The Path of Land and Sea

Before we set out to come to New Zealand to work, we asked ourselves what did we hope to achieve from our time here, and we both said “to make a difference”.

Admittedly, we didn’t specifically say that we wanted to make a positive difference but I hope you agree that was implied. It would, after all, take a special kind of person to want to make a negative difference. They certainly don’t put that question on any job applications I have seen.

So having established we wanted to make a positive difference, what did we think that would look like? Honestly, we didn’t have a clue. To do a good job was one suggestion. But was that enough? Isn’t that what we’ve always strived to do throughout our careers? I hope so.

All of this is a long way around to say I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from working in engineering in New Zealand. How would it compare to my experiences so far? Would my skills meet the expected standard? What projects would I be working on?

All good questions.

If there was one project they has, to date, defined my professional life in New Zealand it’s got to be the Glen Innes to Tamaki Drive Shared Path. It’s been ever present during my time here. 

And when I say it’s been ever present in my New Zealand life, I’m not exaggerating. It was one of the first projects I was handed when I arrived and even after I returned from an 18 month stint with another organisation, it was there waiting from me.

What is it? It’s just a cycle path, or so I kept being told. Yes but it’s nearly 8km long I argued, and goes through so pretty inaccessible land. Yeah, but at the end of a day it’s still just a path. Maybe, I countered, but we need to cross over a railway line, span streams, negotiate around archaeological sites and cross a water-filled basin. Well, yes hhhmm but it’s not a road!

Ah, there’s the rub. It wasn’t a road and New Zealand really does like its roads. Although at nearly 5m wide it is almost a road. It also connected several suburbs to the city network and so would become a vital commuting link. But not for cars so therefore it didn’t really count - in the eyes of many at least.

I first became involved in GI2TD, as it became known to those working on it, in 2014. Not long after I arrived in NZ. At this time it was nothing more than a line on a plan. A squiggle. 

To help manage the delivery, the route was split into four sections and slowly, bit by bit, the squiggle slowly became a reality as the path was delivered. Section 1 completed in 2016, followed by Section 3 (for engineering reasons I won’t bore you with) and then Section 2. Section 2 was the big one.

My goodness it was a struggle. To give an idea of the type of terrain it crossed, I’ll just say that we had to organise helicopters to drop in the drilling equipment for the ground investigations. Even though a suburb was just a few hundred metres away. The land was steep, covered in dense natural New Zealand bush with no road access.

Two bridges had to be designed to cross a gully and rail line respectively along with nearly 1km of boardwalk to help get through a steeply inclining section.

If that wasn’t enough, a railway access road had to be moved to accommodate the shared path. Without that the project probably wouldn’t have been delivered. 

And then there was the issue for getting the beams for the main bridge to site. The only way in was through a housing estate and let’s say those roads weren’t designed to accommodate a long load. The turns were right and numerous power poles at the side of the road didn’t help. 

But it was just a path.

And all consuming. I lost count of the number of sleepless nights, stressful days, arguments and tears. Yes real tears. I asked for help. There wasn’t any. The only way out was through. I can honestly say I’ve never been involved in a project that was so demanding, technically challenging yet somehow rewarding. Not that I could see that at the time. I just wanted it to be over.

So you can imagine my palpable relief when the $40m Section 2 officially opened on the 25 May. Finally, after nearly eight years of effort, the most challenging section was competed and open to the public. It was over.

As for Section 4? Well that’s being progressed, not as quickly as some would like, but as it’s with another organisation that’s not my problem.

So if anyone out there wants to see what I’ve been up to, and you’re in the vicinity, then I recommend a trip along Te Ara Ki Uta Ki Tai, - the gifted name for The Path of Land and Sea. It’s worth the ride, walk or run if you’re that way inclined.

https://youtu.be/IxNOXEQxskM

Early Retirement

Before anyone gets carried away and asks "What the?" let me explain.

On Easter Monday, a few weeks ago now, I started to feel unwell and so, as is the custom in these times, I took a RAT. For those who are observant and appreciate grammatically correct statements,  I said a RAT and not a RAT test. It's a Rapid Antigen Test so a RAT test would be a Rapid Antigen Test Test. By all means refer to it as a RA Test if you must. And as for those who say they're reverting back to something ....don't get me started on that. 

Anyway it was a bit of a surprise when the test gave a positive result. After over two years I'd finally succumbed to the virus. Well I supposed it felt rude not to - all my friends and colleagues were doing it so why shouldn't I? Indeed. It turned out, thanks to the vaccine, to be a mild case with mainly heavy cold symptoms with a dash of grumpiness and irritability. Hey I heard that!

After about a week, my outward symptoms generally receded and I tested negative. Phew! Or so I thought. I was soon back at work but definitely wasn't myself. I felt tired most of the time, when tiredness was usually reserved for Monday mornings, and had problems concentrating. It was okay I just needed a holiday I told myself, and I was due to take an extended break in July so all good on that front. It was a few months away but I could get there. My niggling cough refused to budge and, from time-to-time, I succumbed to coughing fits. 

Nevertheless, I wasn't going to let it get in the way of living my life so I kept to my usual routine and went back to running in the mornings. A good run never hurt anyone and breathing hard would surely force any remnants of the virus out of my system. That would show it who's boss. 

After five weeks with little improvement to the underlying conditions I decided to visit my doctor. I was sure that I would be told to get over myself and I'd soon be right. If anyone asked, at least I could say that I'd been and got myself checked out.

The visit didn't run exactly to that script. Sure I was still negative for Covid but the doctor wasn't impressed. To say I got a bit of a telling off would be putting it mildly. The general gist of the conversation was that we didn't close down the country because a mild disease was circulating in the community. This was a serious illness and needed to be taken seriously. By getting back to my routine so quickly after being ill with Covid was reckless and put me right in the firing line for developing long-term symptoms. Yikes!

I was then asked if my job was stressful. I decided to play it down and suggested that it had its moments. I certainly wasn't going to mention the sleepless nights that I sometimes succumbed to when the pressure was on. 

It made no difference. I was signed off on sick leave for two weeks with immediate effect and told to get myself acquainted with the sofa and Netflix. If I didn't take this seriously I could be in trouble. Health-wise.

I don't think I've ever been off work for that long without being away on holiday. And being told not to exercise at all was a novelty. What was I going to do with all that time? What was I going to tell my employer? 

I needn't have worried about the latter - my employer took it really well and put measures in place to have my projects covered in my absence. The former was going to be a little more problematic. Not being able to exercise at all, not even a walk around the park, took at lot of my favourite pastimes out of consideration. Well at least I couldn't make myself feel guilty about not running. For once. 

With such a lot of time to fill I was going to have to approach this like I would any challenge....I needed a plan. And maybe a Gantt chart. Well that's what project managers do!

So early morning became piano practice time - goodness knows I needed it and had been meaning to take it up seriously. Best to get it done whilst I was fresh and to stop myself getting sidetracked. Mid-morning was reserved for auditioning a new album or two. I had quite a backlog from my last visit to the record store and the albums weren't going to listen to themselves. I had to stop myself from wanting to write a blog about those, but time was precious. The remaining time before lunch became video game time - it was deliberately put before lunch to make sure I took a break. 

The afternoons were, as per the doctor's instructions, sofa and Netflix time where I either binged on a TV programme or watched one of the movies that had been on my to-do list for some time. 

And that was basically it, and it generally worked and my days have filled up nicely. 

Was this a taste of retirement? Is this how it would pan out, wherever I was when it happened? Maybe. Obviously I would have to add running or some outdoor activity into the mix. But overall it wasn't too bad and actually quite enjoyable. At this point, in case anyone from my employer is reading this, I should stress that I'm not actually considering retirement at this stage. Well not seriously anyway. But if retirement, or part-time retirement, means I can get to the things that I've been putting off or simply not able to find the time to do then why not? 

The problem now is that my return to work is just around the corner and I'm not ready. I need more time. I even checked my doctor's note this morning to make sure I hadn't got a few more days off. I haven't. Blast. Well I'd better make the last few days count. I think I need to update my chart......

The Repair Shop

Have you seen a British telly program called ‘The Repair Shop’? You know the one - people bring in cherished items that have fallen into disrepair and get them repaired by an on-site team of expert restorers. On the face of it, it’s a pleasant concept about every day people getting things they love fixed. But it has a nasty streak. It’s not quite as nice as it would first seem. I’m not suggesting it’s deliberate, but one could come away with the impression that the programme producers prefer it when people cry. Overcome with emotion from seeing their item brought back to life. Well you would I suppose. 

Call me cynical, but I do have an issue with the premise. If the items were so cherished, as the emotions that play out would suggest, why did the owners let them get into such a state in the first place? And, assuming it was accidental damage, shouldn’t they have had the item repaired much sooner. Rather then wait to be asked onto the telly? But I’m perhaps one to talk…..

In September 2015 I decided to enjoy the early spring sunshine and take a ride along the coast on my mountain bike to Half Moon Bay. It was a beautiful day for a gentle ride, the paths and boardwalks a little tame for a full suspension mountain bike, but it didn’t really matter. Being out was what mattered and besides, at my destination there were cafés and with that cake and coffee! Oh and of course, a ferry back to the city.

Taking it all at a pace that being on a mountain bike on flat terrain requires, it took a few hours to travel the 30km or so to my destination. Even so, I was a bit early so had plenty of time to rest up and refuel before catching the next ferry back to the city.

And it was on the ferry where, unbeknownst to me, something untoward was happening. But I was happy. I had cake, coffee and a great view of the Auckland coast, my bike perched at the back of the boat.

40 minutes later, the ferry docked and I had a short ride up the hill back to Parnell. I got back to the house, put my bike in the garage and went to get a shower. What a great morning out!

A few weeks later, I went to get my bike out of the garage only to find the wheels wouldn’t turn - not without a great deal of effort anyway. My brakes had seized up and other parts that were supposed to move we’re decidedly static. What the? I’d only been on it a few weeks earlier and hadn’t been near any mud or water. Except for the ferry of course…..oh! I’d forgotten about the sea spray! I remember my bike being covered in it and I’d just plonked it back in the garage without washing it down! How could I have been so careless?

It’s okay though, I thought, I’d get it sorted next weekend….

That was nearly seven years ago. I hadn’t touched it and with each passing year it looked more and more disheveled and unloved. It got to the point where I needed to do something about. I felt increasingly guilty about letting get into such a state and concerned it would soon be a rusty unrecoverable heap. There was nothing for it - I took it to the experts at the local bike shop. No problem, they said, we’ll look at it and get back to you with a quote.

The call the next day was enlightening. Not only were they sure that it would be nearly $3,000 to get it sorted, they weren’t particularly keen on doing the work. ‘It’s too old and not really worth it. Besides, styles have changed and we’ll struggle to get the parts we need’ was the general gist. But they could sell me a new one for $6,000. Or course they could. The cheek of it. Old fashioned? How dare they? I suppose in the fashion fickle world of mountain biking, a twelve year old bike may as well have been a Penny Farthing. 

So if their heart wasn’t in it, mine would have to be. I didn’t want a new bike, I wanted to repair mine - I’d let it get into this state so it was me who needed to fix it. I mean, how hard could it be?

So I spent the next few weeks….okay maybe a month….perhaps two….holed up in the garage dismantling, inspecting, cleaning and rebuilding. In all honesty is was a cathartic experience. There was a bit of trial and error - pauses whilst waiting for parts to arrive from overseas and plenty of education by YouTube. Mostly to figure out what I’d done wrong. But bit by bit, and part by part, life was slowly brought back into the bike. 

It wasn’t a cheap exercise, but considerably less than the price I was quoted. As long as you don’t factor in the cost of my time!

Although I might still scoff at some of the people on The Repair Shop, it’s maybe more out of habit than genuine incredulity. And I’ll admit that last Sunday, when I got back on the saddle for the first time in nearly seven years, it was a little bit emotional. Crying? Of course not.  I’m sure it was just the wind in my eyes that was making them water….

A Year of Living Dangerously

Really? Well no not actually but as far as headlines go,  ‘A Year of Living Quietly’ isn’t exactly an attention grabber is it. And not even actually true. How about ‘Nearly six months of living relatively quietly’? Yes that’s much better.

It was never my intention, when I wrote my last blog in December last year. that there was going to be such a gap. In all fairness, I didn’t even think my last blog was going to be my last blog of 2021. It’s just the way it happened. You can’t plan these things. Or at least I don’t think you can. And if it was my plan to have a long break then I think I executed it rather well.

So what’s been happening? Even from this remote corner of the planet I can tell that 2022 isn’t panning out the way we would have liked. Well most of us anyway. Maybe there are some sociopaths that wanted exactly this….oh yeah.

When I last wrote, Dear Reader, New Zealand had just lifted most of the Covid restrictions, with just mask wearing in certain places and vaccine passports being required to get into bars and restaurants. Of course the borders were still closed to most, to the annoyance of some, but the majority of the country could live with that.

There was a very minor section of the New Zealand population that objected - something like a thousand people or so - and naturally the media amplified their concerns and claimed that the Covid restrictions were dividing the country. I suppose technically they were but it was more like 0.1% / 99.9%. 

Spurred on by QAnon and fake-religion leaders, there were a few demonstrations in our local park but all they seemed to do was make a bit of noise, drop litter, march down the high street and then leave. I’ve got to say, though, that if I was at a protest and happened to glance across and see neo-nazis supporting the same cause, I’d have to question my life choices.

Obviously the government wasn’t going to drop any of the restrictions - they were there to protect the heath of the population after all - so a mass protest was organised.

Well, I say organised but I would question the organisation skills of the group. Two convoys, one form the North Island and the other from the South Island, set off towards the capital Wellington where the mass protest was to be held. Unfortunately for the protesters, nobody seemed to have agreed the route and the North Island convoy took a wrong turn and got lost, whilst the South Island convoy overlooked the fact that they needed to be vaccinated and wear a face covering to use the ferry. You would’ve thought that they would have known this as this was exactly the sort of thing that they were protesting about. They were turned away and set off in search of alternative means to cross the Cook Straight.

Eventually they did turn up in Wellington, or at least some of them did, and occupied the grounds of the parliament building, affectionately known as The Beehive. They camped out there for several weeks and turned the once green and peaceful place into a ….. well let’s just say that with limited toilet facilities that wasn’t just mud that was on the ground! Apparently the stench was something out of the middle ages. They demanded to speak to the Prime Minister, but as they had placards calling for her hanging there’s no surprise a parley didn’t happen. 

As the weeks dragged on, and with Wellingtonians wary of going anywhere near the place for fear of being harassed, the Police finally had enough so they set in motion an operation to clean up the place. It did turn a bit nasty with some protesters ripping up paving stones and throwing them at the Police, and others setting fire to trees and a kids playground. Nice people.

Eventually the protest was cleared and a huge clean up followed. To look at the parliament grounds now you wouldn’t know they’re ever been there.  

With Omicron is full flow, there was little point in keeping most of the restrictions in place so these were relaxed. Vaccine passports or no longer compulsory and mask wearing is limited to shops and public transport. The protesters are still protesting but in smaller numbers and with somewhat less conviction than they were previously. Naturally they have found something else to complain about - water reform - but I suspect the majority don’t really understand what it is that they don’t like about it. That’s a topic for a whole new blog.

With international travel back on the menu, New Zealand is once again open for business. The government’s popularity rating has taken a hit and now the opposition is trying to frame the whole Covid response as being ‘over the top’ and ‘it wouldn’t have been that bad anyway’. 

Hhmm. A recent study suggested that the quick and decisive by the government to the pandemic saved around 80,000 lives and by taking prompt action, the economy is actually in a better place than most others. No doubt it’s been tough for a lot of people, but I’m sure it would’ve been a lot worse had it not been taken so seriously in the first place.

That’s not to say that the pandemic is over. It isn’t. Covid is circulating widely in the community and I’ve gone from not knowing anyone who’s had it, to most people having had it - myself included. But with 95% of the population vaccinated, thankfully the effects are reduced. Nevertheless Covid is going to be with us for a while yet.

So there you have it. With six months of history condensed into a single blog you’re up to date. I promise to try and not take so long to the next one. At least with the borders now being open I might have something more interesting to write about!

Don’t Be A Dick

As far as life rules go, “Don’t Be a Dick” must rank up there with the best. Even if your personal code is more towards guidelines than rules it still takes some beating. 

After all, I wouldn’t want to get to the end of my life and suddenly find myself barred from entry to the afterlife on the account of my high dick-ness rating. If you catch my drift. It’s just not worth the risk. That said, on the evidence of recent events, there’ll be a few more stopped from passing through the pearly gates. 

Last Friday, after 103 days of lockdown, Auckland stepped into the light. Or to be more accurate the traffic light. (See what I did there! Genius). Anyway, Auckland is now operating under the red setting of the newly introduced traffic light system. It might be the harshest setting of the three but at least it does mean that things can get back to normal. Or as close to normal in the pandemic world. Before I move on I must raise an objection to the traffic light system. Yes I must. I’m not going to hold back. The last time I checked, and I feel that I am somewhat of a expert on this matter, the middle colour in a traffic light system was amber. Not orange. It’s pretty universal. Red. Amber. Green. RAG. I’d go as far to say that it’s never been orange. Quite why the government has chosen to call the middle setting in the new system orange is beyond me. It’s sheer lunacy. Like the time Walkers meddled with their packaging for crisps and swapped the colour for salt & vinegar with that for cheese & onion. I’m just getting over it and even now at the thought of it I have to go and have a lie down.

I’ve digressed. So we’re back to normal. Well it as normal as normal can be for those who are double vaccinated. With introduction of the traffic light system also came the use of vaccine passports. And what a controversial issue they are proving to be, at least they seem to be if you see the amount of column inches they’re getting. Places that were inaccessible to all are now open to holders of vaccine passports, albeit with some restrictions on numbers. Without a vaccine passport? No dice. 

As far as I can tell, and this is purely based on my ‘limited’ personal experience of going to the pub, it all seems to be working well. But that doesn’t sell papers. So a vocal minority are complaining loudly about human rights, discrimination a two-tier New Zealand and comparing the PM to Hitler. Bearing in mind that nearly 90% of the eligible population are now fully vaccinated it really is a minority. Say what you like about the Nazis, but they weren’t really known for causing mild inconvenience. 

To make sure we didn’t miss out on Friday when the pub re-opened we booked ahead and we’re greeted with this rather warm welcome. 

It was good to be back. And judging by the crowd, we were all glad to be out, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and having a cool beer or two. Don’t think much work got done in Auckland last Friday. Obviously I feel the need, purely in the interests of research you understand, to increase my experience of the new system by visiting the local hostelry as frequently as possible.

I think the traffic light system is going to be with us for a little while yet. But for most it’s working well. Just enjoy the freedom of being out, enjoy the start of summer and being able to socialise gain. Oh, and of course Don’t Be A Dick!

The (Traffic) Light at the End of the Tunnel

 A colleague said to me yesterday, over a virtual meeting obviously, "What are we going to talk about when Covid is over?" She had a point. What were we going to talk about? Or conversely, what did we used to talk about? It's a mystery that I'm sure will resolve itself when the time comes.

Speaking of time coming, Auckland will soon be on the move again. And by move I mean stop. Well it would be if that's what a red traffic light meant. But it doesn't, not in this case. What? Let me explain....

The Government said a while ago that as soon as the three Auckland health board areas hit 90% fully vaccinated, which in our world means two injections of the vaccine, then the restrictions that have been in place for nearly 14 weeks would be lifted. And everything returns to normal then? Not quite. 

Under the traffic light system, which will be launched nationwide next month and under which Auckland will operate a few weeks earlier, life can return to a new normal with some caveats. But aren't they still restrictions? Well yes, but relatively minor. For example, bars and large entertainment venues will be open (yey!) but under a red traffic light system, numbers indoors will be limited and vaccine passports will be required to enter the premises. Fair enough I say. 

There are a vocal minority - and by minority these are tiny percentage of the country - are opposed to the whole thing and think that we should all be allowed to do whatever we please. Needless to say, they're not vaccinated and don't think that the government should be permitted to insist on such a thing. Which they're not. But that's beside the point to them. This vocal and angry mob are in effect a collection of anti-vaxers, far-right foghorns, fascists, QAnon conspiracy theorists and for some reason anti-water reform lunatics. Quite how you could hang out with a group that openly believe that Jacinda Ardern has kidnapped 250 babies and is keeping them in the basement of the government building in Wellignton is beyond me. Anyway I've digressed. 

So with Auckland a smidge under 90% fully vaccinated, and the rest of the country not far behind, it is finally time to ditch the elimination strategy and move towards returning to normal life, albeit under the aforementioned traffic light control system. Most importantly, there will be more freedoms for vaccinated Aucklanders who have been in lockdown for more than three months, but greater restrictions for those who are not vaccinated.

At red, masks are mandatory on flights, public transport, in taxis, retail, public venues and recommended when leaving the house. Record keeping and scanning are required. Public facilities can open with up to 100 people, retail is open - with 1m distancing, schools and early childhood are open, with public health measures, and some outdoor community events are allowed, with limits on numbers. Gyms, hospitality, churches, marae can open if using vaccination certificates to up to 100 people, based on 1m distancing. Same applies to weddings, civil union ceremonies, funerals and tangihanga and other indoor and outdoor events. Gatherings are limited to 10 people and hospitality must remain contactless only if vaccine certificates aren't used. Some places, such as close contact businesses, including hairdressers, and gyms cannot operate without vaccine certificates.

Although there was a little bit of congestion on the web-site at first, we all can now download our vaccine certificates - it's a quick process and takes a couple of minutes for you to request it and for it to be emailed to you. From there you can either print or keep on your phone to present at venues.

Then, on the 15 December, the Auckland border becomes crossable. Freedom? Well something like it. But with great freedom comes great responsibility. I, like many others, have been looking forward to reconnecting with the rest of New Zealand so it's tempting to see that day as the date we can all go forth and enjoy the rest of the country. Before booking that road trip however, pause for thought. Is it really necessary to stop at dozens of places on route? Just think about the communities into which you are traveling. What is their vaccination rate like? How close is their nearest hospital should Covid come visiting? It's easy to forget that although Aucklanders have been living with Covid in the community for months, this will still feel very new to many others. And no doubt that will make them fearful. And fear leads to anger and anger leads to.....well you can guess the rest. Obviously it goes without saying that Aucklanders are usually greeted with open arms but please don't spoil the warm welcome by acting irresponsibly.

For the sake of transparency, we have booked a pre-Christmas camping trip, as has become the recent tradition, but will be taking care on the way. Thankfully the camping ground is only accepting double-vaccinated people and they must have their vaccination certificates. But I'm getting ahead of myself. That's four weeks away so in the meantime there will soon be the opportunity to enjoy life returning to normal-ish within Auckland.

I can almost guarantee that the first time I use my vaccine certificate will be to buy a pint in our local. No I'm not obsessed. But I have been looking forward to that moment for nearly four months! 

Star Jasmine

I think this is my favourite time of year in Auckland, or at least it is when it stops raining. Days are getting longer, mornings are light and temperatures are pleasant. Almost to the point where I can sit out and enjoy my morning cuppa.

It’s the time of year when daytime temperatures are in the sweet spot. Not too hot like you feel your skin is cooking, or with a humidity that means you sweat just standing still. Instead,  there’s a gentle warmth that comforts and energises. You really do feel like you could achieve anything when it’s like this. Except we can’t - but I won’t go there today.

It’s also the time of year when Star Jasmine starts to appear….and be smelt. It’s such an amazing plant. Quite how it manages to be so fragrant from such a distance is beyond my comprehension. It’s so aromatic that more often than not, you smell the plant long before you see it. It starts with a slight whiff in the air which then gets slowly stronger. You know then that there must be Star Jasmine around here somewhere…..

Auckland’s gardens and parks are starting to fill up with this little plant, their small white flowers hiding their power to fill the air with amazing scent.

But I suppose above all, the appearance of these plants can only mean one thing…..Summer is on the way!