Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: When the Weather is the News

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  • Jason Dykes,

    tomorrow am taking the ubiquitous “socks over shoes” advice.

    Could be time to invest in crampons.

    That hailstorm last night was the worst I've ever seen in Wellington (there was a major one in Wellington '79). And that was after more snow and sleet. I was cycling home at the time. It reminded me of stone throwing wars at age eight, except I was getting hit by about 100 pebbles per second. The hail on the road was an inch thick. Then going past the Kilbirnie rec centre there was a burst of thunder and lightening directly overhead. Do MTB tyres insulate? My workmates in the other K suburbs have been going home early to be sure of making it (our narrow streets and steep driveways are not made for this). My sister is snowed in on the Akatarawa Road (two feet deep so far).

    Maybe a heatwave this summer?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 76 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Jason Dykes,

    locusts

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Sacha,

    locusts

    I'm putting my money on rains of frogs.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Che Tibby,

    and, they need electricity to run. we pretty much discounted them immediately once we saw that.

    You can still save electricity using things that require electricity to run. Unless your complaint is that it won't work when the power is out?

    Not that I'd get one. To me a major point of a fireplace is to be able to burn things you want to get rid of. I'd save a lot of money and time and get land back if I could burn off a proportion of the organic waste that grows here. I had to fill an entire skip with it not so long ago. And I like tending fires.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to BenWilson,

    To me a major point of a fireplace is to be able to burn things you want to get rid of.

    Shredding is probably more secure. ;-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • johnno,

    Heard a story today that two guys got around (possibly bribed) the cordon on SH3 at the bottom of the Rimutukas last night, trekked to the summit, and boarded down the road to the bottom. Would be a magic run.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 111 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to BenWilson,

    To me a major point of a fireplace is to be able to burn things you want to get rid of.

    Fan heaters suck for that

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • David Haywood, in reply to Che Tibby,

    anyone advised dr haywood to shrink-wrap his windows yet? cheap “double-glazing”.

    Dr Haywood's Ph.D is in energy engineering/thermodynamics.

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Lilith __,

    Not in snowstorms...bad bad idea-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Sacha,

    To me a major point of a fireplace is to be able to burn things you want to get rid of.

    Fan heaters suck for that

    Roflnui :-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Lilith __,

    Shredding is probably more secure. ;-)

    There are some things you can't make more secure by shredding them. Burning them down to nothing at all, however, is pretty hard to glean much from. You can't know how much stuff there was there in the first place.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Che Tibby,

    cheap "double-glazing".

    Sounds like the effect induced by the non-dynamic duo of Roger "charisma king" Sutton and the Pie Guy, with their soporific CERA media briefings. They build to a comfy drone, you can sort of nod along.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I think Craig was talking about Auckland. Wellington is plainly messed up.

    Yes, and if I was still living in Karori (run Allington Road through Google Maps) I'd be feeling a little more anxious.

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

  • webweaver,

    I’ve been enjoying the snow SO much!

    I’m with the puppyish Greg Wood – I went all 6-year-old when we got the first snow on Sunday evening here in Welli – and I’ve been like it ever since. There’s just something so magical about snow. It transforms the landscape so beautifully that you can’t help but love it – to some extent at least.

    My house is pretty high up in the Wellington hills (top end of Kelburn) so we had a veritable winter wonderland by yesterday evening and I couldn’t get enough of it! I had to keep on going outside just to gaze in awe at the white roads, snow-covered trees and dusted pathways and verges. Fantastic.

    I’ve been dancing around in the snow every time we get a flurry – even if it means rushing out of my grown-up contractor role at work and heading downstairs to my 6-year-old self. It brings out the inner child in all of us, doesn’t it?

    I think that’s why Ro Tierney’s Snow on Cuba Mall in central Wellington is so bloody marvellous – because it demonstrates so beautifully our inner child and our innocent childlike wonder and delight at snow – simply because it’s such a rare occurrence in this part of the country.

    Ro’s video reached 100,000 views this evening and is on the front page of both Stuff and the Herald website, which is pretty cool. It’s also listed as a Vimeo Staff Pick so it’s on the front page of the Vimeo website as well. Go Ro!

    ETA:

    I particularly liked the tweets from @stephenfry about us all yesterday – first there was this one:

    Wellington is beside itself with delight. Snow falling in the nation’s capital for the first time for 35 years they tell me.

    …followed a while later by this one:

    NZ has, bless it, gone officially mad. First snow in Auckland since the 30s. Children running along with open mouths to taste the flakes :)

    Bless!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 332 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to webweaver,

    Wellington is beside itself with delight. Snow falling in the nation’s capital for the first time for 35 years they tell me.

    Who told him that? It might be the first *serious* snowfall for 35 years, or the first to reach sea-level, but I remember perfectly well the first time I saw snow - most likely the early-90s fall someone mentioned in one of these threads. Bit less than three decades there.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Glenn Pearce,

    anyone advised dr haywood to shrink-wrap his windows yet?

    I doubt there's a sq metre of plastic shrink wrap left anywhere in the world at the moment, Auckland seems to have cornered the world market for all the (temporary?) RWC structures going up around the place.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2007 • 504 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby, in reply to BenWilson,

    I’d save a lot of money and time and get land back if I could burn off a proportion of the organic waste that grows here.

    i'm drying off a bunch of wood from around the yard as we speak. even collecting it from other people.

    and pellet fires, yup. power cuts are the problem. we're up pretty high, so power cuts in winter storms are not infrequent.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby, in reply to David Haywood,

    yup. read your sterling work.

    but have you bubble-wrapped your walls and shrink-wrapped your windows yet?

    you can pretend you're john travolta.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Lucy Stewart,

    Who told him that?

    he's hanging out with dramatic types

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso, in reply to Che Tibby,

    even collecting it from other people.

    So you're the person who's been stealing our firewood.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby, in reply to giovanni tiso,

    think of it as "redistribution".

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso, in reply to Che Tibby,

    think of it as “redistribution”

    And you think of it as "I'm getting a bigger dog".

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby, in reply to giovanni tiso,

    don't be like that gio, i'm just getting with the spirit of the current govt. you know if you get too cold you can come round to ours.

    best bring your dish-washing gloves

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to David Haywood,

    Dr Haywood’s Ph.D is in energy engineering/thermodynamics.

    And, no doubt, familiar with the work of Ed Mazara . Who's Early Work has been well thumbed in my endeavours and who's Later Works should be studied by anyone involved in the building industry.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to giovanni tiso,

    think of it as “redistribution”

    And you think of it as “I’m getting a bigger dog”.

    A big dog owner is just a Marxist who's been mugged for firewood.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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