RobiNZ Personal Blog

The Big Bike Film Night Matinee ride

Back in early May I, guiltily, DROVE to The Big Bike Film Night in Avondale. It was due the grim evening weather; sporadic torrential rain and the thought of sitting in damp clothes for a few hours didn't really appeal. The Hollywood is a great venue, and it was awesome to see a huge turnout for Brett's evening of cycling inspiration. The quality and wide subject range of films—from bike packing adventure, amazing MTB families, endurance cycling on vintage bikes, e-bike enabling mobility, and school commuting, to name a few—year after year is amazing. Even the pre-run promotions, many of... Read more →

The Big Bike Film Night 2022 | Time Out 2021-22

I delayed my second Waikato/Taupo trip a week to be in Auckland for a long-anticipated event. Thanks to COVID-19 lockdown and gathering limit delays the The Big Bike Film Night 2022 was only a few months after the delayed TBBFN 2021! Cycling to the bike movies From home it is a short suburban ride to the nearest (of so many) screening in Avondale. I previously went to the Devenport/Auckland City screenings (after work) so was a novelty to see it out West. Giro ready to roll Crossing Waikumete Stream near home, would reunite with it later tonight. Towards New Lynn...... Read more →

Mission accomplished Iguazú (Argentinian) Falls | Antarctic Mission Log 17

After yesterday's rain it was nice to see the morning sun. Parque Nacional Iguazu, the Argentinian side of the falls, involves much more walking and a full day outdoors. After a repeat of yesterdays shuttle, coach transfer (with an underwhelming 'gift store' stop along the way) to the park we got on a small train. It transfers you from the visitor hub (bottom of the picture below) to the Devils Throat access walkway (top left). From the train long metal walkways led to the falls. The calm before the falls One benefit of mucking around taking photos, is getting left... Read more →

Antarctic sounds and not sleeping on ice | Antarctic Mission Log 06

Sometimes procrastination is beneficial. Had I written this post closer to the time, November 2019, it would have been very different. As I wrote the initial draft, several months later, some sad news further increased the significance of this remarkable experience. It changed what I had to write, adding another storyline which strangely paralleled aspects of the first. I have abandoned and revisited this several times since then. Not the usual writers block of what to say, more not knowing how to express an experience which was the culmination of a near four-decade journey. That is why (although backdated to... Read more →

Antarctic Mission–A travel itinerary of movie soundtracks and a podcast hero?

I seem to have developed a rather strange way of deciding on a travel itinerary. I cycled (nearly) to Mt Everest, which was amazing, but I never had the longing some have to visit it. I went because an unexpected opportunity to visit an amazing place coincided with a great bunch of people to travel with. That I got to visit a unique part of the world, long connected with New Zealand (thanks to pioneering adventurers and more recent adventure travellers) was just a bonus. One memorable part of the journey was listening to some music, part of my lifelong... Read more →

A Big Bike Film night lesson!

Great night last night; Big Bike Film night feature “The Moment” (at the Academy Cinema) on the birth of freeride mountain biking. Amazing riding often captured with huge (by today's stds) cine/video cameras on neck breaking helmet cams. My orignal plan to train in (so wouldn't arrive a sweaty puddle) and bike home was foiled by not feeling up to cycling thanks to an odd sinus/head cold thing I've had going on. Was mostly over it but decided to take it easy. Should have done it though, would have got home quicker! The Aotea carpark was full so I ended... Read more →

TEDx Auckland — 2013 remembered, bring on 2014!

While buying my ticket to TEDx Auckland 2014 remembered I’d never gotten around to writing a post about the 2013 event. Earlier this year there was some flack about TED, prompted it seems by some ‘dubious’ TEDx events. From my experience at TEDx Auckland it certainly wasn’t one of those. The Aotea Centre was full, the speakers uniformly excellent and it covered a wide variety of topics. In his intro MC @VaughnDavis (below right) made a comment which summed up my TEDx experience. He said with TED on-line you tend to self censor, focus on the familiar, topics of interest.... Read more →

Amazon’s ‘Recommended For You’… Got me!

I was watching a documentary about Facebook which, in part, mentioned how their adverts are targeted: “Going by the ads I see Facebook thinks I want an AMEX card, a new kitchen, a cinema ticket, a Honda and a holiday in Rotorua. That's zero correct.” Then a bit later: “The ads now think I still want a Honda, tickets to cricket, AMEX Platinum and affordable wall art. Oh, and Facebook marketing. No, no, no, no and no!” On the other hand, Amazon’s ‘Recommended For You’ is absolutely spot on. I had actually banned myself from purchasing any new media until... Read more →

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra Flash mob in Wellington

Members of The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra with guitarist Justin Firefly Clarke performing the track 'The Ride' from the Good for Nothing feature film soundtrack. Composed by John Psathas. Video by Bryson Rooney. http://www.goodfornothingmovie.com/ http://www.nzso.co.nz/ Read more →

'An Honest Liar’ - The Story of the Amazing James Randi

Sometime over the holiday break, one of those frequent rubbish days of a summer not to remember, I stumbled upon the documentary film ‘Being Elmo’ on a Sky channel. It was a fascinating look at Kevin Clash's life and career to as the man behind Elmo. Although released a few weeks back I just heard an interview with ‘Being Elmo’ Editor Writer Justin Weinstein about his next project: 'An Honest Liar’ - The Story of the Amazing James Randi: On James Randi’s An Honest Liar – Token Skeptic podcast Episode One Hundred And Eight A first for the Token Skeptic... Read more →