New Zealand visit.

[64 kiwi boni]

Fitzy 

You will note the 2 plastic letter boxes on the right ?

 A few years ago, the posties notified all rural leter box holders of the required health and safety. and set in place the minimum requirements for a letter box!!! no joke !

bloody pc world aye!

hence the 2 plastic big mouth ones you see here!

 and the trick was if you do not comply, they wont deliver your snail mail !

 i had to pull my custom built one down and buy exactly what you see here as the boss loves her junk mail ! 😡

[Fitzy]

I saw those silly plastic ones interspersed with the old timber ones (brightly painted and full of character) in many places. Typical New World Order shit. Comply or die.

[JUSTA6]

On 9/17/2022 at 2:35 AM, Fitzy said:

Well it wasn't stewed brains, that's for sure.

Prius achieved 22.3 km per litre/52.45 miles per US gallon on it's last tank. Come on - you gotta be impressed. You won't pick up chicks in it and you'll never impress anyone at the lights BUT in a world of insane fuel prices, it makes sense. Remember, the dinosaur can come out and roar over the weekend.

Awesome pic's,  but must not take alot to impress you, Prius...Really?    I forgot, Fester can light light bulbs in his mouth.  The original EV.

Edited September 18, 2022 by JUSTA6

[64 kiwi boni]

53 minutes ago, JUSTA6 said:

Awesome pic's,  but must not take alot to impress you, Prius...Really?    I forgot, Fester can light light bulbs in his mouth.  The original EV.

After driving the prius i bet Fitzy can do that !

[Last Indian]

19 hours ago, Fitzy said:

I won't be swayed. I enjoy motoring through urban areas or where there are people in close proximity (like roadside al fresco dining) or through an enclosed carpark and not producing any emissions. The car is fuel efficient and makes it's own electricity every time you coast, slow down or come to a stop. Looks like we're all gonna constantly disagree over this, so I'll shut up about the Prius.

Peter, I encourage you to push back! Why shouldn’t you! Stand your ground! Just make sure that the ground you’re on is solid. If you don’t know the facts than it’s shaky ground.
Either way I will defend you’re right to say & believe whatever you believe & say! 

That Prius, is not zero emissions! Far from it! First, as all the tree huggers tell us, a gas engine produces CO2. That Prius at a steady 25 kilometers or above runs on the gas engine not battery! If you need heat, it runs on the gas engine! If the battery is below a certain charge, it runs on the gas engine! All true! Additionally that battery, as all lithium-ion produces over 100 toxic gases every single time it’s charged, but unlike that gas engine that produces harmless CO2 & no matter what the extremest push it is harmless & has no effect on the climate! If you believe otherwise I encourage you to research & study Earth gas composition over the past 500 million years! You will soon see that if there is any argument to be made, it is we don’t have enough CO2 in the atmosphere!  I could go on, but I’ll stop!

Edited September 18, 2022 by Last Indian

[Fitzy]

Carbon monoxide is NOT one of the 5 food groups, so if I can produce less of it whilst driving through congested areas where people might be eating & drinking, then good.

Today, some jerk in a Mustang made a big deal of overtaking me (& others) and then 20 minutes later, I saw him (after we'd caught up with him because he had gotten stuck behind someone on a windy section of road) and he turned off into a servo, to chuck another 100 litres into his fancy car. I motored past, using no fuel. I know nobody cares, but I was faintly amused, so it was worth it.

Staying in a little seaside place called Russell tonight, in the grandiose Duke Of Marlborough Hotel. The rain has set in, so I guess the beers will come out early this afternoon. We fly home on Thursday and I'm looking forward to going home, although this trip has been really good. Looking forward to see if the ol' GP will start, pump the tyres up, check the fluids and then go and dump all the pollutants that I have not produced in NZ into the Australian air.  Gold!

Fortunately, this hotel has 'Aussie spec' clothes hangers that are theftproof which is just as well because my suitcase is bursting with stolen ones!

This is Kerikeri - expand the pic to see the nice old buildings. 

[JUSTA6]

Fantastic shots as always.  Would be a dream vacation for us. Thankz for sharing.

[Ringo64]

10 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Hate hotels who do this. Traveling for business, I like to use shower steam to get wrinkles out. Makes my lazy-self not have to iron  

[Last Indian]

10 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Carbon monoxide is NOT one of the 5 food groups, so if I can produce less of it whilst driving through congested areas where people might be eating & drinking, then good.

Ok Pete now you are starting to scare me! You do realize that every single thing you eat contains CO2! You I.E. every living thing, plants, animals etc. are not only made up of carbon, but breath in CO2, while also retaining a portion of that CO2 in their blood & their tissue. Plus without it, we would cease to exist! Please tell me you know this! 

[Fitzy]

5 hours ago, Last Indian said:

Ok Pete now you are starting to scare me! You do realize that every single thing you eat contains CO2! You I.E. every living thing, plants, animals etc. are not only made up of carbon, but breath in CO2, while also retaining a portion of that CO2 in their blood & their tissue. Plus without it, we would cease to exist! Please tell me you know this! 

Carbon MONOXIDE is a deadly poison. CO2 is relatively harmless. When petrol burns, you get carbon monoxide, admittedly largely diminished now thanks to catalytic converters and modern fuel injection. 

I'm now starting to see why that froot loop with the brake question went off his trolley. 

[Last Indian]

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Carbon MONOXIDE is a deadly poison. CO2 is relatively harmless. When petrol burns, you get carbon monoxide, admittedly largely diminished now thanks to catalytic converters and modern fuel injection. 

I'm now starting to see why that froot loop with the brake question went off his trolley. 

Fitzy, clearly I’ve aggravated you, sorry not my intent! But you actually didn’t read the first post that indicated unless you were driving under 25 kilometers an hour, you’re running on the gas engine! And two, the modern cats do as you say,  convert CO to CO2, so my point was that! You were releasing CO2! But please except my apology as clearly we can’t discuss this!

[Fitzy]

Bullshit. You can drive in pure EV mode up to 70 km/h with a full battery - not for real long but enough for several km. Of course the bloody gas engine is being used - it's still the primary power source. The car is not emissions free but can be for short periods. The interaction between the gas engine, electric motor and battery is very clever and the car gets outstanding mileage. Petrol is almost $3 a litre here and when YOU guys start paying those prices, you'll be squealing like stuck pigs.

That's enough. Next time I'll hire a Dodge Ram truck that gets 10mpg and then everyone will be happy!

Right. This is MY holiday and that's where we're going now. If you want to comment on how wrong the coming EV revolution is, start your own thread.

Ahem...just washing the froth in my mouth out with beer froth...glug, glug, glug. Better now. Where was I? Oh yeah - on a RELAXING HOLIDAY. Today we drove from Russell (very pretty, on the coast) and on an outstanding wiggly little road that wound through truly beautiful country. Kiwi - if you haven't already done so, you gotta drive this road. It's the coast road from Russell to Whangerai, about 70km or so. Then, unfortunately we had to stick to State Highway 1 all the way to Devonport which is just north of Auckland city. It's a very ritzy place. A tiny 2 bedroom house is about 2 million dollars - no shit. It's so ritzy the homeless are dressed by Coco Chanel. As I walked down the street, homeless people threw their spare change at me! Not really. No homeless but a beautiful little enclave of shops & restaurants right on the water. We're off to a pub tonight for NZ snapper & chips and will jump on a ferry to Auckland CBD to have a bit of a look. We're staying in a beautiful old bed & breakfast (built in 1888) and check out the little Citroen 2CV parked out the back This is one owner, old lady who can't drive it anymore and I offered to buy it. I LOVE these little French cars. Try and buy one - the prices can be stratospheric. Let's see how many caustic comments you can come up with about THAT!

[Ringo64]

Let’s please pause and remain civil to one another on the electric discussion here. Think we can agree to disagree   . Appreciate the apology, Last Indian.

Beautiful old B&B there, Fitz and that coast looks beautiful. This topic has convinced me more to go to NZ. 

[64 kiwi boni]

Fitzy 

did you make it to crab shack in the Auckland cbd ? 
it’s justA right where you get off the Devon port ferry ?

[Frosty]

On 9/17/2022 at 3:22 AM, Fitzy said:

 

I want one of these!!!!

[Last Indian]

8 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Bullshit. You can drive in pure EV mode up to 70 km/h with a full battery - not for real long but enough for several km. Of course the bloody gas engine is being used - it's still the primary power source. The car is not emissions free but can be for short periods. The interaction between the gas engine, electric motor and battery is very clever and the car gets outstanding mileage. Petrol is almost $3 a litre here and when YOU guys start paying those prices, you'll be squealing like stuck pigs.

That's enough. Next time I'll hire a Dodge Ram truck that gets 10mpg and then everyone will be happy!

Right. This is MY holiday and that's where we're going now. If you want to comment on how wrong the coming EV revolution is, start your own thread.

Ahem...just washing the froth in my mouth out with beer froth...glug, glug, glug. Better now. Where was I? Oh yeah - on a RELAXING HOLIDAY. Today we drove from Russell (very pretty, on the coast) and on an outstanding wiggly little road that wound through truly beautiful country. Kiwi - if you haven't already done so, you gotta drive this road. It's the coast road from Russell to Whangerai, about 70km or so. Then, unfortunately we had to stick to State Highway 1 all the way to Devonport which is just north of Auckland city. It's a very ritzy place. A tiny 2 bedroom house is about 2 million dollars - no shit. It's so ritzy the homeless are dressed by Coco Chanel. As I walked down the street, homeless people threw their spare change at me! Not really. No homeless but a beautiful little enclave of shops & restaurants right on the water. We're off to a pub tonight for NZ snapper & chips and will jump on a ferry to Auckland CBD to have a bit of a look. We're staying in a beautiful old bed & breakfast (built in 1888) and check out the little Citroen 2CV parked out the back This is one owner, old lady who can't drive it anymore and I offered to buy it. I LOVE these little French cars. Try and buy one - the prices can be stratospheric. Let's see how many caustic comments you can come up with about THAT!

Fitzy, you are right this is your thread about your trip & you have done a wonderful service in both descriptions & photos. Again I apologize! I had no right to take it in the direction it went. My only answer is I’ve dealt with the climate lie for so long I get a over zealous. Not an excuse! I pray we can be ok with each other again.

[64 kiwi boni]

7 hours ago, Frosty said:

I want one of these!!!!

hmm i know a man who knows a guy who may be able to supply you one.... 

but thats on the down low aye !

[Ringo64]

27 minutes ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

hmm i know a man who knows a guy who may be able to supply you one.... 

but thats on the down low aye !

five finger discount?

[64 kiwi boni]

2 hours ago, Ringo64 said:

five finger discount?

Well i am sure they are pulbic owned arnt road signs ? 

[JUSTA6]

3 hours ago, Ringo64 said:

five finger discount?

Unbolt N run speed equipment.

[Fitzy]

It's okay everyone - I have calmed down and offer an apology to Gary. We all have opinions and different ideas and those are things that advance us as a race. Nobody is an authority - we simply have opinions based on what we think we know. It's just that I was actually driving the car and knew exactly what it was capable of.

Kiwi - Crab Shack was closed. Lots of renovations going on down at the wharf. 

We caught the ferry across to Auckland and wandered about. To me, Auckland doesn't have the vibrancy nor pizzazz that were so prevalent in Christchurch and Wellington, but it's a big city and does what it has to. In fact, the streets seemed to be largely devoid of people, then we found them. The ones who weren't sitting in traffic on the 'expressway' were in various eateries shovelling food down. Plenty of money in this place though. Today I saw an Aston Martin, various Porsches, a Bentley SUV (WTF???) a Maybach and a selection of uber expensive Euro SUVs from the likes of Audi, Mercedes & BMW. This was amongst the plethora of Teslas and myriad other EVs. I felt like a peasant as I steered my rental Prius back to the airport parking lot.

The last pic is of little phone app operated rental scooters that are everywhere these days. I'm sure you guys have them Stateside, but I'm not sure. You simply choose an available one, activate it through an app and scoot off, then just leave it when you're done, wherever you happen to be.

Anyway, the holiday is over. We're on the early flight to Sydney tomorrow and then I'm back to work next Tuesday.

My final thoughts are that New Zealand is progressive, clean, outstandingly beautiful and blessed with (largely) friendly people - highly recommended as a travel destination but give yourself at least 2 weeks and hire an economical car. It'll make for great conversation when you tell your friends!

[Wrongway]

Glad yall enjoyed your trip bro. Thanks for all the pictures. Have a safe trip home.

[Fitzy]

Thanks Wrongway. It'll be good to get home. Living out of a suitcase can get tiring and I'm really looking forward to getting back home and to my cars again. Unfortunately, work is still a thing but I'm now in the enviable position of being able to pull the pin whenever I want. All it takes is one dickhead and I will let fly with such a torrent of abuse they'll have to sack me! The tongue is mightier than the sword.

[64 kiwi boni]

Great pics mate 

have a safe trip home 👍

Next time stay longer in Taupo ! 
the boss and I will be over and check out your little corner of the world next year 

and I can try your home brew 

we are up morrinsville tonight 

have the funeral in the morning !

happy happy joy joy ! NOT ! 

[JUSTA6]

Thankz for sharing your trip.  Great pic's.