Hope you're over your loss of a party to the Fun Police @Alibro !

Hope you're over your loss of warm weather and wide open spaces @dfossil - another 30 degree day here - way too hot and sticky.

Couldn't skip work like last Monday unfortunately. Doubly a shame, cos this is what happened at the ramp this morning...

Some people are so tight. Won't even pay for a car wash
Mike

That's going to be scrap then.

So long as no-one was hurt who cares about the car. Five people died over the weekend when their car slipped down an algae covered slipway just over the border from us.

Alibro said:

So long as no-one was hurt who cares about the car. Five people died over the weekend when their car slipped down an algae covered slipway just over the border from us.

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I saw it on the news. It's so sad when these things happen.

Jeepers that's sad. People need to be really alert and defensive/cautious whenever they get near water with their cars. That goes to show the unexpected will happen.

@GrumpyGel, just got the news, your keeping the flag as it is. Did you vote? Or are you not bothered?
Morning from a chilly Yorkshire
Mike

lol, our flag change process has caused quite a stir! American comedian John Oliver made various references to it and "Sheldon Cooper" from The Big Bang Theory telling us to "good luck, you crazy Kiwis. We're rooting for ya" - and its made the news back home!

I preferred the proposed 'New' flag - but I voted to keep the old flag because of the way John Key (the PM) went about it. He was on a personal vendetta to change the flag and spent $20M setting up departments to promote a change.

So my vote was more of one to keep democracy for the people not politicians - that sounds a bit T.P.F. Power To The People, but $20M in NZ could make a lot of difference.

There were a lot of people who voted like me, I'm sure if it had been a much simpler process without the pressure, NZ would have had a new flag today.

$20 million NZ, that's a stupid amount of money.
Polticians just don't learn. Understand why you voted like you did.
One day they (politicians) may learn they're here to serve us, not the other way round.
Mike

Egzactly comrade If the truth's known, it probably cost a lot more as well.

Bit warmer down here than 'Yarkshure' at the mo - was 28 degrees today - but unusually for a hot day, it was hammering it down! One of those days where there was probably over 1m of rain in the mountains and a fair bit spilled over here.

My mate was holidaying with his family in Rarotonga the week before last. I popped round to put his bins out, check post etc (we have post boxes at the end of the drive here). Picking up the post I noticed his latest copy of the Dalesman had arrived

A view from the estate I work on Gleadless Valley.
If you wish to Google earth it. Spring close view sheffield. My work Van on the left, looking towards Ringinlow in the distance, Derbyshire just in the top left.
It's a balmy 7 degree's at the mo.
Already picked up 8 fly tips
Mike

Well done on the Flag - I quite liked the new design but felt it was a republican hatefest rather than a straight issue. I suspect it is a bit like the UK when it comes to elections/referenda etc - The great unrepresented silent majority are the ones who vote

Skinny Mike said:

A view from the estate I work on Gleadless Valley.
If you wish to Google earth it. Spring close view sheffield. My work Van on the left, looking towards Ringinlow in the distance, Derbyshire just in the top left.
It's a balmy 7 degree's at the mo.
Already picked up 8 fly tips
Mike

Click to expand...

Just been for a drive round the place with "Street View". Looks like a 60's dream estate that's probably not such a dream any more.

GrumpyGel said:

Just been for a drive round the place with "Street View". Looks like a 60's dream estate that's probably not such a dream any more.

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Bang on! Built late 50's to 60's. My mum and dad lived on it when it was new 1966-1968. And people were falling over themselves to get on it. You had to be vetted to get on.
Unfortunately those days are long gone. It now struggles with all the problems of an old council Estate.
Mike

If you have a spare half hour, this is quite interesting.

Ahh, the flag debate! I think the bill was nearer $26 and that was just for the lead up to the referendum. The total cost would have been a lot more. I personally don't care how or what people vote for, I just want people to use there head, cast their vote and have their say. In my opinion, so often peeps are put off voting by the machinations and bias of the media - and primarily the TV media relating the latest poll results. Peeps think there is no use in voting and consequently get what the don't want. With regard to our recent flag vote I am happy with the outcome.

This (ANZAC) weekend we (Mrs Grumpy and me) spent away with a group of friends in Akaroa on Banks Peninsular. Banks Peninsular is formed by 3 long extinct volcanoes. The 2 largest have had 1 side blown away and their craters are open to the sea forming large harbours. The tops of these volcanoes, the crater rims, rise to just shy of 1,000m in places. The township of Akaroa is on the shore of Akaroa Harbour and to get to it you need go over the crater rim. The 'main' road into Akaroa takes the easiest route and is tar seal - but (having counted it today coming home) there's still 64 bends in the road to ascend it and 50 on the other decending to the harbour. For a Google map of it, have a look at...

https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-43.7182294,172.7543988,47471m/data=!3m1!1e3

On Friday we took the 'back roads' from Little River over the rim to Wainui on the opposite side of the harbour to Akaroa, then drove round the harbour. These roads are basically gravel tracks that took us from sea level to over 650M (almost vertically!), around the crater rim and back down again. There were lots of 1st gear hairpins with traction control and ABS kicking in. It was a wonderful drive, super tracks and stunning views. Rather scarey at times, but by far the most frightening thing was a HUGE BULL - way taller than the Freelander and on the wrong side of a fence. He was just standing there by the side of the road - huge drop off to the side, no way or turning round and reversing back was not appealing. So we drove past him very slowly hoping he didn't push us off into oblivion! Luckily he didn't bat an eye lid - just stood there motionless. At the end of it Mrs Grumpy relaxed and opened her fists to see a line of fingernail imprints on her palms! Thinking back it was probably a b****y stupid thing to do - we should have just reversed all the way back home. Didn't get any pics of the bull, because a photo op was not high on our priorities at the time. But we did get some pics of the journey...

The starting point is Lake Forsythe. This encroaches into the peninsular for a few of Ks and is only separated from the sea by a gravel bank. This is the sea end of the lake taken on the beach at Birdlings Flat...



You can see from that pic that the lake bends round and goes up a valley between the hills. This pic was taken round that bend looking to the 'top' of the lake...



Little River is at the top of the lake there and the road we took to Wainui shoots off to the right, initially up Okuti Valley, then up the hills to the crater rim. This is taken at the rim by Saddle Hill looking east to the Pacific just visible over the roof of the Freelander...



This one's taken looking south back over the beach where the first pic was taken from, once again the sea is only just visible...



The 2nd most frightening bit of the trip was descending down and coming across a big lump of rock that had 1/2 fallen onto the track. I didn't see it until we were on it. I managed to avoid it, but in doing so almost went flying off the side of the hill. This is Akaroa Harbour once we were back down and just past Wainui...



And another for good measure...



Here's a topo map of the road up from Okuti Valley to the rim, Wainui is just off to the right...



It was a great way to start the weekend. The weekend panned out to be very enjoyable as well with plenty of merriment, fine wine and good food

There's been a great story running in the news over here for the last couple of days. A group of 38 people (including kids) in 17 trucks had a day out driving the Waikaia Bush 'Road' down in Otago. By all accounts 'road' is a bit of an exaggeration, its a track that will test the best of 4WD vehicles in decent weather. Anyway, they picked a day when it wasn't the best of weather!

The group got stuck at 1,400m in 6 foot of snow! The NZ Air Force made a couple of attempts to rescue them with helicopters, but abandoned both efforts due to the weather. Luckily, they appear to have been well equipped with extra food, clothing and locator beacons etc. They ended up stuck up there for 2 days until snow cats managed to get to them and bring them down. The cars though are still up there - who knows when they'll get them back!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/802...ing-trapped-by-snow-in-Central-Otago-4WD-trip

There's some pic of the cars stuck up there on that link. These I believe are the Snow Cats that brought them down pictured on the track on a nicer winter's day!

It's a pretty good road up to the top from the Roxburgh side! When you get to the top it levels out and then there are the bogs / swamps to navigate. But fab' views ...
Not sure how a FL would go in/on those bogs. I've read that they have rock/y bottoms - lol - think I'd need bigger wheels and more clearance! You can check out some photos from the Shotover 4WD club's outing some years ago. They show the climb up from the southern entrance. Some impressive wheel articulations involved with that climb. IIRC that club lost a member there in 2008 when a vehicle rolled off the road. Coroner noted diff's not locked, tyres overinflated for the conditions and tyre chains not fitted.

That group from the weekend is likely to get a hefty bill, 2 choppers [ one military from Auckland!], 2 snow cats, another snow cat and two snow mobiles from Queenstown .... Today's paper mentioned that their vehicles are likely to remain there for the winter and then be written off - OUCH!

Bottom line - a good result with no loss of life. But a salutary lesson - be well equipped, good vehicles, good weather forecast and experienced people.

I have one question: re diff locks/ers Vs TC & HDC. Both good going up hill, but TC not as good going down hill? Is that because you risk brake failure / overheating? I know TC is not so desirable in slippery conditions as the brakes get a hammering stopping the spinning wheel/s.

That 4WD group may have some insurance issues to deal with. Recently there was a thought provoking article put on the FB page Official Freelander club. It had an article from LRO mag from earlier this year?