Day 11---Optifast---settled down now

My system seems to have settled down; that is after some pretty yucky days. I am no longer wondering if the next toilet is close enough to prevent a disaster and I have heaps of energy. The weight is steadily coming off, although little slower. That’s OK; that is what is meant to happen.

Today I took Perdy to the North Shore; Browns Bay to be exact and we had a great time. There were at least 50 dogs on the beach and Perdy seemed to want to say ‘Hi’ to every one of them; that is between chasing her ball along the kilometre long beach. What a great beach and what is even better; there are so many like this in Auckland. We are indeed blesses for choice.

Yesterday was on the complete opposite side of the city. We travelled about 30 minutes to Kakamatua Inlet on the Western side of the city and then had a coffee at Huia, right at the entrance to the Manukau Harbour.

After the beach, we headed to the online Pharmacy shop to exchange the horrible soup for bars and shakes. I must say that Pharmacy Direct have treated me really well. Still feeling good, we headed towards the old area of Birkenhead (right by the Harbour Bridge or ‘Coat Hanger’ for those who know Auckland. Once again Perdy was well behaved as she usually is in café situations. She just sits under the table, watching the world go by. The only difference now is that my hand doesn’t slip down to offer her a treat. I’m not having them---just the coffee. I’m not hungry---I feel fine.

OK, now I’m sitting watching NZ doing rather badly in the cricket test against England, before we head down to our now iconic bay.  Catch ya later!

Auckland to go 'high rise.'

Auckland is considering the possibility of going ‘high rise’ as it needs to fit another million people in the next 30 years. That figure is what the ‘planner’ think is feasible. Maybe they will be way under in their estimates as events overseas play out. Either way, Auckland has to find a way to fit these ‘extras’ in. I suspect that many of the new arrivals will come from overseas where such high rise living is the norm.

I believe that the new proposals are a good compromise between ‘spreading out and going up.’ We cannot afford to keep sucking up productive agricultural land’ as that is like selling the family silver so the proposal to build varying degrees of high and medium density apartments is the way to go.

However we must learn from the past and not build those ugly ‘pre-slum type examples that we can see in parts of the city. All new developments must have access to open spaces; ones that are safe and monitored. The last thing we want is gangs and hoodlums controlling these new complexes. It is going to take a mind shift in attitude amongst the new ‘dwellers’ to keep these places safe and stimulating.

I look forward to a bustling city that has good public transport and lots of opportunities for the inhabitants to enjoy their new city. If we don’t learn the lessons from the past and form overseas then we are doomed to have an ugly and unsafe city. We must not let that happen. As for me; well maybe I shall head for the far off suburbs.