Andrew

Best get out there soon then, Mrs A and I both want to move out there.

How's everyone getting on then? Picked this up when I got back off hols and had a few days off before coming back to work. 10th first season, just finished 2nd in the second. Shelvey was the story of the first season the stupid bastard only played ten games and got 3 red cards, binned off to france that summer since he was a waste of wages. Signed Cristian Pavon in season two and didn't get a work permit for him, loaned him to Sassuolo where he was second top scorer in serie a and was generally amazing. Got a work permit for him now...

Just avoid Dunedin and you're golden for it not being scottish

Funnily enough we regularly read the comparison to scotland before we went and packed ready for it, totally not needed.

Scenery is like nothing I have ever experienced, tbh from the top to the bottom it varied so much that there were times where it was like driving through the country at home, then you come across a set of mountains that you just don't see over here. Weather pretty much played out as we expected, it was sort of like here but slightly better, just coming into summer but with slightly less rain and a bit more heat. Getting some days down in Wanaka and Queenstown where it was blue skies and 25-30 degrees, the worst we saw was some slight drizzle when we were kayaking around the bay of islands. Infrastructure wise varies pretty heavily. The proper cities (auckland, wellington) are as you'd expect any city to be, the smaller ones (queenstown) are more like we would think of large towns but much prettier than you get here. Roads are great, went on two motorways the whole time, spent the rest of it on highways which are just nice single carriageways, wide, well surfaced with periodic overtaking lanes to get by the trucks and campers or laybys for them to pull over into (which they actually do). Internet is decent in most population centres, 3G signal is solid across most of the country and wifi/internet was usually fine. People were great, the whole country has a more relaxed feeling than over here, driving makes it the most apparent, everything is a slightly more leisurely pace and it works just fine. Pretty much everyone seems to like New Zealand as well, they like talking about the country, recommending places to go and things to see with actual...pride? (not something im used to )

Righty, back from New Zealand and back to work! I could write an absolute essay on the place, we travelled the length and breadth of the country in our time there and there was practically nothing about it that I didn't love. If you ever get the chance, if it ever comes up as a consideration, go. Next time I am out there I am hoping for it to be for more than a holiday.

Hes Irish you stupid bastard

Drove from Picton to Wellington today, thanks for the route recommendation @PaddockLad, it was stunning!

Currently on a lovely 3 hour layover in Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Didn't go and see my Grandad enough in hospital before he died.

Well, I don't think anyone will be hurrying to catch the highlights of that one.

Playing out mostly as you’d expect so far innit?

Merino out with a back injury apparently.

Im not! We’ve got to go and see family didn’t get on last time we were on the turf either, managed to get to Newcastle mind! Looking like it will be the same this season.

I’m excited, I think this is only the fourth time this fixture has happened in my lifetime.

They can probably do a lot of things, they won't though. The whole idea of the ref seeing it so they "can't" retoractively act on it is their own rule for the sake of not bothering to do anything.

Why would there be a points deduction?

He's not offside, number 18 at the bottom of the screen on the replay is playing him on

0-0 I think, man for man I reckon we're a better side than they are but I can't quite see either forward line getting the better of their opposing defence. If something does come from anywhere it will be our midfield managing to work a bit of space and getting a goal.

1 hour to go.

The temptation to counter his bluster and nonsensical latin-esque mumblings by taking it right down to the gutter in as common an accent as possible would be far too much.

This is why I'm in the business I'm in, I'd be roasted on question time.

I think a few people have been getting antsy at a lack of news, somethings been out this morning about progressing the deal and due diligence etc.

That looks great.