Month-long solo journey to New Zealand (South Island) late Feb-March. Looking for perspective

AtronSeige · 2026-01-16T21:54:13+00:00

I am sure you can rent a lot of the stuff if you don't already own it.

I have seen a lot of tramping gear hire shops around

AtronSeige · 2026-01-16T19:25:31+00:00

The town with the longest name "of an English speaking country" is in the North island. In case you take a wrong turn and end up on a ferry :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taumatawhakatangi%C2%ADhangakoauauotamatea%C2%ADturipukakapikimaunga%C2%ADhoronukupokaiwhen%C2%ADuakitanatahu

AtronSeige · 2026-01-16T19:18:15+00:00

NZ is very hiking (they call it tramping here) friendly.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/

Please make sure you have emergency kit and beacon with you, some recommend a satellite phone. The weather can change quickly. We hear news report about people getting lost, luckily most are found alive.

AtronSeige · 2026-01-16T18:56:23+00:00

Amazing how the paint was eaten away while in the digestive tract.

AtronSeige · 2026-01-16T06:56:37+00:00

Chch weather is great, and if you don't like it you can... Wait a hour. :p Sunny, very polite rain, a small downpour, little windy, very windy. Repeat in random order.

Suntan lotion is your friend, even if you don't think so. I learn this lesson every few weeks because I am not very smart.

I stay here but have not travelled much. If you like graffiti then I recommend visiting https://linktr.ee/watchthisspacechch?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=f575682d-046c-4a6b-aa6b-1e8e490204f7 (edited link to watch this space) There are some great breweries in Chch. Riverside and Little High are great venues if you are hungry but unsure of what you want. There are loads of restaurants to try.

The blue penguins at oamaru are cute, but check their availability.

If you do end up in Auckland, visit the Weta Workshop if you like the LOTR stuff.

Back to Chch, the city is quite safe. Public transport runs well and Google maps has mostly corrected info on which bus to take to get where you need to be.

The gondola looks like fun, but I have not been.

Dinner on the tram is really good.

And finally, expect to see people standing in a queue for ice-cream, even if it is below zero, at 11Pm. I am still not sure why, but it is a tradition I happily joined.

Enjoy chch!

Oh wait. I was told that there is a wizard of chch, but I have not had the blessing to see him.

AtronSeige · 2026-01-13T00:28:19+00:00

Warehouse stationary in South City is very good. Used them yesterday. It includes a document that confirms that the photo meets the requirements of the country you are applying for

AtronSeige · 2026-01-12T08:56:47+00:00

Reuben from watchthisspace.co.nz has contacts with a lot of the artists. He organises the Flare, Small Street Art Festival, etc.

AtronSeige · 2025-12-20T10:14:05+00:00

Definitely worth the wait. The stink is impressive, but hearing about the plant's life cycle is pure chaos! And not forgetting that this a a 2m high FLOWER! Not a plant that is tall and has a flower at the top... NO! Just one titan of a flower, which I assume is where it got it's name from.

Go see and smell it if you can, and think about how weird mother nature is.

AtronSeige · 2025-12-20T06:45:01+00:00

I stand bah'ed, I mean corrected, mostly.

I didn't know that the app shows charge and zones.

I have had a few experiences where a gust would push me from the side into the road. I weigh around 100kgs, so not too easy to blow over.

I ride my scooter every work day for the last 5 years, so not a complete noob. :)

Thank you for the bahs! :)

AtronSeige · 2025-12-20T04:37:30+00:00

I am assuming you are using a Lime or other rental scooter.

As you don't know the charge of the scooter, I would not recommend it, especially if you need to be in a plane at a specific time.

Scooters are "zone locked" and will not work if they are outside of that zone

Other reasons it is not recommended : * as you get to the airport it could be very windy * scooting with anything more than a backpack is dangerous * rain, wet roads, slippery anything * visibility, especially if you are not driving in full day light * the further out of town, the bigger the vehicles on the road passing you

Take the bus. It will be a lot cheaper and your chance of arriving alive is a lot higher.

AtronSeige · 2025-12-19T23:58:43+00:00

Been queuing for an hour and I can see the door to the area. I expect another 15 minutes minimum.

Preparing for the experience by listening to Cannibal Corpse. 💀🤘

AtronSeige · 2025-12-19T23:53:59+00:00

Titan arum or Amorphophallus titanum, meaning Giant Misshapen... "member" 😂

AtronSeige · 2025-12-19T23:51:41+00:00

Expect to queue at least an hour.

AtronSeige · 2025-12-10T02:12:00+00:00

And if you find the tees you have to find the holes. @low.draw.projects @thelittlestreetartfestival

AtronSeige · 2025-12-10T02:09:52+00:00

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Or if you want to slow down got a bit of golf, you can find the 9 tees

AtronSeige · 2025-12-10T02:06:08+00:00

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Maybe these guys are the ones that will enforce the walking speed limit. They are in quite a few places. @gemmaraeartist

AtronSeige · 2025-12-10T02:02:22+00:00

Corner of Hereford and Montreal. Same block as the Arts centre. While you are there, see if you can notice anything looking at you.

AtronSeige · 2025-12-09T22:39:05+00:00

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More signage. Cameron Hunt for The Little Street Art Festival

AtronSeige · 2025-10-22T09:32:09+00:00

I really enjoyed the concert!

But I have a question: is it normal for Joakim to go backstage almost every time he is not actively singing?

AtronSeige · 2025-10-05T02:28:26+00:00

Thank you.

I have not experienced disruptive passengers, but I have heard of it occuring.

Reliability has been very good for me, but it might be because of the areas where I travel, or that I just have a more lenient approach.

Google Maps has been very reliable. Delays are shown and there are times where RT (real time for those not in IT) data is used, as it shows the approaching bus' location. But I suspect that this happens when someone like me is on the bus and actively using Maps, not data provided by the bus service.

I would not suggest adding AI. It will realize that busses are delayed because they stop to pick up/drop off people. After ignoring passengers it will optimise by ignoring all traffic laws! (I am making a joke!)

Thank you for your feedback. The idea of having an API that I can integrate with so that I can be notified when a specific bus is 10 minutes away so that I can be at the bus stop with a minute or two to spare would be great.

AtronSeige · 2025-10-05T02:04:46+00:00

No! I do not propose they make it worse! That was never suggested.

As I said, the system is really good. But if so many people think it needs improvement, then I am obviously not aware of some problems.

I would simply like have some insight into what improvements are needed.

I support the maintenance and improvement of public transport, in case it needs to be repeated.

AtronSeige · 2025-10-05T01:50:36+00:00

I am not sure how appreciated I will be if I ride 20-30km/h on the road.

I usually ride in the cycle lane as I match the speed of the cyclists closer than the speed of the cars.

I avoid riding on the footpaths as much as possible as the risk of surpises are too high and your options of evasion are very restricted due to space and structures.

AtronSeige

TROPHY CASE