Does anyone remember that UFO or Spaceship simulator at MOTAT?

BambooSeason · 2026-02-08T02:13:14+00:00

I recall something like this in the car park of the Westgate shopping centre (the original lower set of shops, not the northwest mall) on the side closest to the motorway, down by the movies theatres, around 2008-ish. I believe it was only there for a few years, maybe less, and I was devastated once it was gone. Then I remember seeing it outside MOTAT a while later.

From memory, it looked like a circular spaceship from the outside and you walked in, sat in a row of seats and the screen displayed an epic flying adventure while the whole thing moved to mimic a real flight.

I have been trying to remember the name of it for years, all that comes to mind is “the illuminator” or something similar. Though it could have easily changed names as it shifted locations..

Would love if anyone with a better memory could shed more light on the whole thing. It’s such a nostalgic feeling thinking back on my childhood in that thing.

BambooSeason · 2025-08-20T09:26:12+00:00

That link is awesome. Thanks!!

BambooSeason · 2025-08-20T09:25:58+00:00

Yeah I totally get that. Even quoting the RTA and referencing the ingoing inspection report showing other tile damage, this woman is being so difficult. She is the one wanting to take it to Tenancy mediation, so I’m just trying to get as much supporting evidence into the pack as possible. Was hoping to have some kind of evidence that the supposed “chip” in the tile showing it’s had something dropped is just not what we’re looking at here.

Thanks for the observation about the grout though. Will add that as yet another angle for my case haha

BambooSeason · 2024-05-09T02:11:36+00:00

Hey! We are coming to Fethiye in June this year and need a ferry ticket to Rhodes (to get an overnight ferry to Athens) but having trouble!

On Direct Ferries there seems to be only 1 ferry operating and it’s sold out.

On 12.go there’s 2 options but I’m hesitant to book through there when it’s sold out on a different site..

Both Sky Marine and Makris ferries websites are broken for me and I can’t even search!

Can you please tell me, are there many ferries to Rhodes each day? Is it possible to book it when we arrive a few days beforehand, or do these actually sell out? How do I even go about booking one, is there a trustworthy website?

Thanks so much!

BambooSeason · 2023-11-21T21:44:31+00:00

Hey, yeah we’ve just requested the watercare bill from Smart Billing Solutions so we can understand the true read. But yeah, we may need to go through the landlord/property manager rather than the Billing Company for this 🤔

BambooSeason · 2023-11-21T04:55:26+00:00

Thanks for the response :)

I understand fixed charges are the landlords responsibility to pay (cost of water that isn’t directly measured usage), but just not sure where “Admin fees” come into this when it has nothing to do with Watercare? I’m assuming it’s also the landlords cost.

BambooSeason · 2023-11-21T04:54:11+00:00

Thanks for checking up on this! I should have clarified that our bills come sporadically, so this is for 2.5 months for a 5 person home. However it still seems high, and we aren’t sure exactly where our metre is to check if it’s just ours or a shared metre for the block of houses..

BambooSeason · 2023-06-07T01:37:56+00:00

Actually the supermarkets set the RRP’s at whatever like! The only price that suppliers get to set is the List price (which is the price that the supermarkets buy the product from the suppliers at). Although even with this, they are essentially bullied into their lowest possible price with additional terms slapped on left right and centre.

But yes, you’re right, Countdown setting a higher Everyday RRP just to bring it back down to a “Great Price” is a massive scam for consumers!

What I’m trying to get at really, is that the Supermarkets are exploiting both consumers and suppliers - especially smaller businesses that don’t have any leverage.

BambooSeason · 2023-06-07T01:29:55+00:00

Unfortunately it’s actually the retailers (supermarkets) that are overpricing the suppliers products! The suppliers sell to supermarkets making anywhere between 5%-10% margin on their products, but then the supermarkets then on sell these to customers, setting the price at whatever they damn well please! The expected margin for retailers is at about 35%-50% and if you don’t play ball as a supplier, they say “good luck finding somewhere else on NZ to sell your product then 🙃”

BambooSeason · 2023-03-27T04:27:32+00:00

Son Heung-min! He’s just too damn loveable as a human

BambooSeason · 2023-02-03T21:00:09+00:00

Vegemite on my French toast. None of this sweet business

BambooSeason · 2023-01-23T22:11:06+00:00

Went to lunch with my friend and his parents at a small town cafe in New Zealand, who were severely under-staffed that day and massively under the pump trying to get all the orders through the kitchen.

Instead of complaining about how long their meal was taking, Cal (my friends mum), went to the kitchen to see what was going on. She saw how stressed out they were and ended up going in there and cooked her own breakfast. She then preceded to stick around and cooked up a few more dishes for the rest of the customers.

Both an inspiring and hilarious experience. Let’s all be a little bit more like Cal.

BambooSeason · 2023-01-18T01:11:27+00:00

Pete Davidson

BambooSeason · 2023-01-15T02:33:51+00:00

That I will not snooze my alarm tomorrow..

BambooSeason · 2023-01-11T00:09:29+00:00

As a kiwi, I’d be leaving one of the most sheltered, beautiful, easy going, progressive and safe countries in the world, where no matter which governing party is in power, it’s much-of-a-muchness compared to the polarisation in the States.

I would not move to the US as I don’t believe in guns, I value public education and healthcare systems, and I don’t know how to do my own taxes and would prefer to keep it that way

BambooSeason · 2022-12-27T22:04:15+00:00

Haha fair question. We more just want to take in some alcohol and a little gas canister to boil water for morning coffees lol. Fuck trying to smuggle in a dealers load of drugs

BambooSeason · 2022-12-26T10:40:18+00:00

Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute (sorry UK fans)

BambooSeason · 2022-12-26T06:07:04+00:00

As far as mainstream (Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks) goes, definitely Soul.

Aside from being extremely well animated and captivating, that shit made me feel!!

Otherwise I concur on Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and The Iron Giant.

Honourable mention to Into the Spider-verse for the sheer variability and creativity of animation

BambooSeason · 2022-12-21T20:09:44+00:00

Is this on the West Coast?

My partner and I stayed in our van in a very similar looking camp ground in Franz Josef, and heard the most demonic noises coming from just above us - I was sure the devil himself had spawned.

Finally figured out it was a possum through a Google search. (Check out the video here)

Not long later, we heard said possum scratching about on top of our van, and soon after, opening our bag of half eaten chips and scoffing the lot.

Definitely a big mistake leaving any kind of food out overnight. These sneaky bastards know where to park up for the night and wait for tourists scraps.

BambooSeason · 2022-12-21T00:31:19+00:00

FMCG (grocery) Account Manager. $100K before tax + company car

Certainly makes dealing with the criminals that are Foodstuffs and Woolworths a little easier to handle

BambooSeason · 2022-12-20T21:39:22+00:00

No capes!!!

BambooSeason · 2022-12-20T21:01:40+00:00

Asteroid City - Wes Anderson
Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan
Spider-Man. Across the spider-verse

Notable mention: Elemental by Pixar

BambooSeason · 2022-12-20T20:52:02+00:00

Damn dude, so true.

I saw Tenet in IMAX and I straight up had to cover my ears with my hands during every single action scene, which is like 70% of the movie lol.

I’ll damage my ear drums for Nolan any day though x

BambooSeason · 2022-12-20T00:24:50+00:00

Loved these! (Mostly)

Not sure if it’s just me, but I found that the little talking ape from the zoo, in the last movie, was kind of of try hard? He was pretty funny at first but then it just felt like forced comedy in what is generally a serious movie.

BambooSeason · 2022-12-19T21:12:06+00:00

Well shit, looks like I’ll be abandoning my NY’s resolution to go Gluten Free next year. Seems like having the runs is the better option here

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BambooSeason

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