ODT - Garry Tong's Big Mayoral Challenge

Posted to the Otago Daily Times Dec 1st 2013

As I see it Garry Tong, the New Mayor of Southland, has to deal with Southland’s shabby Image Problem rather than Cutting Deals with South Westland to attract tourists to the region, especially the regions greatest asset... Fiordland National Park. I have two Pictures here one is how Southland Promotes Fiordland National Park and the other is a New Zealand Tourism promotional advertising poster seen all over the world... Spot the Difference !

Vs...

And New Zealands Preimier Wilderness Experience, Doubtful Sound:

Radio NZ - Teenage Sex Catastrophe

Posted 14th November 2013 to Nine to noon with Kathryn Ryan

Radio New Zealand and other Media outlets in New Zealand seem to be very shocked about the sexual antics of some of our Young people.

But it is after all a question of morals, and in this case the Morals of our contemporary society, a society itself that is Deeply immoral
About the way it treats it’s own people especially it’s vulnerable, yes and that includes young boys as well as girls.

Since our wonderful Government made us all prostitutes to Capitalism in the 1980s there has been very little serious regard given to moral behaviour
Especially when it come to money and Power. Sex IS Money and Power so it is a key part of the whole Neo Liberal Regan agenda:
Use everyone and anything to become a Capitalist Pimp!

The last 30 years of Television & Media has also been a great teacher to this end and just look at us now.
Wage Slaves to the System, So overworked we can’t even look after our children any more to keep them out of harms way.

It seems incredible we are angry at the Children for having lousy morals...
They are not the ones Violating the Planet for every cent they can get out of it... Yet...

Fiordland Advocate - Luxury Tourism Boom

Posted to the Fiordland Advocate 16th of November 2013

 

So while the Fiordland Community is pondering the future of the Tourist Industry in this Region it seems Landcorp and Bob Robertson have an eye for the Top End tourists and investors in the form of exclusive building projects for the Wealthy... Bob wants an Exclusive Lodge at Te Anau Downs to compete with the Peacock’s Fiordland Lodge just North of Te Anau.... and Landcorp want a Millbrook type Community at the Eweburn to complement its exclusive Subdivision overlooking Lake Manapouri.
It’s Interesting to see Landcorp expand from farming to the Luxury Housing Market. Soon the Department of Conservation will need to put up their own Luxury developments or be left behind, Perhaps a Regal Fishing Lodge at Queens Reach or a Arcadian Summer Camp at Little Tahiti Or what could be better than a Gated Community for Nobs at Knobs Flat ! Look out Queenstown we haven’t started yet and don’t forget, Monorails run both ways!

the Human need to please - Ken Cloke

16th November 2013 Nine to Noon, National Radio, New Zealand

Ken Cloke Talks to Kathryn Ryan About solving Human Conflicts and how the need to please is endangering our very existance.

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20131118-1010-ken_cloke_-_global_mediator-048.mp3

Hollyford Haast Road - Te Anau Meeting

Report to Kirsty McNicol Fiordland Advocate 5 Nov 2013

The meeting last night played out as expected  but there was a few unexpected moments.. That interrupting cell phone call was just bizarre...

The total Lack of knowledge of the Monorail was another... Then there was the Missing Kilometres of Paper Road,  Sir Erkine Bowmar and the Greenstone Road to Elfin Bay,  The World Heritage Wilderness Status issue,  the slighting and total dismissal of Environmentalists, Moving the Hollyford Track out of sight of the Highway, the Direction of traffic (we have Hundreds of Buses on our side by Havill’s own admission they only have 7 on a good day), Not reading all the submitted Questions was a bad sign,
And not addressing where the projected Extra Tourists are to come from was another.

As for the People of Haast like Glenorchy they seem to be quite happy as they are.

On the Radio this AM Mr Havill said that at the meeting with over 200 people only seven put up their hands to object to the project in Te Anau.
He did not ask for people to put up their hands if where unsure or undecided or just didn’t wish to be rude. Nor did he bother to count the hands that where up.

Garry Tong in his first public Te Anau appearance as Mayor probably drew a few people in to see how he preformed

Garry was canny, he said he supported the road but was non committed on Mr Havill and handing him 5 million bucks for a feasibility study, or the millions in sweeteners for Queenstown and Wanaka not to throw their toys out of the cot.

Radio NZ - Guy Fawkes Debate

Dispatched 4th November 2013 to Morning Report Radio New Zealand.

Once again I think our over protective Government should do the bleeding obvious when it comes to Guy Fawkes Fireworks..
If we insist on voting for people who treat us all like children they should use the systems already in place for Fire Arms...
Fire Works Could then be sold only to people with Fire Arms licenses and only at Gun Shops... And Might I add all year round
So they can also be used for special events and festivals other than the planned destruction of Parliament....
And maybe include more commercial fireworks into the bargain, anyone deemed safe enough to handle a projectile shooting Rifle should be safe enough to
Handle fireworks!

Once again the Government is not thinking straight.

Ch Ch Press - Kiwi Bank Insurance

Posted 4th Nov 2013 to the Christchurch Press

I have to say Canterbury got a Double Whammy when it got Struck by the Earth Quakes at the same time as National was in Power.
Labour’s David Cunliffe has addressed the need for the State to act as in the Nation’s own insurance broker and Mr Dunger Brownlee National MP drops a Chamber Pot on it!

Mr Brownlee forgets, we have a State insurance set up in place called EQC and if we intend to live on Islands surrounded by potential Tsunamis, Potential Earthquake, Storms, and Volcanoes we ALL need a better system than the rickety Private Enterprise Model in Place Now.

I am only an ignorant layman but even I can see we are living with a faith based insurance environment in post quake NZ.

And the Reaction time and desire to help the afflicted in Christchurch is most unsettling and the shear waste is unbelievable.

Our insurance should be Belt and Braces stuff, not a ratty piece of string!

At any rate, What is our Taxation for if not a universal insurance policy, and a Social Contract that We fund a State who will protect us all from Bad Luck
not of our own making. A fundamental Human Need, but something the Brownlee’s of this World can’t comprehend.

Peaks to be named Hillary & Tenzing

the Telegraph  4 / 10 / 2013

Nepal to name two Himalayan peaks after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay

Nepal plans to name two Himalayan peaks after pioneering Mount Everest climbers Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a senior hiking official said, in a move designed to boost tourism in the beautiful but desperately poor country.

New Zealander Hillary and his Nepali guide Tenzing made it to the 29,035-foot (8,850-metre) summit of the world's highest mountain on May 29, 1953 as part of a British expedition, which put Nepal on the map as a destination for adventure tourism.

A government panel has recommended that two unnamed mountains be called Hillary Peak and Tenzing Peak, said Ang Tshering Sherpa, a former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

"This is to honour their contribution to mountaineering in Nepal," Sherpa, who headed the panel, told Reuters.

The two peaks – Hillary's at 25,200ft and Tenzing's at 25,971ft – have never been climbed and are expected to be opened to foreigners in the spring season that starts in March, he said.

Officials hope the peaks will attract more climbers and help boost tourism in Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains. Tourism now accounts for about 4 per cent of the country's economy and employs thousands of people.

In 2010 the New Zealand Geographic Board turned down a submission to name two New Zealand Peaks after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Royals by Lorde - Dissected, Explained

Just What Makes Royals by Lorde Ring a Bell with Music Fans /
What is it saying about society.

Otago University and Radio New Zealand have some Answers:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/radionz/programmes/nat-music/audio/2573408/graeme-downes

Fiordland Adocate - Queenstown Haast Link

Posted to the Fiordland Advocate 2 November 2013

Putting on my Devils ADVOCATE Hat I would like to throw in a 2 cent observation about the Hollyford Road and the Monorail...

From an Engineering Perspective surely they have got the whole thing back to front...  A high speed highway would be far better suited from Mavora to Te Anau Downs

As it is relatively easy terrain and far less likely to be flooded than the Hollyford Pyke area where as a Monorail in the Hollyford- Pyke would be way-better suited to that problematic landscape than a Roadway and Ironically cause less invasive Human activity to the World Heritage Wilderness.

And one could argue that if a Wakatipu Te Anau Downs Road was serviced by Car Ferry Instead of Passenger Ferry it is likely that a return trip Via the Scenic towns of Fiordland and Northern Southland would be a higher priority than a double back trip.

In any event If construction of the monorail project and Mavora Settlement (to Service the Round the Mountain Bike Trail) takes place the whole backcountry road system will need to the upgraded, Power and Bridges installed so there will be more traffic in that quarter and whole the dynamics of tourism will indeed shift.

That goes for the Hollyford-Pyke too.

Beware of unintended consequences, the Devil is in the details, especially if they BOTH go ahead!