Inaugural meeting of the Brecon RFC (NZ Branch)
La Zeppa was the venue for the inaugural meeting of Brecon RFC Former Players Overseas Social Club – New Zealand Branch (BRFCFPOSCNZB) with about ¼ of the Brecon RFC’s 2003-2004 1st XV present. Continue reading
The key ingredient of team building.
I flew down to Wellington on Thursday this week for a couple of days team building with the largely new digital team. There are 17 people in my team and most have been at Telecom less than 6 months. Continue reading
It’s raining plastic beer bottles. The crowd enjoying themselves on the embankment at Waikato Stadium.
This week we travelled down to Hamilton to meet-up with Sian Beetham whom Ruth had been in school with in Brecon and her sons Evan and Rhys (Evan had been in Ellie’s class in Ysgol-y-Bannau).
Our visit coincides (and was planned to coincide) with the All Black’s test match Continue reading
The view from Ruapehu looking north
I’ve taken a few days holiday so we packed our ski kit and head out of town to the very literally named National Park Village 15 mins from the Mt Ruapehu ski area. This is the furthest south we have been so far and after 5 hours including a stop for lunch we arrive at the ‘Adventure Lodge and Motel’ where we have a family room booked.
It is mid afternoon and in the communal living room a number of people are reading books in front of the fire as the ski area is closed due to high winds. It’s weird there are blue skies, the sun is hot and there is not a hint of a breeze at the Motel. Continue reading
It can only be Wellington – houses overlooking the sea clinging to bush-clad hills.
Having travel to Wellington several times with work it was about time we explored the place properly. So we base ourselves in a Zebra-striped 5 storey backpackers hostel on Tory Street (opposite the Telecom NZ office) and set about exploring. Continue reading
Yours truly at the end of College Rifles Bullers v Teachers Easter in the Auckland under 85Kg Grade Rugby Plate final.
Amongst the items I shipped to NZ are my rugby boots. Despite my 37 years of age I clearly must have intended to play rugby while in NZ.
So I head to College Rifles rugby club, the nearest club to the house as far as I am aware, and one of three ‘white’ rugby clubs (I’m informed) in Auckland.
Shipping containers at Auckland container port.
I pass Auckland container port every day on the way to and from work. There is something re-assuring about having a working port right onto the fringe of downtown Auckland and with 70% of New Zealand’s import and export goods passing through this relatively small space its fascinating to watch the 24 x 7 operation. Continue reading
It is the Queen’s birthday weekend this weekend (Hooray for the Queen !) so I have Monday off and have also taken Tuesday off as a holiday. A trip to Northland is not he cards.
The first stop on Saturday is Whangarei Heads to meet up with and old Cardiff Uni friend Clive Lang and his family. I had not seen Clive for 15 years (when he emigrated to New Zealand) – he has changed very little and is a project engineer with Fonterra at the local Dairy Production plant. It is a ‘lifestyle’ job for Clive – not too taxing allowing him plenty of time to surf and go fishing o his boat. Continue reading
Raglan NZ, one of the stop-offs of the Endless Summer movie.
Time to get out of Auckland and with ‘free’ petrol why wouldn’t you (I have unlimited petrol and a company car for a flat fee each month). Today we decided to head down to Raglan on the West Coast of the Waikato. As a wannabe surfer I am aware of Raglan from its appearance in the 1966 classic surf film ‘Endless Summer’ so this trip is inspired as much by that as by a desire to see as many parts of New Zealand as we can while we are here. Continue reading
Netball grading at Howick Pakarangua netball centre
New Zealand regularly leads the World Netball rankings despite coming up against countries with far bigger populations to draw from. Netball is serious stuff in Auckland and today Ellie competed in her first Netball match. It is the start of the season so she has a series of games to grade the team she is so that it can be put into the most appropriate league. The grading takes place at the Howick Pakarangua Netball centre a short drive from St Heliers. Continue reading
NewZealandly 