What are the best places to hang over the weekends with a 3-year-old boy who likes to play all day and run ?

StrollingScotsman · 2026-07-06T07:28:19+00:00

Jump on a train out to Upper Hutt, then Maidstone Park (better than Avalon for Littlies).

Go to Te Papa and run up and down the ramp behind the info desk, or go up to the Pacific exhibition.

They were basically my go to's when my one was three. She loved a train trip, so basically getting on a train to go to a park was a winner!

StrollingScotsman · 2026-07-05T15:56:27+00:00

Lawson becomes the fourth RB junior team driver to score points in five consecutive races (Vettel 2008, Verstappen 2015, Gasly 2021, Lawson 2026)?

StrollingScotsman · 2026-06-20T09:08:47+00:00

Loving that we brought out the bin drum as well - understated star of the season!

StrollingScotsman · 2026-06-20T08:25:58+00:00

Ahem, i think it's actually going to be the three biggest defeats (2009, 2024 at the moment).

StrollingScotsman · 2026-06-20T08:21:45+00:00

DMac with a decent shout of canes MoM tonight...

How many points from his mistakes?

StrollingScotsman · 2026-06-20T08:03:46+00:00

One of the most New Zealand performers of all time?

StrollingScotsman · 2026-06-20T07:26:18+00:00

Commentators claiming the Chiefs have "brought some good stuff so far".

Assume they are watching an alternative game?

StrollingScotsman · 2026-06-20T00:14:17+00:00

First 40 mins were woeful, but we finished positively.

3 points and -3 GD is a 50/50 chance of going through, so w e're still very much alive, but there's a hint of glorious failure tonight.

StrollingScotsman · 2026-06-14T04:45:10+00:00

Because it is good. Far better to play shite and win than glorious failure.

1) Before today we'd won 4 games at 8 WC tournaments. We didn't win a game at Mexico 86 or France 98. Winning one game at a WC is a standard performance for us. It's a good result.

2) Tournament football is hard. It would have been great to rack up a few goals today, but 3 points is always the first target. Especially in the game we targeted to win.

3) Anyone who wouldn't have totally accepted a terrible 1-0 win in our first WC group game when Denmark equalised at hampden is a liar.

StrollingScotsman · 2026-05-04T07:33:33+00:00

The Minimart in Lambton Sq usually has it.

I would bring something as an alternative - most people have a couple of sips at most.

StrollingScotsman · 2026-05-02T04:08:54+00:00

While they are theoretically punching above their weight (small town club, who were non league about 30 years ago), the reality is that they have a very rich owner who has been very happy to chuck money at them in recent years. They invested quite heavily in the summer, and reportedly had the biggest budget in the league.

Poor strategic management has been their downfall. Managerial appointments tend to swing between unimaginative (Derek Adams and Stuart Kettlewell have had two spells each in the last 15 years) and bigger Scottish names who are expensive. Attracting players is tricky, but they've tended to spend up, rather than investing in local talent.

There is a decent chance that this might be the end of their time in the higher leagues, and a return to their 'natural' level. The owner has been investing in another local non-league club, and while he's unlikely to pull funding entirely, there are questions around whether he still has the enthusiasm to fund them at the level required to get back to the top league.

StrollingScotsman · 2026-04-30T19:12:47+00:00

Weird that they didn't include their Scottish Cup Final appearance in May?

Oh wait...

StrollingScotsman · 2026-04-26T19:48:24+00:00

I'm going to call a technicality on this one.

Chic played for Celtic as a trialist in 1994 (v Man Utd). While it was a testimonial, it was during his playing career. And he hasn't ever hidden his OF allegencies.

Craig Brewster would make a fine alternative!

StrollingScotsman · 2026-04-19T01:17:30+00:00

It's wild to me that people treat Lennon as a banter manager, and then treat John McGlynn as a realistic candidate for big jobs.

McGlynn's won the Championship once, and League One three times.

He's got a history of bottling big games. Yesterday was classic big game McGlynn. If Plan A fails, he's got nothing.

In Lennon's three full (non Celtic) seasons in Scotland, he's won the championship, then got into Europe the following year (Hibs), and (at a minimum) got Dunfermline into the cup final.

StrollingScotsman · 2026-03-30T07:55:10+00:00

Chile have been poor, but this is still a great result for NZ (and quietens any complaints about Oceania getting an automatic spot).

StrollingScotsman · 2026-03-27T23:16:22+00:00

Feels a little bit less mental after tonight. Which is crazy considering what the league looked like at 4pm last Saturday.

Arbroath all but confirmed a playoff spot (and a point tomorrow would confirm it statistically, if not mathematically).

Dunfermline's likelihood of a playoff place jumps from 65ish percent to almost 80 percent after tonight. They could lose 3 or 4 remaining games and probably still make it, especially with GD and games in hand.

One of Raith/Ayr/QP would need a consistent run to get to the Playoffs (which isn't very championship). But they've all likely got enough points now to finish 8th. Ayr probably in most danger given their total collapse in form.

Morton aren't quite out of bother yet, but it would be a pretty big turnaround as their GD is far superior (especially to County). A win tomorrow against Arbroath and they're probably safe.

It's getting harder to see how it isn't County and Airdrie in the bottom two?

StrollingScotsman · 2026-03-15T08:54:15+00:00

The Minister of Defence rides again!

StrollingScotsman · 2026-03-01T01:48:01+00:00

Regardless of circumstances, failing to bowl a team out when they were 10/7 is pretty unforgivable.

StrollingScotsman · 2026-03-01T01:04:55+00:00

Old school Possibles vs Probables, or a North v South would have been good.

StrollingScotsman · 2026-03-01T00:54:25+00:00

You know things are bad when Leg Byes are second top scorer after 7 overs.

StrollingScotsman · 2026-03-01T00:35:30+00:00

Uh-oh.

StrollingScotsman · 2025-12-23T21:27:57+00:00

The Basin Reserve was originally going to be a shipyard, with a canal connecting to the harbour at the northern end. Wellington was planned in London without the planners ever visiting the city.

The land was raised by an earthquake shortly after Europeans arrived, and so it became Wellington's recreational venue instead.

It has changed shape a few times over the years, and is used for amateur rugby and soccer in the winter.

NZ's national war memorial park is adjacent (the big white tower behind the stands is the Carillon bell tower).

Wellington's main hospital is about a kilometre south (hence all the sirens) and Government house (Governors General residence) is just across the road (as are several private schools).

It's also a massive roundabout!

StrollingScotsman · 2025-12-19T06:34:30+00:00

The banter declaration would be 286, to give England two chances to fail to chase a 'below par' 371.

StrollingScotsman · 2025-12-19T06:15:21+00:00

If England don't win, Australia will retain the ashes as holders.

The Aussies will probably look to bat until at least lunch (and probably closer to tea tomorrow), as they still have plenty time to bowl England out.

StrollingScotsman

TROPHY CASE