Screwed Corvette

Collected assorted and random thoughts. In no special order here's a cranial dump that's overdue.

This week has already had two nights of convivial company, plenty of food and wine. Well worthwhile in making the world a better place, and further embedding my view that community is far more important than most people care to recognise. Community, not a physical, singular spot but the enriching, caring, philosophising, burden sharing, humour dispensing place that we all require. The food and wine were a small blot in my carcass reduction programme. Thankfully the set screw I stuck in the dial of the scales is holding fast and my belt is fibbing. A small price to pay.

Sunday's ride was quite special, Huia return through French Bay, Laingholm, then out to be broken on the roads. The day was perfect for it, the company excellent and the pain dished out, sublime. Although the low flying, then waddling ducks on the descent down to French Bay were an interesting sideshow before the climbing fest. As always, the end of the seal at Little Huia provides a great place to pause and reflect, and yet again the scenery didn't disappoint. It's incredible that one can be less than thirty kilometres from downtown Auckland and it's a completely different world. Sleepy, rural, historic, almost forgotten, it's a place of magic.

Not far from there, on the treacherous Manukau Bar, in 1863 New Zealand's worst maritime disaster occurred. HMS Orpheus, a Royal Navy corvette on route to delivery supplies for troops engaged in the New Zealand Land Wars, hit the bar, foundered and sank. Out of a complement of 259, 189 crew died. The graves of some of the unknown can still be visited in the regenerating forest on the back of the Cornwallis Peninsula.

I'm pestering the Domestic Tyrant to get me a pass for Fashion Week. She has outfitted the Air NZ VIP lounge, and tomorrow I'm off to photograph that for her, but come the real deal, when models and celebrity will stride the room, sit on the chairs, lie on the beds, and I'm most likely to be banished. This is most unsporting behaviour from her. Just a little charity, that's all I suggest it is.

Mikeal, he of onanistic pride, and I are going to ride from Tapu over to Coroglen return next weekend. He will be on his cyclocross rig, and I will ride my road bike. Partly out of sheer perversity I'm going to ride the road bike, just to show that it can be done, plus I want to make him whimper when we do get back on tarseal. I am looking forward to the long, steep metal sections and giant, mature kauri.

On that note, I'm heading back to continue nagging about Fashion Week.

Sunday's Huia profile.