More much needed comedy relief.
Most NZ tv adverts are dire -- but sometimes they come out with a gem.
So here is Export Gold’s Thirstfighters ad:
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
Some much needed comedy relief
I thought we could do with a bit of unadulterated humour round here.
So, courtesy of Mitre 10 -- here’s a funny TV advert.
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
Only in New Zealand: The Prime Minister auctions a doodle.
To cut a long and very complex story short – the Flag of New Zealand is always a topic of argument and occasional news, because it contains a Union Jack and some people hate to be reminded of a colonial past. So John Key, our Prime Minister went on Breakfast TV this morning and doodled his preferred alternative. Its supposed to be a Silver Fern by the way: 
And it is now being auctioned on Trade Me to raise money for charity.
How cool is that?
Can you imagine Gordon Brown doing that?
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
And talking of christmas trees…
On Saturday night we went to Cuckoo in Greytown - home of the best pizzas in the Wairarapa (and a cook who doesn’t mind making the wonderful Eggs Napoli breakfast dish – minus the bread and with an extra egg- at any time of day because I can’t eat Pizza!).
Cuckoo has recently been taken over – the owners Tim and Chelsea having skipped off to Melbourne - so no more visions of Tim frenetically running round the place. But the menu remains the same and is well worth a visit. Most people visiting Greytown go to the White Swan because its well known. However its pretty crap – so forget that and go have a decent meal at Cuckoo.
Getting back to the point – while in there – we took a photo of thier christmas tree. The New Owners (Brian and Janine) certainly have a great sense of humour. For all those people who like are a fish out of water doing a southern hemisphere chistmas – I thought you might enjoy it:
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
Only In New Zealand: A christmas message from the police.
Today in the post we got what I can only describe as the oddest Christmas letter ever – from the police. I’m showing it as a scan – just in case you don’t believe me – cos to be honest I’m not sure I can quite grasp it myself.
What does this say about life in New Zealand???
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
New Zealand joins the space race :)
Courtesy of Slashdot – (news for nerds) and I would just like to pint out that it was hubby who found this and not me.
“Private New Zealand aerospace company Rocket Lab completed its final ground-based test today and is now ready to launch New Zealand into the space race with its Atea-1 launch vehicle. The first high-altitude launch of Atea-1 is scheduled for the end of November this year. Once Atea-1 has successfully concluded the development phase it will be the first privately built rocket launched from the Southern Hemisphere to enter space.”
The funniest thing about this is the comments:
What I do remember well was when the builder was asked if he would fly in it, the answer was along the lines of “hell no”.
But they are on the bottom of the planet – won’t they be firing the wrong way?
Of course not, it’s a huge advantage, they just have to drop the rocket. They’ll save loads of fuel.
Rocket: Oh Noo, Oh Noo, I’m launched Broo. I’m launched es. Satellite: Hey Broo, Hey Broo, what are you doing broo? Rocket: Dude, I’m launched es. Satellite: Ah Haw Shit. Your launched es! Rocket: Tell me something I doo’nt noo. Satellite:…. Broo, you’re heaps launched es! Rocket: Soo launched. Launched es.
We should have never given these people the technology to make movies. They’ve progressed in only one generation from filmmaking to building rockets. Who knows what shenanigans they may be capable of in the next generation.
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
Only in New Zealand: Building roads 1km a year!
I’ve lived in this house for 4 years now – and since them, or road has being a semi-constant construction site as the road crews “improve” the road. It’s 3 km long, and with very little traffic on it – it being a dead end. (It ends in a river as it happens).
And when I say semi-constant – it goes like this:
- Trucks turn up and rip up the road or the sides of the road for about 300 yards..
- Trucks go away.
- Months go by.
- Trucks come back and dump a load of gravel on the road which we then have to navigate for month without skidding off into the fields.
- Trucks go away.
- Months go by.
- Trucks come back and seal the road.
- Calm descends till the next time.
So it was with some amusement – but unfortunately not great surprise to read in the local rag a few weeks ago that the mayor of south Wairarapa says:
with around 300 kilometres of gravel roads in the district, there has been an ongoing programme of trying to seal around a kilometre a year.
I kid you not – 300 years to seal all the gravel roads in the Wairarapa!
I wouldn’t mind – but there’s actually nothing wrong with our road – it’s not a gravel road – so why are they “improving” it (actually making a right bloody mess of it in fact).
The mind boggles.
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
When the PM has a laugh :)
John Key, current Prime Minster of New Zealand, went on The letterman show in the US and ran thorugh a 10 Ten Reasons to Visit New Zealand. Its a bit painful in places -- but good on him I think for having the guts -- and for not taking himself too seriously.
One of the thinks that impressed us when we were waiting to emigrate was that the then PM, Helen Clark, was also doing the rounds of foreign TV. She was on the UK news also selling New Zealand to the world as a destination.
Can you see our (UK) Prime Minister doing that???
So here -- courtesy of You Tube -- is John Key doing his bit for New Zealand:
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
Zorbing – the number one reason to come to New Zealand.
While surfing the net (as you do when trying desperately to avoid having to clean the bathroom) – I came across this wonderful comic strip from xkcd.com
If you hover over the “Hamster Ball” it asks where you can get one these from.
Well, from New Zealand of course.
The “Zorb” is basically a double skinned giant ball, which you can fit inside and go hurtling down a hill in. What more could you ask for in life indeed!
This was on my “List of things I have to do” when we first came here on our honeymoon, and I highly recommend it. Its not scary, unlike Bungy Jumping or the Skyjump – (Unless you happen to suffer from Claustrophobia – and then perhaps its not gonna be too much fun). Its just wild and whacky and hysterically funny.
There are three option for chucking yourself down a hill in a giant rubber ball:
Zorbit: You ride single, and are strapped into a harness and as the Zorbanauts say ” you are sent on your trip down the hill rolling head over heels, heels over head as the ground and sky go whizzing past in a beautiful mosaic of blue… green … blue … green … blu … gree … blu … gre…bl…gr…b…g…bgbgbg…while your body is subjected to the soft and relaxing feeling of weightlessness and g-force.”
Zydro: You ride with upto two friends, and a bucket of water and get chucked down the hill. Its like being in a huge washing machine. You start off standing up – and attempt to stay that way as you run down the hill – with hilarious (and wet) results. Recommended!
Zig Zag Zydro: A lone ride, just you and a bucket of water, on a specially built zig-zag track. They don’t even start you off standing up – because there is just no point. Highly recommended.
Either way – its fun, its safe and only a Kiwi could have come up with the idea of asking people to part with money to roll down a hill in a giant hamster ball.
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
Now that is a view!
We have just watched the incredible For All Mankind.
It tells the story of the Apollo Moon Landings from the point of view of the Astronauts, and contains the footage they filmed alongside thier own thoughts. It also has the most breathtaking soundtrack by Brian Eno. It looks like the DVD is about to be re-released, and if you ever need to lift your spirits – then this is the one to watch.
As to what this has to do with my blog?
Here is an image of New Zealand taken from the Space Station by NASA. It shows the top of South Island, and the bottom of North Island, including our very own Wellington and The Wairarapa.
Our views are stunning – but this is pure magic.
Like what Avalon has to say?
Click Here to buy Avalon's Guide or Click Here to buy the E-Book
