Oh No! a Maverick in Singapore 21 June - Kakapo Excitement Maverick scribed by Toni

Who’s crazy idea was this leaving Bali in the middle of the night to arrive in Singapore at 2:00 a.m. in the morning.  Yes, we did enjoy a full day in Ubud and yes, we did save heaps of money on the flight…. but still@!.  My evening hours should be silent from whining children, I should have the peace of the evening in a quiet garden somewhere, not be flying - especially not on Jetstar - am I really a flying snob already?.  Kakapos really weren’t built to fly - coach class anyway-squawrk.a

So here we are catching a taxi at 2:00 am to the centre of Singapore to the Holiday Inn Park View.  Like the children, I’ve never been to a big hotel. It’s in Orchard Road so perhaps there will be lots of fruit trees.  I’ve become rather partial to Paw paw, watermelon and have like the children tried the odd bit of snake fruit, dragon fruit and star fruit..  I get some peace for a few hours, though after all the villas, a room with five people doesn’t leave much space for a Kakapo.  Thank goodness for air conditioning and sound proofed windows.  Apart from Toni and John snoring life is not too bad.  The bathroom proves a respite though is devoid of gardens unlike the bathrooms in Bali.

Not too much relaxation for me and sleep for the family as the schedule in Singapore is fairly major and it is out of the hotel for a quick breakfast in the heat then to a long route through the MTR and constant air-conditioned underground malls.  The family buy a Singapore transport pass for 20 SGD per person this gives them unlimited access to the MTR and buses for the next 3 days.  

Talking to the birds, aside from Jurong bird park they reckon eating peanuts and throwing them on the floor at Raffles is really exciting.  Toni remembers drinking Singapore slings for 12 SGD a few years ago, though no doubt things are more like 50 SGD now

The first stop on the MTR tour is Marina Sands hotel where you can pay to go to the 26th floor to view the city.  This is not the tallest in Singapore there are three buildings with over 66 floors with the most floors being 68.  Lucy is sure we are now in a frying pan.  Perhaps she is right. Maybe I have been kidnapped and taken half way round the world as a unique delicacy for some foodie tycoon who want Kakapo chop suey.  Squawk, squawk! get me out of here.  I can see the very rich people in the distance swimming in the infinity pool looking down over the eliptical edge.  Is this a pre-lunch swim.  Thank goodness they took me out of there.  Where to next.  A bum boat to Robertson Quay.  .  So what is a bum boat.  I had visions of sticking my bum in a hat shaped circular thing and paddling with a wing up the river.  A bum boat is a fast wooden boat with open sides that seats about 30.  They are really quite fast and convenient and the cool breeze is a relief after the frying pan experience.

We don’t quite reach Robinson Quay and again we are on a quick march to Boomerang restaurant to meet Andrew Roche who is patiently waiting after a time glitch on Toni’s Fitbit.  Fitbits are not very good at International time zones and seem to have a time all of their own.

Toni really enjoyed catching up with Andrew.  After a short period of lawyering in Auckland Andrew hit the big time in the Far East.  His young family see good bursts of his time when he wings his way home to work in New Zealand, though he needs to be in Singapore most of the time near his customers.  Where to next  - my feet hurt and haven’t I only had a few hours rest.

The schedule continues to the Singapore Science Museum out near Jurong.  Please can I go to the bird park....  No, more education and I have to say it really was good.  Apparently John reckons you could spend a week here and even I have to admit I found the museum amazing.  We continued the theme from Sydney with more light and optical illusions that left me wondering about dimensions, virtual reality and do we really exist or are we an arranged perception of molecules and maybe I’m just a virtual reflection of times past.  Is a molecule real or perceived.  Oh dear how does a Kakapo really understand String theory or Quantum theory.  Perhaps I need to take a course in Quantum physics.

At six o’clock we were thrown out and we headed back to the hotel.  The kids head for a swim in the pool with a perfect temperature.  John happily lols about for 10 minutes until time is called!  Not more…. Oh yes, time for Chinatown!

Off we head on the MTR to Dhoby Gaut to change for Chinatown.  My feet, my poor feet.  Chinatown is alive, market stalls, food stalls and exciting smells everywhere.  We settle for the seafood restaurant where we promptly order duck leg - really - eating birds again!.  The food was delicious especially washed down with two large Tigers (beer) and Watermelon juice for the kids.  Not such a cheap meal, though fantastic flavours.  

So shopping - all kept under control until now.  Sammy sees a chicken that makes a ridiculous noise and promptly spends 3 SGD on it.  These kids have no consideration for my sensitivites!  Lucy grabs a bag for 3 SGD and some key rings for 2 SGD and everyone is then happy to finally go to sleep.  30 seconds after their heads hit the pillow life is peaceful.  The night is all mine….

A Journey to Mount Doom - 17 June - scribed by John

A journey to mount doom...

Assault on the senses. Every home and garden must have ornament for sale on the roadside from 10m high buddas to mirror tiled coffee tables to wood carvings, stone carvings, weavings, silversmiths, obscenely large and large and obscene! Small bird cousins in cages, large noisy roosters ready for fisticuffs.

As the road climbs higher we move to fruits. mandarins, melons, huge Balanise orange fruits that are so large they defy gravity and hang from wholly unsuitably small stalks.

Elephant cave temple - 1100 years old rediscovered in the 1920s a veritable Indiana Jones valley of fallen statues, natural springs, rock carvings, under ground temples and a guide to show us how new buildings keep the site as a living place of worship and meditation. A tranquil oasis.

Villages smaller, road more uneven but then a convoy of trucks laying a wide new tourist quality highway up the hill.

Traffic police vehicle check - the drivers licence with money folded inside isn't enough and cigarettes are required also. First of four more that we encounter. Month end bills must be due.

Rice paddy fields, verdant green jungle below the road then almost into the clouds and the volcanic crater rim with restaurants built way out over fresh air with the roughest looking of concrete. Flimsy enough to make any self respecting Kakapo a little nervous.

Looking out into the large crater with lake and doom like peak at the centre. A sea of black lava lies below with trucks swarming around it like ants, taking it away to build with elsewhere.

Driving back through Ubud. It's smarter than its neighbours. Has a bit of a Queenstown brashness about it. Organic coffees and traditional Italian cuisine. Hmmm. We'll see its' soul when we stay later this week.

Who's Maverick - 13 June Scribed by James

This is Maverick the kakapo

He is from the forest and has very few kakapo friends because his kind are near extinction.  Maverick wished he could fly but he was too heavy, in fact, the kakapo is the heaviest breed of parrot in the world!.

Maverick loved klimbing. He klimbed trees, kliffs, walls -  anything, because, his amazing hooked beak was ideal for klimbing. Maverick didn't need to climb all the way down , the last bit of the klimb he could drop, because he used his wings to break the fall.

One day Maverick got annoyed about the fact he kouldn't fly, so annoyed he muttered a lot of bad words to himself. He was fuming! He was like a bomb, armed and ready. Then, Maverick heard a noise, it grew louder and louder. It rumbled and grumbled and roared!

Maverick's curiosity took over, he looked up to see a plane climbing high into the sky. This left Maverick in a day dream watching this metal flying bird. In the end , Maverick discovered he didn't need wings to fly. Because his wings were there.

Maverick found an open bag and looked in to find food and snacks. He krept in and then snap! The bag zipped shut, and waved side to side. He was almost sick. Once the bag stopped swaying, he found himself in a great big container. It was weird! There were panels where light came through and nothing else. He, Maverick the kakapo, was in a car. It started to rumble and started to roar. Then to his surprise, it didn't go chomp and turn him into Kentucky fried kakapo, instead it started to purr then leapt as it shot off in first gear. Maverick started to tremble and started to panic,but as soon as he got out of the bag he saw featherless and coatless monkey-things. He was awe at the size of them comparing to him stowed away in the Kathmandu bag.

He learnt that these creatures were humans and they were not going to eat him.then he came to a place where there's so many creatures and then he heard a familiar noise it was the giant metal birds yet there was ten of them all lined up with different kolours and with little kars loading them up with fuel and bags. Maverick was watching and then the bag got picked up and he went under a seat and a
loud whirr and people chatting and baby's crying then whoooooosh Maverick was shaking and trembling with excitement that he was about to fly.

Kakapos in Sydney 14 June - scribed by Sammy

Maverick the kakapo continues his adventure around the world after flying for the first time. He wakes up in Bruno Bouchet's house looking forward to a day in Sydney. After breakfast he sets off to walk to the train station. At the train station we get our tickets and aboard the train (choo choo).The train was a nice fast ride underground. At the station we had to switch trains and after five minutes we were in the center of Sydney. Maverick met Bruno's sister and then Maverick  went to art museum with lots of cool lights unfortunately maverick didn't go in most of the rooms because it was to bright� . When we had finished looking at all the rooms we had hot chocolates with Bruno. We went to an old restaurant that we had gone to the first time we went to Australia. We were hoping to eat desert pizzas but they stopped making them� . But they still had normal pizzas. After that we had to wait ages for our flight to Bali when maveric encounters his second flight.

Kakapo - Kulture Shock - Bali - 15 June

Kakapo Kulture Shock 15 June - Maverick scribed by Toni

Having arrived late last night, i found my way into the garden beneath a rather strange looking tree covered in ants.  At the base of the tree was a statue swathed in cloth and adorned with flowers.  How strange.  Perhaps it is a Balinese Garden gnome.  After my second flight, very little sleep, very bad food and 6 hours in a very big plane on an airline called Jetstar  I couldn’t help but sleep despite my strange surroundings.

I woke this morning to lots of loud noises.  Are they cicadas?  No! I’m told the sound is lots of motorbikes.  What an insult to my ancient ears.  

After breakfast - lots of yummy fruit for me - Pawpaw, watermelon, star fruit etc. John said we were to go shopping!

We need food for breakfasts, veges and sandals for John and Sam as well as sunhats for James, Lucy, Sam and Dad.  OK, I thought!

Looking out the car window, there was traffic everywhere.  Thousands and thousands of motorbikes that insulted my ears as early as 5:00 a.m. lots of cars all communicating by beeping.  How does this work?  this seemed like total Khaos.  No-one shouts here, everything is peaceful, everyone lets everyone in.  So much traffic though no stresss.

Our first stop was the fish market.  Apparently Toni wanted to go here.  How can we even stop here I thought.  People everywhere! cars everywhere!  We were whistled into a parking spot by a man with a  referee’s whistle.  He was paid 2000 rupiah and then we got out.  Sammy complained loudly about the heat and this did not stop until he made it back to the swimming pool.  The children climbed out of the car and looked at their mother with disdain - what do you mean by bringing us here they were thinking.  The first stop was a vege stall, Everything was packed into plastic bags - I was truly horrified.  Where can all this plastic go?  Why not use a basket or paper bags?  I found out a few days later when Uncle Tutnik pointed out the rubbish dump.  Too many plastic bottles, too many bags all piled high on a giant heap as tall as the buildings that surround us.  What to happens to the sea when all the plastic flows in?  My worries for Bali are endless, though not for the heart of the people.

Balinese children were playing, whilst mothers shopped. They all looked happy and healthy and as Toni pointed out to Sam, they weren’t whining about the heat.  Lucy stared in shock and James wondered where he could find a RC hobby shop.  Toni told James that in Singapore they would probably find one at the Science Museum.  They certainly would not find one in the fish market.

Uncle Tutnik took the family to a big shopping centre where all their needs were attended to.  Luckilly I was able to stay in the air conditioning and sleep quietly as is my habit.  It was great to have an hour of peace from the children constantly bantering.  Uncle Tutnik met friends and talked with the other drivers.  My feathers are fizzy in the heat, my old Kakapo feet are sore from the concrete and my ears….

The family returned with their needs and Sam’s cries were finally met with a return to Jimbaran, our first Indonesian meal in the little Warung around the corner.  I munched on leaves next to the Koi pond whilst the kids sampled the delights of coconut juice and stir fried excitement of various kinds.  It is good to see them eating their vegetables.  The children returned to their favourite past time of swimming and Toni enjoyed a massage from Sumi.  The best part of my day was when a cockroach jumped from the massage table - Sumi stamped on it and I was able to crunch through the rest of the juicy fat tasty morsel.  Sammy wanted a massage so Sumi also set to work on Sammy.  This is the sort of life I think this young man would like to become accustomed.

John cooked dinner and the children begged for sleep….. Ahhh peace at last and a glorious though warm garden to relax and ponder in.

Maverick the Kakapo takes flight for the very first time - 13 June

Flight No.1, Australia -  Lucy scribing for Maverick

Squaaaawk! It's me, Maverick the kakapo reporting on the flight to Australia! I was quite thrilled I was flying for the first time, because if you have brain, you would know that kakapo are flightless birds and being one of the lucky kakapos to be able to fly is quite an ecstatic thought. We are
waiting at the Queenstown airport and there is quite a lot of time before takeoff. The family decided
to go to the cafe to eat. (I couldn't eat any of the food because I can only eat the berries of certain plants, it's quite inconvenient.) Sam, being clumsy and silly as usual, knocked his water all over James's trousers. I, and everyone else thought that James looked hilarious, though John was grumpy at Sam for spilling the water AND forgetting his phone. After having the food, they went off to look at some shops. The kids went to the remarkable sweet shop OBVIOUSLY! (They didn't
even give me some sweets.) Sam was nice enough to donate a Wham! bar to Lucy, she was looking at some other sweets when she got attacked from behind. Her best friend, (though in my opinion she is far to loud and energetic) Renee, and Lucy's other good friend Mikayla had come to pick up their Aunty and happened to be in the sweet shop. (I personally love sweet shops and have realised by now that they are kid magnets.)

After the visit to the sweet shop Lucy said goodbye to Renee and Mikayla and went back to the cafe table. Toni went with the kids and said they could get something. James got some chewy gumball things and Lucy got a bubble gum birds egg. Luckily, it was made of bubblegum and wasn't an actual birds egg. (Or even worse, a kakapo egg.) Lucy got the sour ball out of the middle of the egg and gave it to James. The effect was immediate. James's face made weird and interesting shapes. At one point his face looked like a very very old man's face and not his own face. By then it was time to go into the terminal.

After going through customs, the family did some shopping, buying everything from headphones to delicious lion bar bites. Finally, it was time to board the plane.

It seems that unfortunately, I had to stay in my bag (which I thought was inconvenient because kakapos need their space.) and couldn't have a go on those weird interactive touch-screen TVs on the back of the seats that my family were using. They were so into whatever that were doing, you could set a firework above them and they wouldn't even blink, apart from when they needed to blink. The flight service people gave everyone a choice of food: chicken salad, fish and the most preferred, beef pie. They were served in plastic containers that looked like they contained space food, but this was plane food so it wasn't far off from that. Apart from that, the food didn't look to bad, even though the mashed potato was orange and the greens were floppy and not a rich green colour like my glorious plumage. I am also intrigued by how they magically conjuncture up food from behind the curtain at the end of the plane. For a short part of the way, James had enough brains to take a time-lapse of the flight, but not to remove enough apps and photos to store it. After the main course the air flight people magicked up some tea, coffee and softdrinks. That magic must be pretty powerful because they made some really good chocolateappear. ( Or so I'm told because they didn't consider giving me some.)

After two and at half hours of sitting and pondering about how the air flight people magicked up food and how those weird TV things worked we finally landed at Sydney in Australia. I was feeling tired from the flight and it was a great comfort when Lucy cuddled me when we were driving to Bruno's house. Oh! I forgot, you don't know who Bruno is. Bruno Bouchet is an amazing writer who wrote the book "Lab Rats".  Though, I have to be a good kakapo because professor Xanax might give me ugly human arms or do something even worse! Check it out here

http://brunobouchet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Lab-Rats-in-Space.mp3

Apart from this I quickly realised that there was another risk, Blix! Blix is a fluffy, curly, kakapo destroyer (more commonly known as a soft coated wheaten terrier or a dog), so, while I am telling Lucy this story to write down, (if you had a small brain you would know that kakapos have claws which are terrible for iPad screens.) I am hiding in my bag hoping Blix can't find me. Oh well, I guess that's all for now, so I'll see you next time you read a blog. Squawk!

Glenorchy Nimbys - Nitpickers and Anti Competitionites

When you read the newspaper articles covering the recent resource consent hearing you are made to think that the opposing submitters are NIMBY'S, nitpickers and anti-progress, they want you to think that the most fervent person opposing is mentally unstable, they want you to think that anyone whom has a business is anti-trade competition.  WHY?

As summed up by one of the supporting submitters whom was specifically asked to speak last. "Sometimes the Process got in the way".

Perhaps the real reason is they really don't want you to understand the true WHY?

The reason the resource consent had to be notified was due to 'Camp Glenorchy' applying to obtain permission to do things outside the Vision Plan and outside the District Plan.

I don't believe there is one person who is a complete 'anti' - most people realise that there is no stopping a project when there is provision for future growth in zoning for the progress of the town.  There is a great framework to be very creative in the Vision plan and District plan - i.e. the framework decided through proper process as to the way Glenorchy can be developed.  Equally 'Camp Glenorchy' can apply to go outside these plans and equally people can object through the submission process.

If at this point you want to put this blog into context here are some links:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-lakes/323451/oio-consent-missing-purchase
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11410084
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/66628780/Glenorchy-rift-ripping-the-town-apart

Glenorchy Entrance changes - Why the opposing submitters have raised their concerns.

Can you imagine the entrance to Glenorchy.  Our current vision plan included the planting of trees to make a true entranceway to Glenorchy.  These were duly planted and have 10 years growth on them.  This picture is Milbrook - can you imagine cutting out a large section of these trees and putting in natives where the equivalent of Camp Glenorchy will be.

Now think about setbacks - there is a 10 metre building setback on the plans which was agreed to in the original subdivision - this is to keep the look of the entrance into town.  'Camp Glenorchy have said that this does not apply to them on a legal interpretation of poorly drafted rules.

Imagine now that you have the back area of cabins built right up to 5 metres from the road.  How does the entrance-way to Glenorchy feel now?  Would 10 metres that is in the plans feel better?  Now imagine where cars will naturally want to park if the back of the place they are staying is right by the road even if there is a carpark for them on the site.  Add the footpath along the road behind these accommodation facilities.  

Building Heights - Why are there objections to 7.5 metres

There was a meeting in 2012 with Scott Figgenshow from council with regards to the Glenorchy township section of the next district plan.  No-one could agree on anything except for the building height remaining at 5.5 metres.  So how did that suddenly change?  Don't try and read the minutes of the GCA meeting this changed in, ask someone that was at the meeting how this really was decided on.  Ask if it was on the agenda, ask how many paid up members voted on the item that was not on the agenda?  Was any process followed let alone the Glenorchy Community Association constitution?  There were lots of people at that meeting - the majority attached to 'Camp Glenorchy' in some way.  If process isn't followed, how is any decision legitimate?  Has everyone in town had a chance to speak to the motion or even consider it?  How can they if they don't have this on the agenda?  How can they plan to be there if the agenda itself is not out till just before the meeting.

The lawyers in the hearing were first saying that the Camp Glenorchy height breech didn't set a precedent and then next pointing out the trees and other buildings in town that already breech the 5.5 metre height limit.  Personally I would love to be able to build to 7.5 metres in Glenorchy township, as well as probably every commercial operator in town.  Does the township really think it is okay for Camp Glenorchy and no-one else.  Does this cause commercial disadvantage to the other operators in town when another commercial establishment is allowed to be a nearly 50% higher?

Impact of Camp Glenorchy 'Scale' - Why objections to the scale?

Extract from the District Plan for Glenorchy:-

“the purpose of the Township Zones is to maintain low density residential character
interspersed [scattered among or between things; placed here and there]with a 
number of non-residential activities”

Why have the submitters got concerns with the scale?
Will the numbers in visitor accommodation in the township exceed the residents?
Is there any planning for these sort of visitor numbers let alone the extra numbers of day visitors as a result? Has the GCA made a submission for the new district plan on how this is to be managed?
Have the GCA really thought about this before sending in a submission saying everyone is totally for this?  Have the GCA members read and understood the resource consent application?
Is this staged incremental low density growth when you compare it to the township of Glenorchy?

The submitters posing these questions are not against progress, not against Glenorchy and they are not star struck by the promise of the positive aspects of the plan.  The submitters are realists looking for the best for Glenorchy just like everyone else.  By people seeing the submissions for what they are:- i.e. as dialogue towards the best outcome, hopefully we all be a few steps closer to what is best for Glenorchy as a home, a workplace, a town and a place for all our visitors.