Knowing how Prostetnic Vogon Joyce operates, that's sadly true. His head is too far buried in the tar sand to consider anything resembling a…

You read that and are left thinking "that's logical", and yet that very fact makes it seem less likely to be taken seriously or acted upon.

Quite. Couldn't remember what it was called, just the rough details.

Also, Cecelia, if you're really worried about Northland's economy, what's going to happen to the domestic tourist market in five years' time when petrol is likely to be nearer $3/L if the only convenient way…

The Campaign for Better Transport analysed the problem and found that you could solve…

Maybe so, but it's rather apt when the current PM has a holiday home at Omaha and the "congestion problem" that the highway is supposed to "fix" only occurs on a handful of days a year directly related…

Signalling had to be upgraded ahead of electrification, so they took the opportunity to install bi-di signalling systems right through to Britomart. I don't think it was particularly more expensive to do so as part…

Nevertheless, the term "holiday highway" seems unnecessarily emotive from my Northland pov.

bright lights, soap dispenser, big roll of toilet paper, the ubiquitious dish drawer and signs telling people to “Freakin’ clean up after yourselves already”

Sounds like a mix of student flat/ industrial chic

My old place was one of the bowled ones... kinda makes all the work we did on the garden, fencing etc as tenants…

No toilet paper in my kitchen! Does this mean I'm a peasant?

With staff? ;-)

The kitchen and bathroom were done in corporate style – you know, bright lights, soap dispenser, big roll of toilet…

The workmanship done on restoring

Whaat they restored them as well as moved them ?
Can you tell me what style the kitchen and bathroom were done in?
And I take it you mean after the RWC they will be a bargain.

3 Mill seems like a lot to pay?

Two houses were removed from an area where the next door neighbors have capital values of 720 and 740 thousand dollars (courtesy auckland city’s own website, I guessed 29 walters and 8 sandrignham were close enough?)… so there’s half…

Not as much as the new highway will cost. Its benefit-cost ratio is less than 1 – and that is assuming an oil price of about $25 per barrrel, which realistically we will never see again thanks to peak oil. The number of cars…

Two houses were removed from an area where the next door neighbors have capital values of 720 and 740 thousand dollars (courtesy auckland city's own website, I guessed 29 walters and 8 sandrignham were close enough?)... so there's half the budget blown…

And no, the signalled service slashing is not to pay for "new spending" in…

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

I was made to understand that the two houses that were on the land that now forms Wairepo / Swamp Walk were relocated, rather than bowled.

That’s confirmed now? Huzzah!

Yes, more or less. That is…

That's confirmed now? Huzzah!

Thanks Council...

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…

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

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.

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

Doffing said hat...

There is…

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…

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…

I really hope the Warriors don't move to Eden Park, even if (for me anyway) Eden Park is a…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjpFLuN62IQ

I'd almost gotten over that.

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

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…

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.

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…

As in Montreal 1976 doom?

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

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

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…

I have to do this:

"Not Mene — if any"

Thank you.

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…

Furthermore, the hubby's a Hard News reader from way back ...

And I, for one, welcome our new Aussie-dollar overlords.

You had that dream, too! Now, if…

Certainly. The sports and business sides of things are covered nicely, but, IMO, the selection of cultural representatives is, on balance, quite disappointing.

Glad I missed that one. But I can see the Warriors moving to Eden Park, even though…

Quite. And I must confess that had I been asked – and there was no prospect of that – then I’d have had trouble turning down…

I'm certain that's true, I met Bernice Mene once, a number of years ago, and she's charming. It's the lame PR that's the issue.

I didn't do that. I presume he would have scored extremely highly in the first two categories and barely at all in the third. :)

The People's Republic of Devonport is putting a…

Or, good spot for a farmers' market?

It's a 24hr skateboard park according to some locals I know....

Heh, that's a bit harsh. Some of the people on that list are really nice, and even worthy ambassadors, if we have to have them, which I'm not sure we do.

Still, you wanna call Ruben Wiki a wanker, then can I…

Luckily, someone has thoughtfully leaked the application form:

Auckland's first XV Selection Criteria:

Appointments shall be based on candidates' highest scores (out of a possible 100 points) in the following three (3) categories (in aggregate):

01. Sports legend (score out of 20…

Can it be turned into a pocket park after the RWC is over…

Yup, that's pretty cliched PR.

Oh, it actually came from the not so crap Kowhai School next door, and is a tautology to boot. Swamp swamp walk.

Cabbage. Tree.…

*Facepalm*.

See, the rugby company failed to add to their enabling laws a clause removing one of the few vestigial rights of community boards -…