Another visit to Coromandels, this time to explore around Wentworth Falls, it’s mid tier, Whangamata Track, and part of Maratoto Track (to the little shelter / clearing for lunch) before returning back the same way.
Earlier on Today, Matrix.org had to be pulled off line for emergency maintenance. It’s back up now and Kudos to Matthew Hodgson and his crew for getting it back up quickly.
On other matters, aside from a flurry of activity in the New Zealand Chat channel #nz.matrix.org, I’m still not seeing as much uptake of the protocol as I would like and today, If I search for any other Matrix chat resources in NZ, my out of date (and sorely need of an update / Fix up) Matrix chat sign up guide seems to come up as the first result.
Will try and pull my finger out and actually fix that page up (including the numbered bullet points and new screenshots) some day, though will state up front, I don’t plan on becoming any sort of Community Lead or Evangelist (Defacto or otherwise) for the Matrix chat / messaging protocol in New Zealand… Well at least not right now with my current commitments.
Spontaneous explore around Paton Stream Dam Track. Blue mushrooms near Hihi clearing. Click picture to view gallery…
Well packaged for Delivery. Box containing a Microsoft Office 365 box wrapped in Air Pillows. The only important bit was a line of code to activate your Office 365 subscription online.
Of course an argument could most certainly be made that it would have been cheaper and easier to simply E-mail me the code… though obviously packaged like this as a “matter of process” / “Matter of course” and to their credit, it did showed that Noel Leeming takes the effort to ensure goods are packed in a way to minimize the chance of damage during transit.
Traditional Backyard Maori Hangi on Christmas day 2018. Click picture below to access gallery…
So here it is… Matrix is an Instant Messaging chat protocol. It is one that appeals to me the most out of plethora of a bunch of less than ideal bunch of instant messaging protocols and systems out there. The reasons why I favour Matrix include…
As of 21st December 2018, I have bitten the bullet and set the Matrix server back up at mana.nz. Will probably start posting some social events on there. May be I could use the power of FOMO to pull people onto the Matrix protocol. Continue reading “Matrix Instant Messaging server Re-established”
I noticed an inundation of Facebook hate articles, posts and general commentary across the wider general internet again. It seems to come in cycles. The most infuriating thing about this, is that few people seem to want to do anything about the state of affairs despite expressing their own disdain for Facebook. Almost everyone is waiting for their friends to move off before they do… this situation presents a sure fire way for Facebook keeping it’s dominance and dare I say, for us to encourage Facebook’s ongoing track record of behaviour.
All I can say is, at least I’ve tried… One sets up alternative services for people to elevate at their request, after setting it up, people find excuses (Some Valid, some perhaps less valid) to not even look at it. As each service fell into disuse, I ended up eventually re-purposing these sites along with the domains they were on for personal use… Continue reading “So much Facebook hating but no one wants to do anything tangible about it”
It seems for (at least) Friday 8th December 2018 and Today, Saturday 9th December 2018, Air Vanuatu (NF) Flights that use the De Havilland Twin Otter aircraft have allegedly all been cancelled. Who the flip knows when they will be back in Action. Known locations affected include (but NOT limited to)…
Upon arrival to Craig Cove Airport on Friday (Yesterday) Morning, The agents in contact with Air Vanuatu head office keep announcing ever later estimated arrival times and relayed excuses from Head office from Mechanical Failure to the weather as reasons for the delay. After 2 hours of delay, ended up ringing Air Vanuatu Head Office myself, but they kept referring me back to the agents on the ground who in turn were similarly frantically via phone trying to get a grasp of the situation from Air Vanuatu Head office.
At about 4 hours after the flight was supposed to arrive, the agents announced that the flight had been cancelled and suggested that the next flight out of Craig Cove would be on Tuesday 11th December 2018 (Too late for me). Ended up calling a private charter flight to get us off of Ambrym allowing us to return back home to New Zealand as scheduled on the next morning.
Reviewing the flightradar24 upon finally returning home this Afternoon (As scheduled), it was revealed that all flights using De Havilland Twin Otter had been cancelled… Continue reading “Air Vanuatu Domestic Twin Otter Flights Cancellations”
Hikes undertaken for weekend 29th – 30th September. As per usual, click photos below to access the gallery and trip report for each.
Ananui falls from Franklin Road end…
Wharekirauponga Track…
Lynch Tramping Track has already shut sadly.
Finally was coaxed by my current ISP, Spark, to move from ADSL1 to Fibre (100Mbit), when they sent a letter threa… er… advising that they will add $5 to my bill for staying with the old copper ADSL1 connection.
Fibre is considerably Faster I guess. Everything is more snappy, Graphics intensive NUI.NZ loads in a blink of an eye along with all the other sites. But is this more of sign of how websites in general have become so incredibly bloated.
There is only a $10.00 monthly price difference between the smallest plan and the unlimited plan. I’m aware they have in the past throttled and traffic shaped unlimited plans, but it looks like this may have been relaxed.
BTW, Pictures from an NZSA Auckland branch visit to Chorus Auckland Offices… Continue reading “Connected to Fibre (Properly)”
Extended weekend spent in Tahiti. Click picture below to access the gallery and trip report…
Gentle recovery walk around Dickey Flat + Walk up Mount Karangahake. Click image below to access the gallery
My Feeling is the same as it was in 2012, If one needs a house to live in and it looks like one is in a position to finance it (with a buffer one would deem comfortable) then by all means, I would look to buy a home.
Attempting to “time the market” is at best difficult if not impossible. I can’t say what would happen in the next few years. For all I know, we could have a volcano blow up under Auckland or another equally unforeseen disruptive event and houses prices could then crash through the floor. At the moment, all the information I’ve seen around the place suggests that house prices are on track for single digit percentage gains across the board in New Zealand for the next year or two, but I reiterate, who the freak knows in this bizarre market, particularly given the distortive effects of a decade of seemingly endless and inefficiency encouraging “stimulus” Continue reading “If you want to buy a home to live in, then buy one”
19th to 21st August 2018 – Family affair mostly. Driving relatives to Rotorua and Waitomo. Attractions covered include: Agrodome, Rainbow Springs, Te Puia (+ Pohutu Geyser), then Waitomo Glow worm Caves. Click picture below to access photo collection…
Weather wasn’t that co-operative this time. The best weather was on the Sunday when we visited Agrodome.
Sharing family photos into mainland China has been an increasingly difficult issue to overcome. Often the server and front page of any given site is accessible, it doesn’t mean that the Great Firewall of China doesn’t employ some heuristics to block certain behaviors from occurring rendering the given site effectively inoperable to visitors in China. Apparently tried and true (domain) Email still works
Loop walk around the Kuraeranga Valley. Booms Flat + Whangaiterenga Track, click picture below to access gallery…
Karangahake Rivers, being Ohinemuri and Waitawheta Rivers after sustained rained. Click picture below to access gallery…
Went to see the Super volcano showing at Stardome.
It is an older (2005/2006) film projected on to the dome ceiling of the Star dome. Being part of Stardome’s School Holiday Program, Family groups with Kids are likely to derive the most enjoyment from it.
The actual “Super Volcano” film clip (as shown in the trailer in the aforementioned link) runs for about 23 minutes starting from Indonesia and describing it’s lasting effect on the world, through the “Great Dying”, before zooming out and examining the volcanoes of other planets.
The remainder of the time was utilized as a generalized star light presentation of the Solar system, aimed primary at younger kids interested in astronomy. Total Run time for the content by itself is 40 minutes (Super Volcano film + Solar system presentation). No photos to show this time (as photography is prohibited inside the Stardome room itself)
May be alright value with Family groups on a $40.00 (+ Booking fee) Family pass. (In contrast to say a group of Adult aged friends at 13.50 each where it perhaps falls on the expensive side)
28th and 29th July 2018 – Two walks around the lower Paeroa / Waitawheta Area. Click photos below to access each gallery.
Bluff Steam Kauri Loop Waitawheta…
Old Wires Track + Waipaheke Motorbike Track…
Steam gets their own chat. Adding to the plethora of non-interoperable, walled off, segregated proprietary instant messaging solutions that seems to be a dime a dozen.
The above window appeared shortly upon logging into my computer this evening. As I haven’t used Steam for ages, let alone gamed for quite some time, will probably uninstall Steam.
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…
