The top 20 are below.  You wonder how appropriate some of the measures are, though: they seem to be based on economic factors as much as anything else.

We remember sitting in the station waiting room in Finse in Norway (surrounded by snow despite being mid-summer) a few years ago with a couple of French backpacker/campers, who gave us their opinion that Norwegians are as cold as the climate. The Swiss don’t have a reputation for being much better.

The report (pdf)

1. Norway (7.537) 2. Denmark (7.522) 3. Iceland (7.504) 4. Switzerland (7.494) 5. Finland (7.469) 6. Netherlands (7.377) 7. Canada (7.316) 8. New Zealand (7.314) 9. Australia (7.284) 10. Sweden (7.284) 11. Israel (7.213) 12. Costa Rica (7.079) 13. Austria (7.006) 14. United States (6.993) 15. Ireland (6.977) 16. Germany (6.951) 17. Belgium (6.891) 18. Luxembourg (6.863) 19. United Kingdom (6.714) 20. Chile (6.652)

As they are universally referred to in America; here, more often than not ‘the loo.’  These were painted by local volunteers of the Waikanae Beach Residents Society over the last week.

a 1952 Ford Popular — ‘who’d’a thunk you’d hot rod one of them?’

This was well attended by those who turned up to see about 150 cars from the 1940s — 1970s (and a few outside that range); some standard restored and a lot modified, nearly all American makes with a few Australian and British. “No Jappas” meant no Japanese (a reference to cars, not people 🙂 ).

Upon the multi-car ‘All Fired Up’ at Noon, you could have been excused for thinking that you had arrived on the set of a Mad Max movie, but there were also more gentille things to look at, including the fashion parade for young girls and older girls (above).  Cr Buswell a.k.a. Ange of Superminx was one of the two judges, but the crowd also got to choose their favourite.

According to the KIN website, Wayne Maxwell, Group Manager, Corporate Services says, Our investigations confirm that there was an inaccuracy as a result of human error, and we apologize.

This related to an incorrect statement in the council minutes about the adoption of new standing orders: they were not adopted unanimously (see earlier post).

• corrected minutes for the Council Meeting in question will be resubmitted
• KCDC’s OIA response to Ms Padamsey will be corrected and sent to her.

We say well done, Salima!  These days you are doing well to have a business or government organisation even admit it has made a mistake, let alone apologize for it.  The standard attitude is, “We are infallible and do not make mistakes.  If there is a mistake it’s your fault.”

In 2012 the council bought the old 60-hectare turf farm, which is close to the south bank of the Waikanae River not far from the newer footbridge.  This makes it just as relevant to Waikanae people as to those in Paraparaumu/Otaihanga.

In 2014 the KCDC produced this 120-page management plan (unfortunately it is not a believer in user-friendly documents) and is now inviting ratepayer opinions on it and other ideas of your own to turn it into a development plan.

The council webpage on the subject is here

A silver, blue and yellow electric train heads north of the Takapu Road stop (the south end of Tawa). The well-known Bucket Tree is discernible.

With all the attention now given to the ‘Ewy’, the pollution-free electric trains risk being overlooked.  It is a quiet, comfortable, relaxing, and generally quite scenic way for those from The Big Wind to get to Waikanae.  And if you hold a Gold Card then between 9 am and 3 pm, then after 6:30 pm weekdays — and all weekend — it’s free!

It’s just a shame that those living north of Waikanae can’t do likewise.

This is a Facebook Post by Carol Sawyer 1080 POISON LIKE BEING ELECTROCUTED FOR TWO PLUS DAYS, SAYS VET A vet who is prepared to speak out is Dr Howard Ralph BVSc (Hons). MBBS (Hons), MVS (Wildlife Medicine), JCCA Accred (Anaesthesia), Dip TESL, A/D Fine Arts, Cert Ed NSW, Clinical Forensic M O, Manly Sydney, […]

via DEATH BY 1080 POISON IS LIKE BEING ELECTROCUTED FOR TWO PLUS DAYS, SAYS VET — Rangitikei Enviromental Health Watch

pic and comment from Sue Lusk :-

“I think the main stage had a comedian and a balloon tying chappie when I was there – but it was a great atmosphere – crashing plates, a dunking machine”

the east end from this perspective looks like a kiwi

from the change.org website –

KCDC reaffirms that the hedge must be cut!!!

MAR 17, 2017 — We met with KCDC Mayor Gurunathan and General Manager of Infrastructure Services Sean Mallon today for a ‘consultation’ to see if we could reach an agreed outcome. It was very clear from the outset that they had arrived with a predetermined outcome — the hedge will be cut back to the boundary up to 2 metres in height. There was no consultation.

Despite the traffic report commissioned by KCDC saying a stop sign at Fairway Oaks, convex mirrors and a new street light were viable options, and despite the KCDC arborist report saying that the proposed cut will cause irreparable damage to the hedge, and despite the encroachment of the hedge onto “council” land being only one of hundreds in the area, no alternatives to the chainsaw were offered by KCDC. Cars will rule our community: that is their message.

We fear this is just the beginning. The Old Beach area of Waikanae has many boundary aberrations, simply because of it’s age. When many of the boundary plantings were done, there were gravel roads, no curbs, no footpaths.

This action by KCDC will open a can of worms. We think now is the time to tell KCDC to STOP. We don’t want a community designed for cars, we want a community designed for people. Please share this message. We are being bullied. It needs to stop. We need to take this opportunity to tell KCDC that this is our community, we pay the rates and they work for us. They need to listen.

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

Raechel and Vince Osborne