Umamiblog

There are about 7 wireless networks I can detect from my apartment. Including:

Recently we spent a 3 day weekend in Dunedin. Caught up with some old friends, re-experienced Dunedin hospitality and even caught a game at the House of Pain. Here is a shot of Dunedin from Signal Hill, city to the right, harbour to the left.

In my personal opinion and based on nothing more than anecdotal evidence Wellington needs these 3 things to remain globally competitive and relevant in the next 100 years.

1. A longhaul capable airport
In New Zealand there are only 3 airports capable of landing a 747 and one of them is run by the (RNZ)Air Force, the others being Auckland and Christchurch. Christchurch has benefited greatly by having that infrastructure. Millions of passengers each year visiting the South Island disembark through CHC, their businesses have access to shipping direct to many of our largest trading partners. Those same businesses also have the benefit of being able to ship themselves directly or to have people (customers/colleagues/investors) arrive directly from major Asia Pacific transport hubs.

A proposal has been put forward to lengthen Wellington’s runway to accomodate the new Boeing and AirBus planes that are capable of longhaul on short runways. While this is definitely a step in the right direction, Wellington needs direct access to hubs like Tokyo, Dubai, Los Angeles, not just Singapore and the best way of accomodating this is with the 747-level jets, which is where most airlines have invested millions upon millions in their fleets.

One of the things I absolutely love about Wellington is that it’s airport is a stone’s throw from the city. This is a very real competitive advantage (and limitation). The ideal scenario would be to keep the airport where it is and lengthen the runway into the sea to cater for the longhaul jets. This would cost inordinate sums of money. Can we afford not to do it?

2. Light rail to the airport
Wellington is unique in NZ and most of Australasia in that it has a very good (by southern hemisphere standards) rail network. This network needs to be extended to the airport and in doing so it connects the majority of the CBD to the said rail network. This will increase patronage for commuters who are reluctant to either walk another 10-30 mins to work or to transfer to a bus. This will also make the network a Wellington thing, currently it is more of a satellite city thing. This move would also link up major transport assets in the urban area – needed with this is a review of the service provided (make it effective and efficient, read: cheap-ish and more often).

3. Adequate northern access
Cars, trucks, SUVs. Love ‘em or hate ‘em the reality is that we need to allow for their free and efficient movement. The fact that it takes 2 hours during peak time or that we are heavily reliant on a tiny 2 lane stretch of road is a risk that the city and region shouldn’t have to put up with. Transmission Gully has got the go ahead, but the evidence it will adequately solve this problem is scant (much like the inner-City bypass). Regardless, shame it will be 2020 before it is complete.

Hand in hand with this is a commitment not to allow residential development not inside the corridors of Wellington to Johnsonville to Porirua or Hutt Valley. Our compactness is an asset and will become more important in the future especially if we run out of cheap (sub $100/barrel) oil. We don’t need more SUV-loving sub-divisions.

Note: This post inspired by reading “Back on track: CBD light rail” on WellUrban

Last week the New Zealand Government, for the first time in my life, moved into the black with no net debt. David Farrar (naturally) thinks Ruth Richardson should take the majority of the credit for this achievement.

It will be interesting to see where we go from here. Will we continue to strive into the black, stay about the same, or wait for a recession or conservative govt (or both) to take us back into the red? How will history see this moment and great opportunity before us?

This is brilliant on soooo many different levels.

Makes me wonder what the flick I’m doing with my life.
“Yeah, I help develop websites… No, it matters. Really”

Have a look at this photogallery of female Israeli soldiers shot by photographer Rachel Papo, it’s absolutely amazing. This shot I chose because I feel it represents so much of what this assignment would have been trying to acheive. Young women being young women while completing 2 years of mandatory military service in one of the most hostile regions of the world.

In the last few months it has struck me as to how much Wellington has been invaded by Dunedinites lately. This month I’ve been here for a year, maybe that’s got something to do with it

Seriously though, Dave my old iVISION business partner has moved up (with a newborn too). I noticed Chris Auld of Kognition fame (who incidently should win an award for the ugliest website) has made the move too. And I seem to have lots of old friends and colleages asking what the work environment is like, what the wages are like, what average rents are, what the nightlife is like, etcetera. Half of the people I went to University with are already here.

To be frank, and having made the move, the weather is better, the wages are better as is the work you are doing, the social/night life is better, and the city is easier to live in (purely subjective!) – its little wonder people are looking at jumping on up.

I can relate to what they’re probably thinking too. Most people from Dunedin are fiercely proud of the city and living there. Making the move actually involves reconciling yourself to the fact that you want to leave a city you love. It can be tough. The thought of Christchurch or Auckland is usually a little much for us Southerners so it often ends up being Wellington. That said there are some similarities between the two cities…

Shot yesterday by my father on his way back to Central.

Judging by how low the lake level is, I’d say we’re in for another power conservation/shortage/crisis winter…

The NZ International Arts Festival has truly come and gone for Wellington but the free exhibition Earth from Above by Yann Arthus-Bertrand is still running in Waitangi Park.

A friend I work with maintains his blog as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family and to post the odd (excellent) photo or two. Trey is an Austin, Texas native who recently re-applied for his work visa.

His blog was found and checked by immigration officials who then asked (or stated to) him that they didn’t necessarily believe he wanted to stay in the country for the stated length of his visa… All this because he had a comment on his blog about wanting to go to Europe that was posted 6 months ago.

And I thought they rubber stamped Americans who wanted to live here and work in IT.

Snapped this on an early morning flight to Sydney last month. Of the dozen shots I took, this was the only one remotely close to focusing. It was stunningly beautiful as we took off and flew over the harbour with all four cities in view. This shot is looking towards the area of harbour between Seaview and Eastbourne.

See if you can link the landmarks in the photo to the satellite shot on Google Maps.

[Deleted expletives]

Far out! No wonder those protesters are so adamant at getting that information out.