Auckland Metblogs » auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:28:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 en Racin’ in the Dark … http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/06/18/racin-in-the-dark/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/06/18/racin-in-the-dark/#comments Tue, 19 Jun 2007 03:08:03 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/06/18/racin-in-the-dark/ Last Saturday the Northern Sports Car Club held its 11th annual 6-Hour Endurance Race at the Pukekohe Race Track, just south of Auckland http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Circuits/pukekohe.htm. This event is part of the North Island Endurance Race Series with two other enduros (both 4 hour) held at Manfield and Taupo race circuits in the past few weeks.

The Pukekohe event unfolded very well - 300 laps (that’s an average of 50 laps an hour) were completed and the weather gods were very kind this year - providing us with crisp, clear conditions for racing in - a marked contrast to the torrential downpour we had for what seemed like the entire day last year.

You can read more pre-event info here … http://www.nzmotorsport.co.nz/content/newsarticle.cfm?id=11258 I’ll find a copy of the final results and post them tomorrow …

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/06/18/racin-in-the-dark/feed/ A Handful of Gravel … http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/05/05/a-handful-of-gravel/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/05/05/a-handful-of-gravel/#comments Sat, 05 May 2007 06:03:40 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/05/05/a-handful-of-gravel/ Next weekend is the second round of the New Zealand National Rally Championship http://www.motorsport.org.nz/Rally/ to be held in and around Whangarei http://www.whangareinz.org.nz/ which altho’ is a few 100 kms from Auckland is the closest this city gets to a round of the NZRC presently. Anyhow, this year’s event is also a round of the Asia- Pacific Rally Championship http://www.fiaaprc.com/ (during the previous few years it’s been held in Rotorua) so we’ll have some international drivers competing alongside our local heroes … “nerves of steel on metal roads”. Using some of the most excellent ‘gravel’ roads in and around Paparoa, south west of Whangarei (which have been formerly used in the NZ round of the World Rally Championship) the two days of competition over 12-13 May will no doubt be full of action and drama. Bring on the Skids! More details here … http://www.rallywhangarei.co.nz/

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/05/05/a-handful-of-gravel/feed/ Auckland’s Very Own Magazine http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/04/02/aucklands-very-own-magazine/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/04/02/aucklands-very-own-magazine/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:50:40 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/04/02/aucklands-very-own-magazine/ For a number of years … how many …? Auckland has had its own magazine - http://www.metrolive.co.nz/. Reformatted in the last few years to a larger tabloid version it’s full of glossy advertisements, very interesting articles about today’s relevant regional topics and plenty of suggestions for things to do, place to see, food to eat, etc, etc. It’s often funny to pick it up and read the letters to the editor, finding some readers affronted enough to put pen to paper and complain that the magazine is too Auckland focussed … that’s the point! Have a browse!

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/04/02/aucklands-very-own-magazine/feed/ A Great Gift for Easter http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/03/28/a-great-gift-for-easter/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/03/28/a-great-gift-for-easter/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:10:57 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/03/28/a-great-gift-for-easter/ With the celebration of the resurrection of Christ only ten days away I thought I’d highlight for you one of my favourite specialty chocolate shops in Auckland - for glorious, handmade, boutique chocolates it’s hard to go past Devonport Chocolates http://www.devonportchocolates.co.nz/ anytime I’m in the vicinity … it’s worth a trip across the Bridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Harbour_Bridge I can recommend DC’s Limoncello yachts (dark choc) and their Lavender & Honey morsels (milk choc). They sell them individually or by the boxful - beautifully giftwrapped. My other favourite thing is their chocolate logs in various different flavours … espresso is my current favourite. If you’re after quality look no further - yum!

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/03/28/a-great-gift-for-easter/feed/ Raise a Little Dust http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/03/05/raise-a-little-dust/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/03/05/raise-a-little-dust/#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2007 03:36:56 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/03/05/raise-a-little-dust/ Greetings World - sorry for the long pause - but I’m back.

Had to tell you about one of our Auckland Summer Institutions which I just caught the very last bit of this season on Saturday night … Speedway at Western Springs! http://www.springsspeedway.com/

Speedway at the Springs is one of the very noisiest, exciting, action-packed things to do of an Auckland Summer Saturday Evening and for the first time in several years I finally got back to catch some of that action. I’ve been away so long (there was a time when I used to go to the Speedway once a season just to keep in touch) that they’ve even got a new class - quarter midgets … you’ve got your regular midget cars, then your TQ’s or three-quarter midgets, and now they have quarter midgets, which are just tiny - like a swarm of angry bees - but such a lot of fun to watch!

Some of the guys out there amongst it have been there a while too - like Graham Standring (No 33) in the Midgets. http://www.springsspeedway.com/default,128.sm I’m sure some of them have got ethanol running thru their veins instead of the red stuff the rest of us have …

And then the big guns come out - the Sprint Cars with their sheet metal (aluminuim) aerofoils and their 800 horsepower engines … skittering all over the muddy oval and looking like they’re ready to take flight. The action was fast and furious!

Apparently there are some people in Auckland who want to get the Speedway closed down … it’s ‘too noisy’ is their whine … as if!

Until 3 November 07 …

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/03/05/raise-a-little-dust/feed/ Opera in the Park http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/24/opera-in-the-park/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/24/opera-in-the-park/#comments Thu, 25 Jan 2007 01:35:31 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/24/opera-in-the-park/ During Summer in Auckland the City hosts a number of free music gigs in our fabulous parks - click here for details … http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/events/mips/default.asp. On Saturday in a very spontaneous and unrehearsed fashion a friend and I dashed off to the newly refurbished Domain Wintergarden http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/places/parks/domain.asp#wintergardens to hear the Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artists in a two hour delight of Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, Mozart and others. There was also an opportunity to sign up to NBR New Zealand Opera’s http://www.nzopera.com/ mailing list which I did too - their two operas this year look to be spectaular, plus there’s a couple of bonus gigs to look forward to. Watch this space!

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/24/opera-in-the-park/feed/ Zoo Music and Fun Stuff http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/17/zoo-music-and-fun-stuff/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/17/zoo-music-and-fun-stuff/#comments Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:17:01 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/17/zoo-music-and-fun-stuff/ One of the cool things about being in Auckland in the summertime is that there are so many fun things to do. This is a novel one - an evening at the zoo chilling out to your favourite local sounds and helping conservation at the same time - brilliant! http://www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/events/index.php?PHPSESSID=b55df8a4779a84496d70d46f7348af0c … at $25/person or $60 for a family pass it’s a great evening’s entertainment. Might just have to rustle up some friends and head on out to hear Greg Johnson or Nathan Haines doing their thing for some of the vital conservation projects happening around the world. Also, if you scroll down the linked page a bit further Auckland Zoo has a bunch of other neat ideas for entertaining family and friends thru’ the summer - how about checking out the Kiwis on Waitangi Day, sharing the sunset on Valentines Day or going on a Night Safari? Magic!

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/17/zoo-music-and-fun-stuff/feed/ Rally in Norway! http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/14/rally-in-norway/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/14/rally-in-norway/#comments Mon, 15 Jan 2007 02:25:54 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/14/rally-in-norway/ Greetings once more! As you may have figured from my username - I am a rally fan! I have been a spectator for years (mum & dad took me to my first rally when I was three!) and when I grew up I got involved with WRC Rally NZ as an assistant with the organisation of New Zealand’s best annual motorsport event which I’ve volunteered on for the last decade. Then a few years ago a dream came true and I got into co-driving with a friend of mine who owned a Toyota Levin … we did several club skids - rallies and sprints - huge fun, learing how to read notes and getting the most out of the gravel. Anyhow, some great news for some local rally boys has come to fruition this week with an opportunity to skid in Scandinavia! Best wishes to Andrew and Grant on their adventure.

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/14/rally-in-norway/feed/ Shakespear Regional Park http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/03/shakespear-regional-park/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/03/shakespear-regional-park/#comments Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:38:30 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/03/shakespear-regional-park/ Happy New Year to you! I know it’s a little late but I have had a few days out of the city at my favourite place in the whole world … I am blessed to have access to a beach house out on the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsular about 40 mins drive north of Auckland - past the pretension of Gulf Harbour and just before the Shakespear Regional Park. The beach house overlooks this lovely park and during many summers there we’ve watched the Park grow from its original acquisition as a working farm to become established with walks and picnicing areas, information boards and excellent facilities. The Auckland Regional Council do us proud at this spot … the beaches are safe and I’m convinced it has it’s own micro-climate … the weather might be grim elsewehre in Auckland but the sun is shining in the park - magic! I suggest you go visit if you have the opportunity.

]]> http://auckland.metblogs.com/2007/01/03/shakespear-regional-park/feed/ Summer Blossom http://auckland.metblogs.com/2006/12/27/summer-blossom/ http://auckland.metblogs.com/2006/12/27/summer-blossom/#comments Thu, 28 Dec 2006 00:52:53 +0000 auck_vicki http://auckland.metblogs.com/2006/12/27/summer-blossom/ One of the glorious things about summer in Auckland is the profusion of Jacarandas and Bougainvilleas in bloom at this time of year. I know they’re both imported trees but the intensity of their colours - red and purple - is fabulous. I am fortunate to have a Scarlet O’Hara Bougainvillea Scarlet O’Hara Bougainvillea growing over the back of my house and out my lounge window can see a Jacaranda is all its purple glory. Fantastic!

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