RobiNZ Personal Blog

Good News 2015

Not all news is bad; The Top 6 Good-News Stories of 2015 | Bill Gates Read more →

The other Tibet

No wonder Everest, Tibet seemed familiar when I visited in 2014: Back in 2005 I saw Tibet Florida* (but it was still under construction) * In Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Read more →

My MTB/Road Local Loop

Short local loop, some quiet back roads and a bit of bush single track (shared, so not racy) and a section of the Scenic Drive. Just 23km but 600m climbing and a fun tarmac descent down West Coast Rd (max 62 km/h without pedalling!). Read more →

The ticking Bravo, a Christmas car win!

Christmas evening, jump in the car and hear an odd ticking noise from somewhere within the dash. Engine off, it slows down to a stop. Power on, back again, turn the ventilation fan from Auto to Off, slows down but still there. Realise the air conditioning is on, turn that off, it slows to no ticking. Learn, after how many years driving this car?, that the air conditioning runs the fan at Speed 1 irrespective of the fan speed selected! Sounds like something in the fan, maybe a bearing worn or debris being knocked around, but nothing major; just bloody... Read more →

Under the Peninsula!

Just the usual City waterfront ride today but my first look at the new Te Atatu Rd cycle under-pass. Looks great and means a few metres less climbing and one busy road crossing avoided. Work continues on the Waterview tunnel access motorway. It was hot riding but low tide and most of Auckland being away meant the waterfront road was very pleasant. Very little traffic and moderate tailwind in places. Even better was a 3/4 tailwind heading home over the Highway 16 North Western motorway causeway. Rare as the prevailing westerly inevitably means a headwind! Read more →

Typical Fiat driver?

Tiny car makes a big impression Read more →

Frank’s New Zealand by bike

A couple of months ago, while browsing a NZ Cycle Touring group on Facebook, I saw a post by Frank about his planned NZ tour. It included a stretch from Queenstown to Te Anau and I, along with several others, recommended crossing the lake and cycling the Von Valley. I’ve ridden several times with Adventure South (~0:13:00 in the video) and, although gravel road, it is a nice alternative the busy main highway. Over the past month or so I have been enjoying following his travels via his “Frank By Bike” page and now there’s an awesome video recap. It... Read more →

Touring Auckland's new cycle paths

Did a new variation of a favourite ride today thanks to some recently opened cycling infrastructure. Went into town along the North Western Motorway (HWY 16) bike path which is slowly transforming into a really nice ride. The old narrow parts are being widened with a much better surface than the old path ever had. Add to that the new wide bridges (see the yellow one in photos) and (not quite finished yet) underpasses at Rosebank & Te Atatu Roads and it will be great. The Waterview car paths are racing ahead too. Looks like they are about halfway through... Read more →