Rena: NOW She's Split

The storm and huge 7m waves that slammed Rena overnight finally accomplished what over-eager journalists could not: the container ship is now in two pieces. NOW.
Last weekend journos hungrily jumped the gun, reporting the vessel had broken apart (even as late as this afternoon, NZ Herald was still reporting she'd broken into two pieces "just last week"!). 
While Maritime NZ was quick to correct the earlier ever-so-slight journalistic cock-up, it was obvious the ship's end was nigh...
Overnight the internal organs holding the two halves together finally gave up the ghost, with fore and aft sections now about 25-30m apart.
The forward section is in its original position on Astrolabe Reef but the stern has broken away, moving significantly but still on the reef. The tug Go Canopus is connected to the aft section and keeping an eye on developments.
A large amount of debris is in the water, including containers, timber and bags of milk powder, and will be washing up on Bay of Plenty beaches over the following days. MNZ says somewhere between 200-300 containers have been washed away today (as of last Friday, 881 containers were still aboard while 389 had been removed and around 98 had been lost overboard).
Today's NZH story with - sensational headline "Coast under threat as Rena splits up" - doesn't actually give any details about anything coming from Rena that is threatening the coast, apart from debris... hardly a *shock*horror*probe* threat, NZH!).
Weather is expected to be poor for the next 3-4 days. 
PS: 10 Jan.2012 - Most of Rena's rear section has now slipped off the reef and is sinking. 
PS: 29 Feb.2012 - Rena's captain and navigator plead guilty in court.
PS: 28 May 2012 - Soft sentence for Rena officers!

RWC: Marty, Where's The Money?

What say you, Marty?
More than half of NZ tourism operators say the *yawn* Rugby World Cup didn't provide the promised boost.
A Tourism Industry Association NZ members' survey found 46% felt the tournament period was better/much better than the same period in 2010. But almost 18% saw no change, while around 34% considered the tourny period to be worse/much worse.
TIA policy and research manager Simon Wallace says these results support the word-on-the-street: "They told us that while operators in the main game centres did well, other regions did not reap as many benefits as they may have expected from fans travelling around the country between games. There was also a definite shift when the business end of the tournament moved to the North Island."
And even businesses in Auckland, the focal point for those end games, weren't rolling in the readies, with less than 10% feeling they got any benefit from it at all! So...
Dear RWC CEO Martin Snedden,
Please advise when the projected economic boost from the Cup is due. I assume it's still coming, as it's not here yet.
Perhaps all the accounts aren't in. Perhaps there'll be some late ticket sales as souvenirs. Perhaps a few warehouse clearances of the other souvenir mountains. Maybe a tax on whoever's NOT still flying RWC flags and banners. Or Adidas may give some of its profits from excessively overpriced RWC jerseys. Or a wave of tourists coming to see where their teams were beaten.

Ok, here's the deal: you buy the Cup,
and I'll throw in the kid for free!

Perhaps you'll pawn your CNZM from the New Year's Honours...
Y'see Marty, you promised us a cash tsunami to drown all the doomsayers, you poo-pooed negative economic projections as "incredibly flawed", you (and RWC Minister Muddling McCully) did your jingoistic vuvuzela-blowing loud and long.
But we're still waiting.
Yours expectantly,
The Long-Suffering NZ Public."

Vic Park Flyover: The Magic Bullet?

flying over the flyover

This Monday - all change!
January 9th. is when the Victoria Park Flyover opens as southbound-only.
All four lanes will take traffic south, while northbound traffic happily breezes through the two available lanes in the new Victoria Park Tunnel beneath (incidentally, the third tunnel lane opens in March).
But there's no opportunity for drivers to change lanes once they're on the flyover...because the central barrier previously separating north- and southbound traffic will still be there, splitting traffic between City and Newmarket/south. This means drivers'll have to think much earlier, about which lane they need to be in for exiting!
Sacrebleu! Est-il possible?
To avoid dangerous lane-swapping in St.Mary's Bay, motorists are advised to choose their correct lane as far back as prior the Harbour Bridge, while still on the North Shore. Frankly, this is practical and safe driving practice that should have been in place years ago!
NZTA's local State Highways Manager Tommy Parker: "It’s proven internationally that drivers don't gain anything by frequent lane-changing. In fact, they slow the entire network down. By getting into the correct lane early, and staying in that lane, they will help make the drive through St Marys Bay a lot safer and smoother for everyone."
Awww, bless ya, Tommy! In an ideal world...but methinx it's a very safe bet we'll see snarl-ups in St.Marys Bay for many moons to come!

[...many thanx to AKT]