Do I like been a Dad?

That was the question my 15 year old daughter asked me the other day.

She’s become very self aware and observant recently. She’s also a bit fragile, and perhaps lacking an ideal social environment.
New Zealands over the top covid response has a lot to do with that because the vaxxed / unvaxxed thing has split many families apart, perhaps forever. Her cousins and their family are on the other team.
All of this has made her a bit more clingy than normal.

Just what do you say?

I’ve spent countless hours creating the best environment that I can for her to thrive in.
Does she feel guilty for everything I’ve done for her?

It felt too difficult to answer, so I evaded answering.

But it’s got me thinking..

Why is she asking this?
(I need to work this out first before the I answer the next question).

She’s sadly lacking a bit of direction right now, and whatever answer I give her, would be cast in stone, so I would have to pick my words carefully.
Then again, I cant be sure how she would interpret my answer.

How should I answer this?

In writing all this down, it’s become clear that she needs to work out the answer herself. The best I can do is be there for her.

Covid sucks and it’s changed things for the worse here in NZ. I cant change that, but I can teach her how to survive in a less than ideal environment.

Video -why Life Jackets Should Be Mandatory!

Farewell, Pukekohe race track

First, a bit about me..

I’ve been riding motorcycles since Noah was a lad. I got into it when I started work as an apprentice.

Money was tight in those days and buying an old slow secondhand car and then spending my weekends fixing it, wasn’t an attractive idea. So I got into motorbikes and enjoyed easy parking, the wind in my face, and all that other good stuff. Rain is a bit of a nuisance of course, but in those days, I just put up with it and took it as part of the experience.

I joined the only motorcycle club in my town in those days, who were into Classic motorcycles, and so my interest in older motorbikes grew imenensely.

This was in the 1980’s at a time when Japanese motorcycles had largely taken over, and non Japanese bikes were mostly ridden by enthusiast’s and gang members.

1970’s British bikes like Triumph Bonneville’s and Norton Commando’s were very sought after then, because of their speed and superior handling to the new-fangled Japanese stuff.

Anyway, onto what I was going to write about…

Motorcycling Mecca for me has been going to the annual classic motorcyle races in Pukekohe every year.

In it’s hey day, the event has hosted some very prominent ex Grand Prix winners and their bikes from around the world.

The likes of Giacomo Agostini, Sammy Miller, Ginger Malloy, Hugh Anderson, Surtees, Corser, Baylis, and numerous other ex grand prix riders have been to Pukekohe at some point.

This year will be the last event ever

The racetrack is closing and is destined to become a dedicated horse racing track.

I think it’s a shame for Pukekohe in general because once upon a time, it had it’s own unique identity and motorsport was a major part of that. It wasn’t just the racetrack by itself of course, because there were all these motorsport engineering bussinesses who specialised in motor racing.

Anyway, I’ll let the photo’s do the talking.

Giacomo Agostini -ex grand prix champion at Pukekohe in 1999

Triumph Bonneville -these were what the ‘cool’ guys rode in the 1970’s/1980’s

Celebrating New Zealand day

There’s a hint of optimism in the air these days.

It is summer after all, and Jacinda (our now ex -prime Minister) ran away before we could commemerate the 1st anniversary of the anti-mandate Wellington protest against her wishes.

We celebrated New Zealand day (Waitangi day to some) with the ‘TFRC’ (the freedom and rights coalition). The rain and recent floods meant it was held indoors at a south auckland church.

Brian Tamaki spoke at length about how he ended up been the first to speak out and organise a protest against the mandates and lockdowns when it was illegal to do so. (level 4 lockdown).

Some of his team were charged by the police over this, which is still going through the courts two years later.

The event had a positive vibe to it, given that although Jacinda may be gone, the mandates are still there for health workers and the enabling leglislation for lockdowns hasn’t been rescinded.