Mike Riversdale

In Aotearoa New Zealand the phrase "we're moving house" can mean a number of things, and it's not unusual for it to mean this:

Two funny as feck Irish guys chatting about things that will leave your jaw on the floor. And you'll laugh at the same time, imagine that. Award-Winning Comedians and Broadcasters Neil Delamere and Dave Moore take turns seeking out incredible things they think everyone, including their co-host, should know. In each episode, with the help of a genuine expert, one of them will answer the question, “Why Would You Tell Me That?!” Get amongst it and laugh whilst learning stuff for the pub quiz.

This video of my Nanna back in the 1920s ... ... was generated from this photo

It's quiz time on the blog, yay. If January = 717, March = 5315 and June = 4624 what does August = ? Answer in a week UNLESS someone leaves a comment with the correct answer. The answer: August = 6848 First digit: number of letters Second digit: Month number Third+ digits: first multiplied by second Many thanks to the Why Would You Tell Me That?! podcast .

What's to say, enjoy.

A classic country calendar photo of the Tararuas 😁

Four silhouettes against the sparkling sea and beach.

That time I woke up with a blood filled eyeball. I don't think I ever found out how or why but it slowly absorbed and disappeared.

Asking yourself, "Do I really want to keep doing this?" is good for your health. Back in 2016 when it all went pear shaped for me I wish I had the nous to ask myself this question. Fortunately it was Liz, my ex-wife, who simply said, "Mike, stop. You cannot go on like this." I stopped. Everything. For a few days I lay in bed looking at the ceiling. I then managed a few movies and messages to some close friends . But I had stopped. I now often stop. I stop pushing myself out of the now, I stop moving so that I can see the world around me, I stop in order listen to myself. The rush to do, to be, to be somewhere else can feel like the only way to be, it's not. So, my glorious handsome dear reader, what can you stop? When you notice yourself hitting a wall, remember to stop so that you don’t get hurt. What do I mean? Stop trying to control something you can’t control. Stop trying to change something that isn’t changing. Stop trying to help someone who doesn’t want ...

I love her .  Well, I love the personality she wraps herself in when she's on telly or the radio . I have no idea what she's like really, but the "act", the "public character" is so endearing. With a mixture of silliness, ditzyness, firmness, strength, humour, openness, she bounds around the UK TV quiz / competition world with an almost gay abandon. Long may Claudia Winkleman, her fringe and, belly laughter exist.

"What's the problem mate, don't you have your dinner with one foot in the drink?"

When I moved to Waitārere Beach the household already had a cat, Freya. A wily, food obsessed, tough, take no shit cat. Gladys was a slightly overweight, stay close to me, happy in her old age cat. This is how they met.

There's many a fan of the abandoned / ruin buildings and I totally get it. Places of history, nostalgia, want and dreams long gone. If these walls could talk etc etc etc 

A drive along the old SH1, now SH59, between Pukerua Bay and Paekākāriki is always awesome, and now it's a lot safer with a lot less traffic on it. A storm was raging somewhere and I had to stop to film the angry waves, so much power.

Māori dude on Seatoun wharf, fishing and photographing the sunrise - the two Fs 😜 Him: Morning bro' Me: Hey hey, mōrena. Him: Ka pai [smile] There was an instant, positive, and lovely change in both of us and all I had done was use the word "mōrena". Amazing eh. "all" is doing a lot of lifting in that last sentence. Takes a moment to see the moment and make another  kairos ! Walking over the bridge is a wondrous thing. (oh, and the "2Fs" joke, that was his, ha ha ha)

Can you tell where the sea stops and the sky starts, nope nor me.

The Three Bean Salad podcast will be either completely confusing, definitely not funny, and even annoying ... OR ... one of the funniest things out on the Internet. I, of course, am firmly in the second camp and will often be seen head back as the belly laugh explodes. So, what is The Three Bean Salad podcast? Let's start with what they say about themselves: From Mike Wozniak, Henry Paker & Ben Partridge. Each week the three beans tackle a different theme, suggested by the listeners. threebeansaladpod@gmail.com That in NO way gives you a sense of the surreal majestic humour held within. As Elis mentioned on this week's Elis James & John Robbins Podcast , one of the greatest stories ever told fell out of Henry on the 7th June episode [39:14] . It may take a few episodes but once you are in then YOU ARE IN for a treat.

Pretty bloody stunning eh ... August 2021. Sunset view from Tarakena Bay (Wellington, NZ) across to the South Island as someone fishes off the rocks.

Bob Mortimer is a UK national treasure, and alongside his mate Paul Whitehouse, present one of the strangest BBC TV programmes to ever become a hit. They go fishing . Paul takes Bob fishing . They are both natural comedians and the banter is funny as they sit and chat about life, men's health, and anything that comes to mind. It's also filmed and edited beautifully, it's a rest and a bit of peace in these mad mad times we live within. In between Bob falling over or getting over excited about actually catching  a fish, which they always release back with a glorious, "And awaaay." Bob will whip up a riverside meal for them both and the crew. The food is usually hearty, camping-esque, and always with a Bob twist - he once made mash potatoes with crisps. Corned beef hash , OMG, what a gloriously simple and wonderful meal and the moment Bob put one together I had to do the same.

Let the hot, but not too hot, water embrace you as you slip through the bubbles into a mid-afternoon bath. Steam filling the bathroom, as you lie back to listen to your music / book / podcast, and your toes poke up through the shiny white rainbow specked bubbles. It starts to rain outside, oh yeah, life is good.

Breaker Bay (Wellington) has a tractor parked/abandoned and it's always made me smile when I drove passed it. So incongruous, but somehow fits.

August 2021 I got my first COVID vaccination. It was an well oiled machine by the time it was my turn. From booking in, through queueing and being checked it was actually me, to the vaccination and the obligatory wait to see if you're ok, it was a smooooooth operation. I'm on my 5th vaccination now, it's become just a factor of life, much like influenza vaccination every year. Seems to be working, definitely keeps the viruses at bay for me and lowers the chances for the community - doing my bit.

You'll remember the Moa spotted on the cliffs of, appropriately, Moa Point - well check out the White Rhino! Across the valley from one promontory to another I spied this rarest of all large mammals. Amazing eh. You'll have to zoom in the see this magnificent beast in all it's glory, but I think you'll agree it's worth it.

In Australia they would call this Pebbly Beach , but we're not in Australia and so we call it Tarakena Bay, Moa Point .

I'm never quite sure what the mountain range is that one can see from the Wellington south coast - quick search and voilà, they are the Kaikoura Mountains - on the left are the Seaward Kaikouras, in the centre is Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku (9,465 feet), the highest peak of the Inland Kaikouras.

The question is, how would YOU open this bottle?

When it comes to politicians women are mostly better at it than men. There are, of course, exceptions to disprove the law such as Liz Truss, Judith Collins, Pauline Hanson, and of course Boris Johnson's current wife. Likewise there have been some outstanding men politicians ... um, you can fill in the end of this sentence can't you ... Here's two spectacular wāhine politicians, Jacinda Ardern and Chlöe Swarbrick as depicted in The Backbencher Pub opposite the NZ Parliament. [ UPDATED: 16-Sept-2024 : Washington Post Opinion  In a global emergency, women are showing how to lead . Now the men are back in charge it all feels a bit shite around the world eh] Effective leadership skills are not gender-exclusive or biologically determined. Like all of us, leaders learn to take into account social expectations. Women in male-dominated fields often incur penalties [PDF]  for assertive, power-seeking behavior because it violates expectations of feminine communality . Numerous studi...

The Webb Ellis Cup , nicknamed Bill in 1991 by the Aussie's, being held by a guy named Mike in July 2021. I can only assume it's a copy as the Springboks were the actual champions at that time - probably because the All Blacks have won it three times, maybe, perhaps.

One of the brightest rainbows I've experienced, was a heartwarming view.

I was alone, I took the photo, but how?

A lovely mate of mine's son, Oscar Ladell , brought his band to Hashigo Zake back in July 2021 and they played a mean set  If you're into blues / roots music then check him out on Facebook , Spotify , YouTube , and many other places. Of course it's best to see bands live and he now lives in Melbourne so if that's you, get amongst it.

Seatoun Tunnel of a night walk.

If R2D2 is telling you to be nice then just be nice.

Someone just managed to get that car into the parking space 😜

When Wellington is having a good day, the harbour is flat, the sun is rising above the cloud covered valleys there is no finer way of going to work than the ferry .

Check out the front sensing malarkey, it's "I'm gonna eat you" face, and the apparent sucker feet with some pink shoulders.  All the time being a twig, a walking twig. A twig that lives on abandoned space ships and looks to fertilise all those that enter it's lair. Nah, it's just a New Zealand Stick Insect, more from this New Zealand Geographic article .