Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Getting dressed for the party

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  • recordari, in reply to 3410,

    IMO, the selection of cultural representatives is, on balance, quite disappointing.

    Fair enough. I may have been a bit defensive. If you need to let go, I got no qualms about some on the list, I just felt that many seemed rather nicer than one could have implied from your earlier post. Not all, by any means, but mene.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to recordari,

    Not all, by any means, but mene.

    I have to do this:

    "Not Mene -- if any"

    Thank you.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    It’ll be a tough walk in the rain, and there’s still no sign of any place for the fans to empty their bladders anywhere from the end of K Road to the park.

    Sounds like a job for, Tadaaaa, Auckland's newly minted 1st XV.
    Otherwise the streets will be awash in...

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Fair enough. I may have been a bit defensive.

    No, you're probably right. I did perhaps fail to imply that I wasn't talking about all 15 members.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Russell Brown,

    "Not Mene -- if any"

    I'm annoyed I didn't go there first, but it is the logical next step.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    The whole RWC seems like impending cultural doom - we were looking last night into cashing in all our frequent flier miles to escape for the duration - but it seems that most of the dates a blacked out .... we're trapped

    As in Montreal 1976 doom?

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    we were looking last night into cashing in all our frequent flier miles to escape for the duration - but it seems that most of the dates a blacked out .... we're trapped

    I would have thought there would be some overcapacity with flights into and then out of NZ on certain dates. Probably not enough to help though. Domestic flight is going to be a pain too.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi, in reply to Rich Lock,

    <gasp!> You had that dream, too! Now, if only we can persuade another 998 cats…erm, people to dream it, too!

    The cats of Devonport are already relaying messages to interested parties. The short-tailed bossy black cat that lives near the walkway north of New World is their (and therefore our) leader.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Jacqui Dunn, in reply to Jolisa,

    Can it be turned into a pocket park after the RWC is over with? Something the locals can actually use, rather than a pointless concourse?

    The first time I went past it in the train, I thought it was a playground with goal posts.
    Maybe kids could play quarterball in it later?

    Deepest, darkest Avondale… • Since Jul 2010 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Personally, I favoured the waterfront stadium ...

    I'd almost gotten over that.

    Edit: Gotten over the fact it didn't go ahead...doh

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to BenWilson,

    I don't get over these things easily either, but we did cover the Waterfront...

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Bevan Shortridge, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Glad I missed that one. But I can see the Warriors moving to Eden Park, even though it's well away from their real support base, because it's such a well-set venue.

    I really hope the Warriors don't move to Eden Park, even if (for me anyway) Eden Park is a lot closer/easier to get to for Warriors games than Mt Smart. I went to the Four Nations and the recent Warriors game there. I was reasonably "close", apparently, both times but was so much further away from the game. The atmosphere is quite different at Eden Park as well. A different crowd. Didn't encourage me to want to go back.

    They also need to sort their cashier/food bit out. I arrived earlyish both times (i.e. before games) but after the gates had opened and decided to purchase food before I took seat. First time the cashiers were just setting up so I thought, well, OK, trial run. However, for the second game I went to there were no cashiers there to take my money (food yes, cashiers no). Ended up paying for food at the bar (which did have someone serving).

    I also wondered about the train platform for going back to the City, which is on the opposite rail line to the train going west which is next to Eden Park. This means having to use the overbridge to get to the train going to central Auckland. I thought if they were expecting a lot to go back to a "party central" hub after the match, or to accommodation in the city, then making them go via the overbridge to get back to the platform for the city seemed a bit awkward. Or will more people be going west than to the city afterwards?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 122 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    The footpaths on the north side are being re-sealed and widened

    Drove past this arvo. Didn't spot any widening, only the usual rehabilitation. And it 's the wrong side anyway. Said some time ago that anyone running a bar along that route would clean up.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I have to point out that I've had great luck in the past avoiding major sporting events - my careful avoiding of World Series traffic ment I wasn't where I normally would be late on a Thursday - stuck in traffic on the bottom bit of the freeway that collapsed the day the Loma Prieta quake hit.

    If I do make it off the island keep an eye on that Alpine Fault

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    Wearing my battered ER hat...

    Some points of clarification:

    - The name that was favoured by the old Eden Albert Community Board was Swamp Walk. This was indeed a suggestion from Kowhai School. Members weren't in favour of naming it after a person because of real, and continuing fears of a child being killed on the walk - which is technically a road so vehicles are permitted to hoon down there. It was pointed out that it wouldn't be good to link a space where a child would be killed with someone famous.

    I added in Wairepo (meaning swamp) as we are a bi-cultural nation, but sought guidance from Nagtai Whatua beforehand - unfortunately, they choose not to respond.

    It had always been my intention for signage to be bi-cultural, so you had Wairepo / Swamp walk, not the nonsensical Wairepo Swamp Walk (Swamp Swamp Walk). I pushed for good signage and correct use of the name, but I'm afraid my efforts failed.

    - that walk didn't cost $3m. There was a package of works which includes the construction of the 'walk', widening Sandringham road, new footpaths, bus shelters, relocation of housing, relocation of utilities and construction of the new plaza at the corner of Sandringham and Walters Rd.

    This package cost $3m, but received NZTA funding for 51% of the total cost. Funding from NZTA can only go towards roadworks, which is why the walk is technically a road, and was designed to be a road. Council officers aren't silly, and will happily structure things to get a subsidy even if it means creating dangerous situations.

    - the train lines during RWC games will be switched so that both lines from Kingsland will run to Britomart, and both lines from Morningside will run west. This will be in place after the game finishes. So this means both platforms at Kingsland will be used to carry fans away from the area and hightail it to Britomart and thence to that cloud that will invariably leak like a sieve.

    Doffing said hat...

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    Wearing that blardy hat again...

    The name Wairepo / Swamp references the swamp land that Eden Park now occupies. Look at the photos at Fridge Cafe - they are in the back room - you'll see one photo of the swamp prior to it being drained for Eden Park.

    Doffing blardy hat...

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,

    There's a vague, and small, photo here, and a description of the Cabbage Tree Swamp Road, also mentioned in above linked Central leader article. Have seen photo in Fridge, while consuming their extraordinarily good Moroccan Lamb pie. And I've mentioned the Lamingtons before, but they deserve a retweet.

    There is some history to the name, but it does seem a little incongruous now, on a very dry piece of land leading into a hopefully dry Rugby stadium. Still, that's a small matter in the scheme of things.

    Thanks for details about the funding. Did seem like a lot to spend on a thoroughfare.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey, in reply to recordari,

    Wearing that hat...

    Billy Apple's artwork are striking, but they were paid for out of that $3m.

    Doffing said hat...

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,

    Yes, he only barters with dentists.

    <coat>

    ETA: Actually, that was a bit glib, as he has made a name for himself offering works for Cash, for Barter or some other form of 'payment in kind', as described here.

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Bevan Shortridge, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,

    the train lines during RWC games will be switched so that both lines from Kingsland will run to Britomart, and both lines from Morningside will run west. This will be in place after the game finishes. So this means both platforms at Kingsland will be used to carry fans away from the area and hightail it to Britomart and thence to that cloud that will invariably leak like a sieve

    Many thanks for wearing your ER hat. I had *thought*(or rather, hoped) something like that would happen for the RWC. I had worrisome visions of a crammed overbridge.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 122 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    the train lines during RWC games will be switched

    That sounds expensive - surely all the signalling must have had to be made two-way, etc. Or are all NZ rail lines made bicurious?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,

    This package cost $3m, but received NZTA funding for 51% of the total cost. Funding from NZTA can only go towards roadworks, which is why the walk is technically a road, and was designed to be a road. Council officers aren't silly, and will happily structure things to get a subsidy even if it means creating dangerous situations.

    Fascinating!

    Does that mean the cycleways NZTA funds are officially roads too?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    jamming my hat on again...

    Oh, Aotearoa works in wonderous ways. Railway lines are always bicurious. Nothing straight at all about them indeed. It's that NZ Gothic thing going on...

    And NZTA funded cycleways, well, no. They don't fund those. But they do fund cycleways that are laid on land owned by them. Which is why they spent $3m on the cycleway just below Kingsland - it sits on land owned by them, which is for all intents and purposes, the (very wide) margins of the NW motorway. And legally, it is a 'road' of sorts which means pedestrians aren't allowed on it.

    And which is why they'll fund the extension of that cycleway through Spaghetti Junction down to Wellesley St, all on land owned by them, which is what they are planning to do next. Good on them.

    Doffing said hat...

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • MikeE,

    Relocated my ass, my old flat got completely bowled.. :-(

    Thanks Council...

    Washington DC • Since Nov 2006 • 138 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Can I just say, as a resident of Mt Eden (down the Marsden Ave end of Dominion Rd) that I am not looking forward to having this bloody thing going on? And it's screwed up the school terms too. 12 wks for this term followed by 11, then 10 then 8 wks respectively. Are you kidding me? Because of some bloody thugby? I know rugby is popular, and I know it's important for NZ that we got the RWC, but changing the school terms? Okay, rant over.

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

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