Day 21, Level 2.5: Putting, New art and harbour bridge chaos

Gorgeous day, I had all the doors and windows open and the house got a good airing. 

We watched some of the golf (US open) - OMG that Winged Foot course is about as difficult and tricky as you can get. The greens are like ice rinks. Go 1mm past the hole and you are likely to go 10m past. Sinking your putt is imperative otherwise you can end up like poor Kiwi Danny Lee, who had been looking okay, but bombed out on the last hole with SIX putts from an initial four feet away from the hole! I've experienced that sort of nightmare - it is utterly ghastly for a recreational golfer and I can't imagine how hideous it must be on the world golfing stage with so much at stake! 

At the other end of the spectrum - two golfers got amazing holes-in-one. And the guy in the lead is a 21yo from California who turned pro in June 2019. Putting all the big names to the test, that's for sure!

Brett went up to Omaha to mow the lawns. I spent the afternoon in my studio.

My intention was to make a start on my WOW garment for 2021 - but then I got waylaid with other ideas - and ended up creating a new piece of art! I've had some really old kauri doors that I got from an antique shop near Omaha about 10 years ago. Not in the best of shape, they've sat outside my studio all this time. A while back I'd taken the panels off (they were half falling off), and sanded them back in preparation of whatever creative idea might come to mind. That idea came today! I decided to combine them with some really old registration plates I got about 12 years ago!

The panels are an ochre colour (the original paintwork) and have that rustic look, especially having been sanded back. They're 116cm long. 

I washed the number plates but they are definitely both rustic and rusty and that's the charm. I did some research on them - see photo below.

I hammered the plates onto the panels with small copper nails. It was very noisy and not the simplest task, that wood is hard! Shoe heels would not have done the trick today!

I'm really pleased with the result. This artwork is very original in all respects! I'd initially intended to sand the panels back and paint them. Maybe paint an artwork on them. But nothing was coming to me that gave me a Eureka moment. 

Today, this idea came to me and voila, I'm happy. I didn't need to do any painting. The sanding back was enough and the colours tone in beautifully.

These will go on a large wall at the top of the stairs in the Omaha house.

The top right and left ones are the newest - this style was around from 1961-1966.
The top middle was produced from 1946-1951.

The bottom left 1941-1946; bottom middle 1951-56; bottom right (the oldest) produced in 1926-27.

 

I also have the old door frames that surrounded these panels - narrow doors with old leadlight (plain, not decorative) glass panels in them. Presumably from an old pioneer's house. They're not in the best state, but they are kauri and finally, after having had them sit around for over a decade, I now know exactly what I'm going to do with them as well! A project for another day ...

It looks like I'm going to be in Auckland for the next few weeks as I have various commitments and meetings etc in town - so I will aim to get back in my studio when I can and keep those creative juices flowing. Hopefully I'll be able to pop up to Omaha for a few days here and there between commitments if I can. But ... there is the harbour bridge fiasco ... see below.

Tomorrow is another Government announcement about Levels and next steps. Everyone has been very hopeful that Auckland will go to Level 2 and rest of country to Level 1. However, today we have a new community case that is not linked to the other clusters. So this may stymie best laid plans ... Let's hope not.

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Auckland Harbour Bridge ...

Opened in 1959 with four lanes, it quickly became apparent that wasn't enough and two lanes were added to each side in 1968-69 (the clip-ons). And nothing has been done since! I find it incomprehensible. 

There's been years of talk about a second harbour crossing but nothing ever happens, always some excuse. Cost, difficult waterway, not needed yet, other priorities. It's an exercise in procrastination and meanwhile time is ticking, the population is growing, cars are clogging every road and public transport options are limited.  This is our main route between the north and south of the city. One bridge with 4 lanes either way. And it's been like this for 50 YEARS! With no facility for trains to go north. 

I've been harping on about this debacle for 30 years - as has anyone who has lived and worked overeas with decent train networks, multiple crossings across rivers and harbours and decent public transport networks. I've written my fair share of letters, emails, comments to Council etc. As have many others. No action. Just excuses. And squabbling and procrastination. It makes me cross and disheartened because it shouldn't be like this in 2020.

Well, on Friday two trucks blew over at the top of the bridge when a high gust of wind caught them. One toppled over completely and lay there on its side blocking everything. The other righted itself as it bounced off one of the beams - which caused damage to the structure. The middle four [original] lanes were closed and chaos ensued. For hours. Thankfully I was safely in Cambridge! And luckily no one was hurt in the shambles.

It's likely those four lanes will be closed for another couple of weeks while damage is assessed and structural repairs are done. This limits the harbour traffic to two lanes each way. It's not enough. Nowhere near enough. It's regression to 1959 when even back then it was acknowledged that four lanes weren't enough to cope!

• Auckland population 1960 - approx. 440,000
• Auckland population 2020 - approx. 1.6m
  

And we still have the same harbour crossing! It beggars belief. I despair.

People are going to be spending hours in their cars - or reverting to lockdown measures and staying at home to work. 

To get to Omaha requires going over that bridge. There is another route that skirts the west of the city but it's quite a detour. And that will be just as clogged as people are going to use it instead. So either way, it's going to be horrific for some time. I will need to time any trips north to perfection. 

Brett went north over the bridge, said it was reasonable - but it is Sunday. He came back via the western route. What on earth will tomorrow, Monday morning, be like?

Seriously, if they could build this bridge 60 years ago and if every other country in the world can build longer better bridges over much more tricky stretches of water, then surely, surely Auckland can do something. They've been planning to put a walkway/cycleway beneath the clip-ons at huge cost - but seriously, Council, Government - we need another harbour crossing so the city can get moving. Build a tunnel. Build another bridge. Do both. It better happen quick or this city is doomed. 

The original 4-lane bridge, 1959. 

A decade later 4 more lanes added.

 

And ... 50 years later - the same capacity!

The bridge lit up last year. Colourful lighting does NOT help traffic flow!

GRRRRRRRRR!