New Zealand reverses smoking ban? - NOT amateur radio

The BBC reports that New Zealand is to reverse moves which (hopefully) would have phased out smoking. They have supposedly done this to fund tax cuts.  This would appear to be a step backwards. I do not know all the facts.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-67540190 .

New Zealand elections - NOT amateur radio

New Zealand has led the way in fighting Covid-19. Essentially it has been largely free of the pandemic that has crippled much if the world. 

They have just had a general election and Jacinda Ardern's (the NZ PM) Labour Party is in line for a massive majority. We may differ over political policies, but we have to agree she did a good job in the fight against Covid-19.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-54519628

New Zealand - NOT amateur radio

My wife and I were lucky enough to go there in 2009, shortly after we retired. Without any doubt, it is the most beautiful place we have ever been to. The shootings yesterday must have been a real shock. In the past it always seemed immune from terrorism and safe.

Even today it is probably still one of the safest places on the planet, but NZ seems somehow to have been violated. The actions of a madman could happen anywhere. I hope the good people of NZ brush this off as a sad day and are able to move onwards.

If you get a chance to visit New Zealand, do so.  I would be amazed if you are not blown away. Someone once said that around every corner of NZ it just gets better and better. With a population just a fifteenth of that of the UK, this is perhaps no surprise. Imagine Scotland, Wales, England and France with few people all in one beautiful place. Throw in a few tree ferns too. No, NZ takes some beating.

Another place we went to was Iceland. I was expecting it to be barren and desolate, but it was beautiful with green hills and lots of lupins growing wild. Another surprise was South Africa, which truly had everywhere in one country. Some parts were like Scotland, others the Mediterranean, others scrub.  It was very different from how we imagined it.  But, of all the places we have been fortunate to visit, NZ was the best.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand.

New Zealand wines - NOT amateur radio

Next week, my wife and I are giving a talk at our local wine group on New Zealand wines. We are certainly no wine experts and, to be honest, we are "winging it" on NZ wines.

We visited the country in 2009, not long after we retired.  It is without doubt the most beautiful place we have ever been to, helped by having a population way smaller than the UK. If you can go, I recommend it.

I think they had 4M people when we went. They speak English and drive on the left like in the UK. With Skype video contact with one of our sons it felt like just next door.

We were in Christchurch exactly 2 years to the very day before the big earthquake struck the city. New Zealand is a great place to visit, although perhaps not to live if you like old churches and culture.

More problems for the Chinese?

In a report today on Southgate News I see that New Zealand is trying to put a stop to the illegal import of unlicenced radios that can go outside amateur bands. This could impact people like Baofeng who sell cheap wideband radios. There is also a clamp-down in the USA.

See http://southgatearc.org/news/2018/october/update-on-the-prohibition-of-unrestricted-two-way-radios-in-new-zealand.htm#.W7HlHvZFzIU

New Zealand blog - NOT amateur radio

My wife was cleaning a shelf and came across a photo album of our 2009 trip to New Zealand. In those days I was fit! Now, I seem to be tired a lot of the time.

It is amazing what you forget. Luckily, I did a blog and we can look back and recall the visit.  It is a magical place, although I doubt we'll ever get back there.

If you get a chance, do go. At every turn it is beautiful and the people are warm and welcoming. It is NOT like the UK. Yes, the people speak English and lots of the birds in towns are English ones, but the wild places are different with wild tree ferns and many trees quite different. 4 million people instead of more than 60 million helps!

See http://roglap.blogspot.co.uk/

New Zealand Earthquake - NOT amateur radio

It was interesting that the BBC News this lunchtime on Radio 4 did not even mention the latest earthquake in New Zealand. We are fed what they think we should hear. Some reports say it was stronger than the earthquake that so badly damaged Christchurch a few years ago.

We were in Christchurch exactly 2 years before this happened. New Zealand is a beautiful country with a small population. When an earthquake strikes, it can be a real burden to cope financially. Of all the places I have been fortunate enough to visit, this was the loveliest, followed by Iceland. Iceland we assumed would be barren but it was beautiful with lupins in flower all over the place. Both in New Zealand and Iceland the people were kind and welcoming.

Practical Wireless (April 2013)

G3XBM in New Zealand (Abel Tasman National Park) Feb 2009

For the second month in a row I have an article in Practical Wireless. This time it is one submitted several years ago describing my operation on 70cms FM when on holiday in New Zealand in 2009. New Zealand has an excellent internet-linked repeater network that links repeaters all across the country, so one can work from the very south of South Island all the way to the top of North Island and talk to anyone on this linked network.  I found this invaluable when on holiday.

Sadly the exchange rate is not as favourable now as in 2009, but New Zealand is a wonderful place for a once in a lifetime holiday, with very friendly and welcoming people.

If you get PW, I hope you enjoy the article.

ZL9 Campbell Island (near New Zealand)

There is to be a DXpedition to Campbell Island (OC-037) in November this year. See http://dx-world.net/2012/zl9hr-campbell-island-dxpedition/ .  This reminds me of the excellent conditions on 20m AM back in the 1960s when I remember hearing a station on Campbell Island working the UK with S9 signals early one morning. In those days I'm sure the prefix was ZL4 though.

Is it just me, or is it much more difficult to hear and work DX stations these days compared with back then? Some believe that the ionosphere has actually deteriorated in the last 40 odd years so that, despite rising sunspot numbers, conditions are not as good as they were years ago.

New Zealand gets 500kHz (for now)

From March, New Zealand amateurs will be allowed to use 505-515kHz. The number of administrations making temporary allocations is increasing all the time now. Expect some ZL-USA (and maybe Europe?)  tests before long on the band. I wonder who will be the first to receive some 500kHz WSPR beacons from the Antipodes?

ZL operation (more)

This is a picture of ZL/G3XBM/P operating from the hotel balcony in Queenstown, South Island, NZ. Nothing heard or worked on this occasion. Next real opportunity is Thursday March 12th when we get back to Christchurch. The far west coast of South Island around Haast is pretty remote with no mobile phone coverage at all, the nearest fuel 90-120kms away, nearest fire station 2 hours away and only one BC station audible on MW and Band 2 FM.