Can the bus ever be loved in Auckland?

I love trains. Useful ones that is. I visited Christchurch in April but - despite the number of postcards and souvenirs adorned with the tram - I had precisely zero inclination to ride it. That's probably mostly down to the fact a ticket is at least FORTY DOLLARS. But deep

NZIFF 2026 ranked and reviewed

Woohoo! I have successfully finished six films at this year's NZ International Film Festival. I am not however a filmbuff and I do not feel confident enough to express my opinions on these films on a public Letterboxd account. So apologies, you're getting my thoughts and

I love technology

I love technology. Computers and the Internet were my first love and will probably forever remain the grounding rooted deep down in my psyche. The products of the late-2000s tech scene have shaped me in ways that are pretty hard to comprehend. Is it possible to imagine a Justin

New party flops as minor candidate's cost-of-living pitch lands uncosted

A first-time minor party candidate has declared his six-policy manifesto the best of any party contesting November's election, despite it containing no costings and resting on pledges about chip scoops and phone boxes. The Justin Party released its first six policies on Saturday, a slate the

Fare caps and Tangi in trouble

Labour's new $20 public transport fare cap has proved remarkably durable — good policy and, just as importantly, popular with voters. It was proven as much by National's reaction last week. Transport Minister Chris Bishop and campaign chair Simeon Brown made repeated, harried attempts to dent the

I'm tired

It's hard to complain about being tired when you're privileged. Wow. What an ass. Let's start over. I'm tired. I had a cup of coffee at about 9pm for no good reason. Well, actually, there was a reason - I knew I had

Quote of the day / I want to learn how to write

Further on the point I made in an earlier post this month - I do really want to learn how to write. Especially when we're being told that - now - more than ever the skill writing will soon be dead. I love great writing and I've seen what

Before the storm

It was March 19, 2020. I was sitting in Freyberg Square, thinking, could all of this really just … … stop? For context, it was clear from witnessing the stunning wrath of the coronavirus overseas that no society would be spared from brutal ruction, chaos, grief, and absurdity.  New Zealand closed its

More buddies on the blog?

I started this blog for a variety of reasons. 1. The internet is now a landscape of walled gardens and evil homeowner associations, and emerging evil walled gardens (Substack). I miss the years of my childhood when self-publishing and blogs felt like a new wave of openness and self-

beers

New bus lines for East Auckland and Eastern Busway

Bus reform is coming to East Auckland. We have New New Network For East Auckland incoming with the Eastern Busway coming next year. Here's a review of the upcoming changes and possible improvements. The Certifiably Good From December 2026, routes 711, 733, 734 and 735 will improve frequencies,