Truckies won’t rule out more protests

Page 1 of 3 View as a single page Updated 3:42PM Friday July 04, 2008
By Herald reporters

• Your photos of truckies protest
• Herald photos of the truck protest
• Wellington truck protest (nzherald.co.nz)
• Reader video of trucks in Auckland
• Christchurch truck protest (nzherald.co.nz)

Truck blockade

• Queen St – home to cappucino commuters and logging trucks
• Clark says backdown on road user charge price rise unlikely

Protesting truckies say they will not rule out future strikes, despite meeting with the Ministry of Transport secretary this afternoon.
The Road Transport Forum chief executive Tony Friedlander said the ministry and industry are working together to scope out a review of the Road User Charges.
Protest organisers say about 2000 trucks took part in today’s protest in Auckland alone while other main centres were also blocked-up by heavy trucks.

Hauliers blocking roads and cities comes to NZ. They drove up the urban motorway in Wellington and so we could see them from our house, as the weather was clear and fine this morning, though that did not last. It was so sad, as Sara kept looking out of the window, and wanted me to find the binoculars so she could see better. She has been living here tooooooooo long.

Sara managed to remember our wedding anniversary this year-29th June for those who need to know. As such we went out for dinner on Saturday night to a French restaurant”Le Canard”. We enjoyed the food and wine and the pleasant surrouundings. We were mixing with the famous as Kerry Prendergast ,  was sitting at the table next to us. I am happy to report that I have never voted for her, and that she is the last person I wanted elected. However, you cannot have everything.
I tried to pronounce the menu in my best French, and the waiter was very pleasnt about correcting me.
We left to be rained upon, took the cab home. I went to bed, as up early for work on Sunday morning, while Sara stayed up with E to watch a film. So romantic!

Isaac was the centre of attention along with 100 other young people being confirmed at St. Andrews Church Newlands.

He had done alot of preparation with dad and in his group sessions. He has choosen Paul as his confirmation name. The day as a busy one with dad working in the morning and then on the the way back getting a puncture. With the mobile phone being at home rather than in the car, it meant a walk to the house, phoning the breakdown, and rushing back to the car. All this in the worst weathr so far this winter, with pouring rain and galeforce winds. A cold wet dad by the time the spare tyre was on. Home in time to rush to the church. Dad was the official photographer also, so needed to be there early to set up. Church was packed and certain level of mayhem in place. The event went well in the end, though with a certain lack of panash in view of  the size of the gathering. A jaunt back home for a roast dinner in the warmth, and “champagne” all round.

The first bottle of homebrew, opened and smelt and tasted. A fine drop I must say.
A good head and bubbles on first pouring and a relatively sweet taste rather than bitter.
Only 50 more bottles to go.
I must decide what I will do next on the variety front. I have kept the old fridge to allow cool prolonged fermentation for lager beers.
Time will tell the effect on the insides.

So the winter solstice comes around. From now on we can look forward to longer days. Winter is now here, though the coldness has been around for a while.

Other cyclical events-Germany look poor only to win the knock out game and into the semis of another major tournament, and meanwhile Holland flatter to deceive. Next up will Spain wilt as usual and Italy come good after looking rubbish.
The TAB is taking a little more off me.

I have been slow on the updating front, maybe I could blame it on watching too much television. Certainly there is enough on, especially with Euro 2008. The games are on form 6-45, and so suit watching football with coffee and toast. The games I think overall have been good, though I am currently writing this watching Turkey -Croatia, which is not a thriller so far. It makes it all th easier that England are no even in the the tournament. It is much easier to watch and enjoy the game without the emotional investment and subsequent pain. Of course the Germans managed to beat a team I expected to make the final-so bang goes one of my TAB bets. I have Spain for the trophy at 7-1.
At the other end the England rugby team are here. Last Saturday’s game was not great to watch, and I am not expecting too much tonight. We are at a party so will not see it all.

Of course the rugby league continues-life would not be the same without “Friday night football”.

We went to the game, on a freebie thanks to Rebecca and Scott. We ended up sitting in the players family section as debutant player Adam Thomsons’ parents were just in front of us, and the young boy next to Sara was looking for his Dad on the replacements bench. Other family members of the team present generally showed disinterest in proceedings.
The weather was awful. I was wearing my thermals with my heavy coat, hat and gloves, and I was still cold. No wonder Brian O’ Driscoll looked hypothermic at the end of the game.
Ireland had their chance, and did play well in the first 20 minutes, and showed greater initiative, but were creaking in the forwards too early on, and the pressure told.
A good game despite the conditions. The players certainly earned the cash this week.

We would not have gone without the free tickets, and would have watched at home. The stadium was nothing like full, a shocker for Wellington and for a good opponent. Disillusionment with the game for the wider public? RWC hangover? Too expensive and less cash around in current times?
I am sure the bods in NZRU will be concerned.

I had fun yesterday throwing all the stuff into the skip. All ends as rubbish in the end?

Progress has been made, and most of the work has been done. The whole in the ceiling needs fixing, the final bench top is being made, the cuboards need restocking and the floors will need re-polishing, along with some painting. Otherwise it is done!

Progress