$1.5 Milliion: The Price for Being Green?

Auckland, New Zealand--Pete Bethune has offered his biofuel-powered round-the-world record-holding Earthrace for sale for $1.5 million

New Zealand round-the-world record-holder Pete Bethune is advertising his futuristic trimaran Earthrace for sale. "Would you like to own the coolest boat in the world? For $1.5 million, she's yours!" he said today on the boat's website. Bethune's carbon-fibre eco-boat smashed the round-the-world speed mark on June 27 at its second attempt. The first, last year, failed.

This time it made a 24,000 nautical miles circumnavigation in just 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes, two weeks faster than the 10 year-old record. The 24m wave-piercing tri-hull vessel was run on biodiesel to demonstrate and draw global attention to the potential for alternative fuel sources. The round-the-world trip started in Sagunto, Spain on April 27, and ended there.

The Bethune family mortgaged their house three times to pay for the boat. Now Bethune, who formerly worked in the oil industry, plans to find a job allowing him to stay at home and spend time with his family. He is full of praise for his wife, Sharyn, who not only was stuck at home in Auckland, but working to support both the family and the two record bids: "I don't know anyone else who would have tolerated what she has.

Bethune has been continuing his mission of promoting awareness of the environment and the sustainable use of resources, with a promotional tour visiting Europe, the UK, Caribbean and Australia, before returning to New Zealand. But he is also seeking "blue water" qualified captain to skipper the boat from the UK, departing in the middle of this month, across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific to Australia.

Earthrace was built with non-toxic paint, hemp composite in the flooring, biodegradable lubricants and hydraulic fluid, and pumps out bilge water through a special filter to prevent any fuel waste going into the sea. Its two 540 horsepower engines have a cruising speed of 40 knots but many legs of the record bids averaged slower than 22 knots to conserve fuel.

Paid my dog's license via Auckland City Council's Portal

Just paid $169 (using my Visa Card) for Skippy's dog license via Auckland City Council's web site at http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz. This saves me time and parking fee. Click on the picture to see the details.

Another Road Kill Picture, snapped in Auckland, New Zealand, davidlim

Sometimes road kill is hard for road markers to spot. Sometimes not, I guess....

Keyword: davidlim, Auckland, New Zealand, "New Zealand", "David Lim's", blog, blogging, blogger, people, places, amazine, "David Beckham", Wellington, Christchurch, Maori, Kiwi, Napier, Piopio, Manukau, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe, Msn, free, download, ps2, ps3, mp3, mp4, pic, picture, hoilday, tourist, interesting, funny, weir, news, stories, report, strange, unreal, latte, mobile, phone, repair, cell, unlock, unlocking, "Apple iPhone", 3G, 8G, 16GB, USB, IT, ict, USA, culture, sea, sun, sky, azure, "Lim's", davidlim, Brisbane, "Gold Coast", Australia, immigration, migratioin, migrant, story, stories, Aotearoa, UMNO, PKR, RPK, DSAI

The Toronto Hypnotist (yeah, rgiht; I am Superman!)

For a few dollars more, this guy in downtown Toronto,

Canada can reveal the secret of the universe to you instantly!

How original can the dude be! Keyword: davidlim, Auckland, New Zealand, "New Zealand", "David Lim's", blog, blogging, blogger, people, places, amazine, "David Beckham", Wellington, Christchurch, Maori, Kiwi, Napier, Piopio, Manukau, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe, Msn, free, download, ps2, ps3, mp3, mp4, pic, picture, hoilday, tourist, interesting, funny, weir, news, stories, report, strange, unreal, latte, mobile, phone, repair, cell, unlock, unlocking, "Apple iPhone", 3G, 8G, 16GB, USB, IT, ict, USA, culture, sea, sun, sky, azure, "Lim's", davidlim, Brisbane, "Gold Coast", Australia, immigration, migratioin, migrant, story, stories, Aotearoa, UMNO, PKR, RPK, DSAI

Road Market and Road Kill, Auckland, New Zealand

Forget the road markers who painted over branches, here's painted over roadkill in Albany, Northshore, Auckland.

Road Marker and Plant, Auckland, New Zealand

My mate snapped this on Old North Road near Kumeu. "The 'branch' manager of the road painter obviously had a day off ... Guess the contractor gets paid by the metre of road paint, not the quality of the work."

Signate Blooper: Hot Stuff Really Sell

Auckland, New Zealand:  The sign says it all . . .

 

The Third Cellular Network in New Zealand

Just watched the six o'clock news on Channel 1 and found out that New Zealand will be having its third mobile phone network operated by TelstraClear and offering a Nokia 6275i. It will be officially launched tomorrow, Monday, 01 September, 2008. The new phone plan seems reasonable:

$20 per month access
29c per min national calling
500 national texts per month - any network
40c per min "Big 5" calling (Australia, USA, UK, Ireland and Canad)
FREE Nokia 6275i worth NZ$499

TelstraClear's Invitation Mobile Plan is available to ALL residential customers who have TelstraClear phone line, calling and broadband services.

The only draw back I can see now is the lack of best mate on TelstraClear's offer and no free call minutes

Hopefully, the new network will give the other two network operator a run for their money. Eventually, the winners will be the consumers