Public Address | Cafe | Southerly: South by North

Jackie Clark

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:50:26 +1200

Oooo, you clever, clever girl!

Deborah

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:27:40 +1200

Jackie, if it's bugging you, that would be entomology then, wouldn't it?

David Haywood

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:48:30 +1200

K.J. Aldous wrote:

" ... the surface of a catenoid has a mean curvature of zero ... " Are you sure? A catenary's curvature does not change sign – the second derivative of the function is the function itself, which is everwhere >= 0.

Oh, I'm talking about mean curvature…

Jackie Clark

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:03:08 +1200

I don't know what a catenary is, nor do I care, for that matter. You pointy headed nerdy boys just have to spoil it all with your discussion of etymology, don't you? Eh? Just leave a great piece of writing alone, would ya????

K. J. Aldous

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:07:39 +1200

" ... the surface of a catenoid has a mean curvature of zero ... " Are you sure? A catenary's curvature does not change sign – the second derivative of the function is the function itself, which is everwhere >= 0. Incidentally, "cosy catenaries" would be more poetically rendered as…

linger

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:48:09 +1200

"hills humped in cosy catenaries"

A catenary is, by etymology, the shape of a suspended chain, so it's hard to think of a better word to describe the shape of a series of little mountains (by contrast, "range" doesn't suggest any specific shape, so much as extent of variation).
But…

David Haywood

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:05:23 +1200

Kerry Weston wrote:

You know I've only ever got on a plane twice in my life? I was hoping for a third trip, sometime in the not too distant, but kathleen kennedy's eyeballs might be my undoing.

Don't let me put you off! Planes are wonderful fun — I'd even…

K. J. Aldous

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:22:32 +1200

"... hills humped in cosy catenaries" It's not immediately clear why hills would assume this form. Do you have any references on the topic?

Kerry Weston

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:35:59 +1200

"Kathleen Kennedy's eyeballs actually exploded when her plane hit the ground," my mother had told me.

Someone pass the mop....!!

You know I've only ever got on a plane twice in my life? I was hoping for a third trip, sometime in the not too distant, but kathleen kennedy's eyeballs…

Ben Austin

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:06:07 +1200

Russell – Yes. I was just having a quiet sample of some of the Laugavulin 16 year single malt I picked up from the attached shop. It has totally made me re-evaluate what smooth means

David Haywood

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:38:59 +1200

bob daktari wrote:

The original PO Building I am sure is gone now – it was falling down and wasn't worth maintaining if memory serves...

Thanks for the correction, Bob — I've emended that section of the post!

Shep Cheyenne

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:30:28 +1200

This time of year my knees & elbows tell me to move back home to Blenheim or anywhere further north than Christchurch.

If you're inside in Blenheim you can only tell the season by the colour of the grass on the Whither Hills – Green is winter, brown is summer, and…

Paul Williams

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:06:33 +1200

By the way, I think Southland is the nicest part of NZ by a very long way. I'd be interested if anyone can anyone nominate anywhere (in NZ) nicer?

I fear my reporting of any alternative won't compare with your's however, I'll nominate the Golden Bay area as my particular…

Kyle Matthews

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:53:03 +1200

By the way, I think Southland is the nicest part of NZ by a very long way. I'd be interested if anyone can anyone nominate anywhere (in NZ) nicer?

I've never spent more than a few days there, but Central Otago has to be one of the most visually stunning,…

Russell Brown

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:51:26 +1200

@Ben

I was in the original Oban a few weeks back ...

Tell me you visited the distillery.

bob daktari

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:33:42 +1200

Its been years since I was last there there are a number of bachs or cribs that belong to members of my family. All of these structures were built after the PO had ceased operating from Ulva and had moved to Oban. There is still one house (well small dwelling)…

David Haywood

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:13:59 +1200

Sorry not to have replied earlier — had a fractious baby all morning. But delighted that you guys have enjoyed my ramblings.

Apologies for visiting homesickness upon your mother, Danielle. Despite only living there for five months we feel rather homesick for Southland as well.

bob daktari wrote:

I spent…

Danielle

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:32:13 +1200

My mum, born and bred in Invercargill, says this piece made her homesick. Well played!

bob daktari

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:00:03 +1200

you might want to count the number of buildings on Ulva

I spent my childhood years summering on Ulva... magic place

Shep Cheyenne

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:31:50 +1200

I thought a bus ride around an island with less than 5kms of road a bit 'rich' & went to their charming local museum instead.
Love the transposed error in horseshoe bay and 1/2 moon bay having been confused.

What of the building & property boom on the island?

Ben Austin

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:26 +1200

I was in the original Oban a few weeks back and was commenting on the beautiful islands/ferry rides around that way when both of us (Kiwis) realised neither of us had actually been to Stewart Island. But with the sales job done above I'll have to make the effort

Jackie Clark

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:52:42 +1200

As ever, David, evocative and beautiful prose you write. I feel privileged that we get to read it.

Mark Thomas

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:27:17 +1200

wonderful writing david

Raymond A Francis

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:12:04 +1200

You say it so well David, indeed evocative

When I realised what the weather would be like when you were due to cross I rather hoped you might pospone

But it is worth it, just for the views if nothing else

Paul Capewell

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:39:59 +1200

What an evocative piece of writing, thanks a lot. :)

Public Address

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:39:59 +1200

Discussion from blog post.