Miraz Jordan

Loving the Audio Hijack Transcribe feature: watching a 3 minute instructional video about focus on my Fuji X-T5 and I could keep a written copy of what the instructor said. Now to implement the settings.

At about 1 pm on 24 August 2017 I took my lunch onto the deck here at Waikawa Beach and glanced over my shoulder at a helicopter buzzing round in the low-fly training zone nearby. Then I returned my attention to my meal.

Moments later I heard a very loud thump — the kind you hear in a car crash — and then silence where there should have been helicopter rotors. I turned to look and waited a few moments in case it was a heavy landing but nothing happened. No helicopter flew up, no rotors made their distinctive noise. On the other hand there was no debris or smoke that I could see.

How unlucky am I that this was the second helicopter crash I've witnessed in my life? The first was a fatal crash on Mt Victoria, in Wellington. At that time when we turned to look at sudden bang and silence there was debris flying up in the air, so I expected that this time too. The pilot in that crash died.

For at least a year after that every time I heard a helicopter flying overhead I'd feel a bit anxious.

Back to 2017 though. After a few more minutes, seeing nothing, I thought I should dial 111, as perhaps I was the only witness, and the occupants, probably some 750 metres away, could be hurt.

Before long emergency services were on the scene, but meanwhile, with the aid of binoculars, I'd seen two people walking around a helicopter lying on its side.

News items at the time: Trainee pilot in helicopter crash near Horowhenua and Two escape helicopter crash near Horowhenua.

Only today, some 6 years later have I come across the the Civil Aviation Authority Safety Investigation Report. I'm uploading it here for my own reference.

CAA Investigation Report ZK-IMZ.pdf

The report said:

The instructor pilot received a laceration to the left side of his scalp, a concussion, and experienced memory loss as a result of the accident. The student pilot received a minor injury to his finger.

Oh, and that first crash I witnessed: it was all the way back in 2001. A helicopter had been working for weeks taking material from a building site on steep property in Palliser Road, Mt Victoria, Wellington. It would fly to the top of the hill, where we lived, dump the material into a truck and then fetch another load.

One day we were walking the dogs and had just turned the corner with our backs to the Lookout at the top of Mt Vic when we heard an awful noise: the helicopter had crashed into the top of the hill. We turned to see debris flying into the air and a heap of tourists running away from the crash. Then some ran towards the helicopter. We read later a visiting doctor tried to help the pilot, who unfortunately died of injuries.

Our new government, so smart! Minister pulls brakes on cycling and walking initatives:

Simeon Brown said he told the New Zealand Transport Authority (Waka Kotahi) to halt work on cycling and walking initiatives … [and] the cycling and walking initiatives were a waste of time and money. … My priority in transport is to build and maintain the roading network

The drizzle stopped. We hardly ever get a Mackerel sky like this.

Well, that was fun — Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget where the chickens had to break in to a chicken farm, rather than out of it.

Very ingenious, some good laughs.

Woohoo, it's a cool and drizzly day, so great for staying in and relaxing. I made delicious mushroom soup for lunch. Now I plan to settle down with Netflix and watch Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. 🐔 🎥

It's been some time since I last went non-grocery 'shopping'. Between times I manage to forget how much I absolutely hate 'shopping'. 5 minutes in the first shop reminded me. Ugh. Returned home empty handed. Ate a mediocre Bibimbap Don at the Foodcourt — I was starving and needed to eat.

Sitting at the beach in the sunshine, waiting for the fellow to arrive to put up the Birds Nesting warning signs. Now that most of the birds eggs have hatched! 🤣 Life could be a lot worse…

Wow, watch the first 90 seconds of the Maiden Speech of NZ's youngest Member of Parliament Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, an amazing wahine Māori. She is 21.

Support from the Gallery out of shot.

Late evening yesterday and the light was on the highest peaks of the Tararuas, where I could just discern the faintest dusting of snow.

It's the time of year when the Spinifex develops spiky seed heads. Soon they will separate from the plant and the wind will blow them to a new place where they can grow a new plant. Spinifex builds up the beach like nothing else.