Hard News: Just don't call it "Party Central"
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I'm still not impressed with the party slug itself (good for a rave, crap building) but what I saw of some of the displays inside was impressive, There are some great NZ companies showing their wares inside. I ended up having a beer with the guy behind the http://www.williamswarn.com/ and what they are doing is truly a new take on home brew. Similarly Phil and Ted's with their carbon fibre, dic braked 'pram', mini surveillance drones from another company and of course the Yike bike.
The proof will be if any of these companies manage to make decent contacts during the cup. It would be good to see some real financial analysis come out of the end of it to see if the money was well spent.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Yes, I think I meant that The Cloud looks good inside, rather than out.
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ministerial inference
should read "ministerial interference" I think? Unless there's a subtext there that I just don't understand.
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It’s going to take some careful management and a polite and good-humoured approach from security staff. The celebrating masses will need to be steered away from misadventure on a space that still contains many of the fittings of a working wharf.
Anyone catch the final of the Stanley Cup this year? (or at the very least, the aftermath)
I am not going to use the actual word although it does seem 2011 is the year for it if you catch my drift.
Someone tell me Auckland is ready for that particular madness.
Hope so.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
should read “ministerial interference” I think? Unless there’s a subtext there that I just don’t understand.
Lolz. Fixed now, thanks.
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Gareth Ward, in reply to
Yes, I think I meant that The Cloud looks good inside, rather than out
I am yet to see it, but do have architect friends who have begrudingly admitted it's actually pretty damn good after loathing the initial concepts (tainted via the surrounding political and planning mess I suspect)
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David Slack mentioned this the other day on Twitter, but I think it’s something that bears keeping in mind:
Question for Fullers – Jet Raider out of service getting new engine, Kea MIA. How’s that RWC capacity looking?
(For those not Devonport-based, the Jet Raider and the Kea are the two largest Devonport-to-Auckland City ferries. The remaining ferries have significantly less capacity and take longer to load/unload.)
This could be interesting in terms of logistics, because most tourists aren’t going to wait an hour or two to travel to Devonport, nor are they going to go the long way ’round over the Harbour Bridge and through Takapuna.
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Half the city apparently descended on Wynyard Quarter yesterday and the wobbly hospitality strip predictably didn't cope.
Four of us ventured in on scooters, and somehow got a table outside Jack Tar. The drinks took a while, but only because someone stole ours, and I would have to say the young Irish women who looked after us while we were there deserved every bit of the tip we gave her when we left.
One question though? Why the hell would you drive your car right up to the wharf hoping to score a park? It was gridlock, but that was because 'we' can't walk more than 100m without thinking our birthright for a convenient car park right outside the venue has somehow been curtailed.
The motorcycle park outside SeaMart was conveniently located though. Not being a great walker myself.
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Rich Lock, in reply to
Kea back in service this morning, although on present form year-to-date, it may not last the full six weeks of RWC before breaking down and slowly drifting without power towards Rangitoto with a full complement of O/S VIP's on board.
I've been thinking of starting some sort of illegal betting syndicate in Devonport based on the Kea being in or out of service. I'd clean up, even without a few dodgy backhanders to the Fuller's mechanics.
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Sacha, in reply to
because most tourists aren’t going to wait an hour or two to travel to Devonport
Your suburban loyalty is touching
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Andre Alessi, in reply to
Your suburban loyalty is touching
It's not a "suburb", it's a way of life thinly disguised as overpriced real estate.
I’ve been thinking of starting some sort of illegal betting syndicate in Devonport based on the Kea being in or out of service. I’d clean up, even without a few dodgy backhanders to the Fuller’s mechanics.
Every time my overseas relatives visit, the Kea inevitably breaks down with them on it and has to be subbed out. I would clean up.
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merc,
Privatised public transport FTW.
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Just got back now from a lunch event at The Cloud. I can confirm it is much more impressive on the inside than it looks from the exterior.
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merc,
Privatised public house FTW?
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To be fair to the restaurants, both times I've been so far (Friday afternoon and Saturday morning), the area has had very high volumes of people, by NZ standards. I wanted to go back to Rushworth on Saturday because they seemed to be more about breakfast, and they were big enough to write on PAS, but unfortunately breakfast finished at 11am, and there were about 15 people in the queue ahead of me for coffee, and I had my youngest with me, who was getting pretty antsy, and there was no seating free. So I went looking for somewhere else appropriate, and seriously couldn't find anything that didn't have the same story - big queues, no seats, and no breakfast. In the end, I settled for squid and chips at the fish market for $7, served in a ice cream cone shaped wrapper, which (of course) could not be put down.
I'm thinking more kiosks around that area would be a very good idea. The ones that were there were doing a roaring trade, and it's not like the restaurants were suffering any lack of business. There's so much space left.
I can't help but wonder just how many drunks are going to end up in the drink all around that area, and just how damned hard it would be to get out of the water if you fell in. It's traditional to border high falls into things with fences - but I presume the difficulty is that so much of the area is actually still wharf. If a child fell in, what the hell would I do? Dive in, and then tread water with them, while dozens of onlookers wondered where to find a rope and what to do with it? The nearest ramp is in Westhaven. How it's set up at the moment, I'll be amazed if there isn't at least one fatality.
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merc,
Public haka flash FTW
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It's here! My scene-stealer pic from the little iPad app they have in the New Zealand On Screen installation. You pose for the photo and the system emails it to you ...
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An alternative headline might go something like Heineken Experience Survives McCully Experience. Odious little man that he is.
I think a key difference between the Vancouver and Auckland downtown celebrations is that the former attracted basically locals (~99.8% Canucks fans in attendance), whereas in Auckland come the knock-out phase there will be a mixture of supporters from both teams, plus some neutrals. That will change the vibe.
Although Canucks fans have a familiar legacy of bitter disappointment to draw on (no Cup in 40 years).
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Rich Lock, in reply to
If a child fell in, what the hell would I do?
Down at the end nearest the two cement towers, there are lots of shiny shiny interesting things really close to the edge of the wharf. I had a look over the edge, and there's around a 6-7m drop, into water that at that point looks to be about 30cm deep, over a concrete slab.
I decided at that point that our toddler was better off back at the playground.
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BenWilson, in reply to
I decided at that point that our toddler was better off back at the playground.
Indeed, although that was hardly what I'd call a safe playground. A raised area surrounded by jagged uneven rocks, and concrete stairways. Sand on the ground, not a forgiving surface, really, and the equipment was all for much older kids. There was no toddler swing, no slide, and the platforms and climbing stuff were all too high for mine. I saw several kids fall off the awkward themed equipment while I watched, one of whom was stunned when their head hit the sand. And I couldn't even bear to watch the girls who were standing on the ends of those metals stalks that were sticking up. One slip and they could have been impaled.
But it looked cool. Pity that for an area likely to attract thousands upon thousands of families, that it was a smaller and less appropriate than the little one at the end of my dead-end street. But it's a step in the right direction, and usage will quickly make plain what kind of resources should be there. That playground, for instance, would be a stupidly obvious place for a coffee kiosk, considering the large number of adults standing around it for lengthy periods. Mr Whippy would have a field day.
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On the RWC-triggered hospo topic, can I just say that Depot is outstanding. Yes Wellingtonians you absolutely may gloat about "your boy" showing Auckland how it's done because he freakin deserves it.
They even kicked the Prime Minister and his wife out of their seats for us (I guess it's possible they chose to leave at the end of their meal and we happened to be next on the waitlist but...)
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recordari, in reply to
New Zealand On Screen installation
I gather this was inside the cloud? I need it, now! Are they going to put that on the App store? Using the iPad 2 camera, the hours of fun you could have would be almost limitless.
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Brenda Leeuwenberg, in reply to
New Zealand On Screen installation
I gather this was inside the cloud? I need it, now! Are they going to put that on the App store? Using the iPad 2 camera, the hours of fun you could have would be almost limitless.
Nope, the New Zealand On Screen installation is on Queens Wharf in Auckland, and the Te Papa promenade in Wellington. This gorgeous wee iPad app (courtesy of the geniuses at Chrometoaster in Wellington) is available in both locations. Also in the Caravan of Kiwi Classics – touring the south island.
See more here: New Zealand On Screen and come down to check it out! -
I guess it's possible they chose to leave at the end of their meal and we happened to be next on the waitlist but..
I hope you didn't deprive his protection officers of their donut course. You'll be a marked man if you did that...
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Gareth Ward, in reply to
I hope you didn't deprive his protection officers of their donut course
No, but I thought it was awfully nice of his driver to pop out to the 7 series and turn the seat warmers on 10mins earlier...
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