It is a few years since I last visited Piha, but that was about to change - Butch was leading the ride today, Piha via the wonderful Waitakere Ranges. Ever keen to find a few more horsepower, an oil leak had been reason enough for Butch to upspec a new lumpy cam shaft, and he was keen to see if the magic he'd hoped for was there. Likewise, Mel, (a recently retired super bike racer) had recently trapised a heavy engine upgrade kit (from110ci to 117ci) home from Tennessee as hand luggage, and was looking forward to what a claimed 50% increase in power would do for him. I have the address of the supplier and am trying to resist the temptation... Other than the occasional shower, several days of serious rain were behind us, but the very strong and blustry wind remained, causing Jeff to wonder if he needed a bag of cement on the back of bike of his bike to stop him being blown about. As a consequence there were only hardy souls, a creditable 12-13 bikes lined up for the 1pm departure- delayed slightly due to Butch rushing away for a nervous widdle. Onto the motorway, westward bound, left at Kumeu, and into the hinterland Waitakere bound. Lovely quiet roads, windy and generally in good repair allowed us to get along at a good clip, Butch occasionally giving his new cam a wee work out. I was behind Mel and enjoyed following his expert lines, swooping in and out of corners with no fuss or bother, rarely seeing his brake lights glow, using the power and torque of the massive Harley engine instead. Unfortunately our progress was stymied slightly by the many ubiquitous white rental cars, tourists unfamiliar with the concept of using the many "Slow Vehicle Bays", probably oblivious, unaware of the frustration of the pack of bikers. Perhaps rear view mirrors are an optional extra... A coffee and an exceptional home made meat pie at the cafe signalled the end of the ride, time for a chat, before heading homewards. Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. Max Ehrmann The Auckland Pistol Club established their existing site in rural Brookby in 1969 and has operated from here ever since.
Some lovie seeking the tranquillity of rural South Auckland recently bought a lifestyle home nearby, obviously with little or no due diligence, and has since made numerous complaints about the noise. The onus has fallen on the club to curtail its activities while a solution is found. Where does this PC madness end? My solution includes two words, the second of which is "off".... In February 2016 a Chinese woman in New Zealand on a 12 month working visa with no driving experience (but who held a Chinese drivers licence that was valid in NZ) drove her car on the wrong side of the road and killed motorcyclist, Rhys Middleton. To her credit, Jieling Xiao (pictured wearing a cap emblazed with "Get Lucky") pleaded guilty to Dangerous Driving Causing Death and was (rather surprisingly by many)sentenced in June to 17 months imprisonment, as well as a 3 year driving ban and $10,000 in reparation to Mr Middleton's family. Xiao"s lawyer claimed the sentence was "Manifestly excessive", and on appeal her sentence was reduced instead to 9 months home detention and 150 hours community service, seen by some as an insult to the deceased, his family, and the road users of New Zealand who deserve protection from such incompetence. Lawyer Jefferson maintained that because Xiao held the legal qualification to drive in New Zealand, she should not be punished for what he claimed was an accident - in contrast the Crown maintained it was "An accident waiting to happen". Xiao was always going to be deported after serving her jail sentence, but bureaucracy kicked in, the Immigration people got involved, and rather than serving any further penalty she was due to be deported back to China today. This begs the question as to what the life of a motorcyclist is really worth? Mr Middleton's family (including his fiancé) are having real difficulty coming to terms with what they felt was an extremely light sentence in the first instance being reduced, then seeing the killer escape to from whence she came without serving further penalty. I wonder what the sentence would be if one was to recklessly kill a motorcyclist in China? Has Justice been done - no doubt that there are many who think not.? Arriving at Auckland Harley on Saturday was to be impressed - a very formidable fence with aggressive spikes had been erected since my last visit providing what is obviously another layer of defence against those with ill intent. This is a fence that demands respect, Any attempt to climb it is to invite the loss or severe damage to any appendage (and men know what I'm taking about), able to be torn off... I am envious of such a fence! The weather forecast was great and the turn out impressive. Neville was Road Captain, and whilst we knew that we were heading west, and that the ultimate destination was Swashbucklers at Westhaven, the middle bit was a mystery requiring extra special attention when it came to corner marking. The relatively quiet Motorway reflected that winter sports appear to have ended and summer sports yet to start, allowing the 15 plus bikes to hold formation far better than usual in mid afternoon traffic, particularly as Neville's speedo appeared to be on the fritz. Off the motorway at Royal Road then into the hinterland between Massey and the West Coast, unfamiliar tiger country for me. After a few days with no rain, the countryside, whilst still damp, was starting to show signs of drying out. New born spring lambs, all feet and tails, shared pasture with damp loving lilies and the odd llama (or alpaca), quite the picture. Perhaps because the route was new to me, the contrast between properties surprised me - everything from tidy, well organised and pristine, to those that were a dumping ground for all manner of old and broken machinery, collapsed glass houses and out buildings reflecting a better past. We enjoyed the fairly empty back roads, passing from Waimuku to Riverhead, then over the Greenhithe Bridge to the North Shore, finally spectacular views of city and the Waitemata as we crossed the Harbour Bridge before joining a small bunch who'd fallen foul of poor corner marking and who'd then taken the direct route to Swashbucklers. The end of the ride was celebrated in the traditional way with a couple of beers and a bowl of fries, tales being told and stories swapped before the late afternoon sun started to wane indicating with a chill that it was time to head home. Thanks Nev! MP and politicians have long proven what is patently obvious to the thinking majority - so often they get a self inflated view of their own worth, and start losing the plot. Transport Minister, Tauranga pin up boy and oft touted future Prime Minister is in the process of blowing apart any credibility he has with the New Zealand public. Since Uber arrived and revolutionised the taxi industry a few short years ago, dragging a third word and antiquated industry into the 21st century, Kiwis were often at the behest of dodgy operators (and there are many obvious exceptions to this). Drivers with limited skills and local knowledge, whose ID cards often bore only faint familial likeness, and trying to identify a cab after the fact was virtually impossible. Total transparency and lack of bureaucracy has reduced costs and increased benefit, yet Minister Bridges threats Uber with a big stick, and be it at his peril, and why - because the Taxi industry has a vested interest and can't fight this new deal?. The many users of Uber are voters who may punish the Government on this single issue - unfortunately, this is indicative of a lack of focus within the Government that run deeper than Uber. Simon, don't be a dickhead, dedicate your efforts where they'd be appreciated more. For those weak of character and strong on self righteousness, those who choose to take offence at everything, I offer Bloomslang's latest offering (courtesy of Whaleoil) We know know that the hapless Chiefs got themselves in hot water after being beaten out of the Super 15 semis. Mad Monday, an opportunity for the team to celebrate the end of a reasonably successful season with a "blow out" at the Okoroire Hot Springs - which included a stripper that some of the guys arranged. Unbeknownst to his mates, one of the players paid stripper Scarlette an additional $50 for the dubious pleasure of licking her between the legs - the others thought this was acceptable, things escalated out of her control and things that may not have been agreed with the agency happened. Scarlette, rightly unhappy went public. The mainstream media and all manner of groups howled that a woman, any woman should be treated so poorly - then it became apparent that Scarlette was unhappy, not at the attention, but because she had not been paid for the extras. It staggers me that any woman would willingly put herself in a position where the judgement and behaviour of 20-30 young men would be influenced by peer pressure and alcohol, and in offering "extras" perhaps exacerbated the situation. Whilst she has been fired by the agency who put her forward for the arrangement (for performing extras), no woman should ever expect to find herself in a position where she feels unsafe, for any reason. All Blacks Coach, Steve Hanson quite rightly stated that these "Mad Mondays" have no place in the modern world. |
Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
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