Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: They can see your house from here

211 Responses

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  • Jolisa,

    David, you must have been helluva fit as a kid. Albeit with stinky feet. (I suppose that's how you fended off all the girls...)

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    BTW, Andrew - hello, old sort-of-neighbour!

    Probably at different times/decades completely. Although if you'd gone to Rata Street school & not Naenae,. you'd almost certainly know my mum.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    AHA! So you put your feet in the boots and THEN put them in the cowpat. Now that does make sense.

    Er... did I mung the link?

    Cow Pats

    The hardships of milking are depicted clearly by Frank Sargeson in his 1964 story Cow Pats.

    "We had to get up early to milk, but we didn't think we were hardly done by. As I've said we didn't know any other sort of life. But what sticks in my mind are the seasons when our boots wouldn't be any too good... But one of my brothers found out a good way of warming his feet up. He stuck them into a cowpat that had just been dropped and he said it made his feet feel bosker and warm. So we all stuck our feet into cow pats, and after walking over the frost it was bosker and warm sure enough..."

    Actually, the whole story isn't much longer than this.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Jolisa,

    Although if you'd gone to Rata Street school & not Naenae,. you'd almost certainly know my mum.

    ... cos she was a teacher? (Just checking how grievously I've been insulted here).

    Auckland, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 1472 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    (google maps streetview: making boring old farts more boring since 2008)

    Oh awesome, this has inspired me to walk down Ebbw Street, Risca, South Wales for the first time in years.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Gracewood,

    Yes, you see I read that as him saying that the boots didn't keep their feet warm in winter, so they went and stood in cow pats to warm their boots up.

    It doesn't say they took their boots off then stood in the pat.

    </pedant>

    Orkland • Since Nov 2006 • 168 posts Report Reply

  • David Slack,

    (I suppose that's how you fended off all the girls...)

    Yes, fending them off was a big problem, me being so un-inclined to freakishness and all.

    you must have been helluva fit as a kid

    Got my licence, started smoking. The rest you know.

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Luxury.

    18 km on my bike. Each way.

    Gotta love the directions on the side:

    Walking directions to Feilding High School
    18.1 km – about 3 hours 32 mins
    Via Kimbolton Rd, Makino Rd - remove all

    Kimbolton Rd

    1. Head southwest on Kimbolton Rd toward Barrow Rd
    14.6 km
    2. Turn right at North St
    1.9 km
    3. Turn left at Lethbridge St
    92 m
    4. Turn right at Victoria Ct
    92 m
    5. Make a U-turn
    92 m
    6. Turn left at Lethbridge St
    92 m
    7. Turn right at North St
    1.1 km
    8. Turn left at Churcher St
    Destination will be on the left

    As much as it says they're walking directions, the way they go right past the street and turn around and go back along the street indicates that it's driving directions.

    Also "Make a U-Turn"? Is google encouraging dangerous driving?

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Irony. We were doin' it right.

    Though it is a delight feeling that queasy, and not having to induce alcohol poisoning to do it. :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Oh awesome, this has inspired me to walk down Ebbw Street, Risca, South Wales for the first time in years.

    Or not... we're ahead of parts of the UK anyway.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking,

    Luxury.
    18 km on my bike. Each way.
    Sometimes I took the long route.
    And we had cardboard box. Etc.
    Rob Hosking, feel free to clear your throat.

    Let me guess...it was either that or your old man had to sell you for medical expuriments. On account of every sperm being sacred, and all that.

    On the cow pat thing... I don't recall any kids doing that, but my dad does.

    The road I grew up on - and where my folks still live - doesn't have any photos but then I suppose a half mile cul de sac with half a dozen houses on it way out in the country isn't all that photogenic.

    Although I see one of the neighbours has, according to Google Maps, a leather goods business. I'm going to assume its for the local horses.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Bloody hell, my little family shack in the middle of Central Otago is on there!
    They sure got around.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    but then I suppose a half mile cul de sac with half a dozen houses on it way out in the country isn't all that photogenic.

    Might be getting to it - this rural cul de sac made it.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Except that link goes to the map. Oh well. That's my play for the day.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    BTW, wouldn't it be great as a first person shooter game?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    It seems pretty clear that gravel scared them off. They went to some pretty bloody daft places, but the entire valley that my mum grew up in is off the reservation.

    They drove into Rocklands Station (which is a good distance onto the Old Dunstan Road), but gave up at the end of the seal.

    I guess if Meridian do put in their bloody wind turbines, StreetView might make it a bit further in.

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    You can just make out a blurry touareg

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    It's a strange mix - Hannah's Clearing makes the cut but Lake Hawea doesn't - in fact you can only go half way over the Haast Pass.

    On the other hand you can follow almost to the start of the Routeburn Track (we have to get someone to carry google cameras over the great tramping tracks!) - google maps does seem a bit confused about the track itself too

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Oh and they turned around before they got to Milford sound you can see why though

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    o we all stuck our feet into cow pats, and after walking over the frost it was bosker and warm sure enough

    Fooking looxury!

    When I was lad we used 't have 't walk home across 't pennines in bare feet. In't snow. After 72 hour shift down't pit.

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

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I wonder how long before somebody does Streetview On Demand, where you pay $10 or so and a car is dispatched to photograph your chosen address in realtime.

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

  • andrew llewellyn,

    and a car is dispatched to photograph your chosen address in realtime.

    Or someone else's... Mouah

    Ha

    Ha.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    well they already let you annotate locations on google maps with your photos - NZ seems to be covered in tourist's droppings

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    My street seems to have been done last summer sometime, given the presence of now-ex-flatmate's car in the driveway and my big pot of basil on the windowsill. Also, our letterbox is the nice big old wooden one we used to have, rather than the small blue metal ugly-but-hooligan-proof one we now possess. (They knocked it off, we nailed it back on, they knocked it off, we propped it back, they smashed it into tiny pieces...it was a tortuous and drawn-out death. Bloody students.)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    and a car is dispatched to photograph your chosen address in realtime.

    Or someone else's... Mouah

    Ha

    Here's the go - you order the Google Drive by to a mate's house when you know they're not there, then you race down & decorate the garden with really garish garden gnomes & the like, really embarrassing shit - flamingoes, butterflies, and a sign that says "NZ Incontinence Soc Inc" or similar.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

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