30 October 2015

Kiwi music of the week. SJD "Saint John Divine"

I think this is the seventh SJD offering , I own four of them and a couple of the collaborations. Each is different in its own right. 

He has some very good videos on you tube - some of them made with the help of NZ on Air.

In the habit of creating some very catchy riffs on each album. I have not seen him live - my bad 

If you want to start somewhere the album " Southern Lights" is hard to go past, and "Songs from a dictaphone" is excellent.


27 October 2015

The Esplanade

Very good place for a drink, meal or "high tea". Devonport. Auckland. 

23 October 2015

French toast from The Square Cafe , Queen St Auckland City.

Simple food done well, this cafe sets the gold standard for this and the coffee, tea and breakfasts are reliably excellent.

11 October 2015

William C Daldy age 76, the only remaining steam tug of its type left.

Lovingly restored and maintained by volunteers from the preservation society. Bought for $1 at the end of its working life .

Web site for Daldy



Steering mechanism and what I assume is the manual emergency wheel.


Starboard engine - cylinder  is above direct drive shaft at bottom.  


Engine room - coal boiler is forward of this area



06 September 2015

Fathers Day

My Dad died three years ago but this was one of his gifts to me --The ability to work out the problem and fix stuff, preferably with the minimum of expense and using materials kept in jars because they "might come in handy later" - and they do. 

His workshop was a little tidier than mine but I definitely have more screw drivers  !!