid the crowds and the Afternoon Rain. Pacific Nations represented included, Hawaii, Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Tahiti, Niue and of course Aotearoa. Full details on the ATEED website.

T’was handed info pack while walking past some stalls at Pasifika. A possible Career change from being a Computer nerd to a Corrections Officer? Not unheard of I suppose… It at least made me intrigued to look at what Corrections do.

In a lot of the “Just The Job” videos on Youtube… Lots of focus on rehabilitation, thought there was an acknowledgement that many offenders will “play the game”, get released only to return to prison again at a later date.

Currently Looking at the pay scale, If I ever was to take a front line position with Corrections, it would undoubtedly result in fairly sizeable drop in my pay.

Spur of the moment trip to visit a few places around King Country and Waitomo (Click Photo below to access gallery) staying at Grandad’s Cottage situated around the Taumarunui area both nights.

I have a confession to make, I do not understand present day Economics or financial markets.

To be honest, all I personally see is perhaps the biggest global asset bubble to ever grace the face of this planet. Many assets across the board appear to be valued well in-excess of their intrinsic value and have seemingly been like this for a lot longer than would ordinary be in a so called a bubbly situation.

Continue reading “Confession time” →

Explore of Motuora Island today with the North Shore Tramping Club. Lead by Imogen with Karen who took us there in the official Yellow bus. Photos posted to NUI.NZ, Click Image below to access the gallery…

Will add some more details in the next few days. (Right now I’m feeling really really sleepy, Apologies!)

4th to 5th of November 2017 – Weekend in Palmy. Click image below to access the gallery on NUI.NZ…

Took yet another Jetstar flight, this time down to Palmerston North.

Locations visited (includes links to Official external websites)…

• Sledge Track, Toe Toe loop and Platinum Mines, [PDF Brochure here]
• Tawa Loop (Loops off of Manawatu Gorge Walk)
• Caccia Birch House (Open Days)

 

Short walks this afternoon to Mount Taupiri and Pukemokemoke, click picture below to access the photo gallery at NUI.NZ.

The Taupiri Mountain Bushwalk was approved for by Maori Elder, Turnate Mahuta, and cared for by Local residents along with the Taupiri Young Farmers Club. Pukemokemoke Reserve is under the care of the David Johnstone Pukemokemoke Bush Trust in conjuction with Friends of the Pukemokemoke.

Both Bush Walks (to the summits and return) are about 1-2 hours each.

Elevation gain for Taupiri Mountain is approximately 270 while the elevation gain for Pukemokemoke is approximately 150.

Detail indepth description about the Pukemokemoke reserve is available on MotoWalk Pukemokmoke page

Quick little shots Miscellaneous shots from Cornwall park after having attended the Flight Centre Travel Expo.  Was hoping to see some blossoms, but it didn’t quite eventuate as planned. It was also the middle of the day where most people would be visiting the park so didn’t quite get any descent photo opportunities that weren’t essentially just crowds of people…

Continue reading “Cornwall Park” →

Normal day walk with the Auckland Hiking Group revisiting some regular haunts in and around the Waitakere Dam. Pictures posted to NUI.NZ

 

A spontaneous trip to do some little walks up north in and around Orewa and Waiwera. Photos uploaded to NUI.NZ. Click image below to go to the photo album.

 

Short trip down to Wellington to Attend the New Zealand Shareholders’ Association Annual Conference. Prior to that, paid a visit to the Zealandia Eco Sanctuary… Click image below to access the gallery.

Recommend paying the extra for a guide for your first visit to the Sanctuary just to get an insight on where the wild life is hiding. The Sanctuary has yearly access options available which Is an option I would take up myself should I live in the Wellington Area. Aside from the main visiting area, the Sanctuary has quite a network of walking tracks [PDF].

NZ Shareholder’s Association conference on the following day was packed and fully subscribed. A number of speakers presented including…

• Simon Mouter – Managing Director Spark Ltd
• Cameron Bagrie – ANZ Bank Chief Economist
• Mark Peterson – CEO NZX Ltd
• Norah Barlow – Director, Estia Healthcare
• Hartley Atkinson – CEO AFT Pharmaceuticals
• Richard Keys – CEO Abano Healthcare Ltd
• Margaret Bearsley/ Andrew Hudson – CEO/GC Takeovers Panel

…Recordings will be posted to the NZ Shareholders website for paid up NZSA Members.

Jetstar has so far been good to me (as is Air New Zealand with other trips). No Delays this trip. Maybe one advantage Jetstar has over Air NZ is that they offer meals with the Flexi ticket option at least for their Auckland to Wellington Leg (though I’m sure the extra 2nd meal I got on the way down wasn’t meant to happen and probably came about when I encountered a bug with their online booking system trying to select meals and seats)

Winter wonderland of thick white snow blanketing the Central Plateau. Spontaneous trip to view the snow. Click photo below to view Gallery.

23rd to 26th June 2017 – Post Work formalities Road trip to the Grampians and The !2 Apostles (Now really only 7) along the Great Ocean Road before flying back home to Auckland.

After the Software Technical symposium concluded on Friday Afternoon, grabbed a rental car and drove to Halls Gap next to the Grampians National Park, staying at Comfort Inn Halls Gap. Continue reading “Grampians and Twelve Apostles Trip Notes” →

Return to the Whangarei area to catch up with a few friends. A short overnight walk to Peach Cove Hut via the shorter and direct Peach Cove Track, returning via Te Whara Track and staying up at the peak to take in the views of the Whangarei Area. Later on a short flat walk around Whangarei’s town basin. Pictures posted here.

Short little Loop Walk Around Whatipu’s Omanawanui Track. (pictures posted to NUI.NZ)

Route Details as follows… (Best looked at in conjuction with a topo map)

From Whatipu Car park. Walked towards the beach, follow signs to Omanawanui Track and then a reasonably steep climb up to the first (lower) peak along Omanawanui Track, then a descent and a steep climb up to the second peak. We descend for a second time before meeting a gradual incline up to the junction of Whatipu Road. Cross the road.

After crossing the road, continue along track till the junction of Puriri Ridge track and Kura track. Turn left down Kura track which descends somewhat steeply then flattens out before the first stream crossing. There are 4 stream crossings in total.  From there, it is a relatively flat path (with a few fallen trees to climb over) back to Whatipu Road.

Once at Whatipu Road, cross over the Road bridge and you should be back at Whatipu Car Park.

Other notes

• At Whatipu Car park, there are Two toilets and an information board.
• Road to Whatipu (after Little Huia) is narrow, unsealed and very windy, take extra care driving around the corners as there is often plenty of traffic coming in the opposite direction
• Fishery officers are sometimes seen in the area and along the Whatipu coast.
• Time taken to do this track. About 3¾ hours at a leisurely pace with about an hour total stopping time (including Lunch, Afternoon Tea and a few short toilet / drink stops). If done at a moderate pace, with shorter stops, can do this in about 3-3¼ hours.
• Distance about 6-7 km (if you exclude spur to ‘Wing Head’)