Taupotreeman

This is both difficult, interesting and sobering reading. If anything encourages me to be more safe at work it is reading your words. I wish you the best with your recovery and can only hope that it is both a speedy and complete one.

Safety record is pretty bad. If you want cheap, have a look at The Ssangyongs out of Korea. Had one as a work ute and although they're very lightweight they're not actually a bad vehicle.

5'8" and about 12 and half stone at almost 45. Just had my annual medical. Nurse said everything was well above average, nigh on perfect for my age. cholesterol, BPI, hearing, eyesight, blood sugar etc. good enough for me.

Love the air streams, just be prepared to keep replacing the soles at regular intervals. About to try a pair of Andrew chainsaw boots. Look similar to Meindles but about $100 cheaper here in NZ.

Well, I set up on my own in 2007 because there was no other option. I spent 4 years living on the bones of my arse and was slightly more fortunate than some in that I was able to keep the mortgage manager at bay.......just. It soon became apparent that there just wasn't enough work to go around and when you're competing with the likes of lawn mowing outfits, handy men etc along with the bigger tree companies, it's bloody hard work. I'm fortunate now that I have a full time job but am still able to run my own business but I'll happily state that it's not as easy as it looks and there's most definitely more to it that just climbing trees everyday. I know a few who have set up and only realised once the bills start mounting, exactly what it takes to go it alone.

Had one as a work ute for a couple of years Jon. Not that heavy duty and the 4WD is really only a lightweight version but for what they are they're not a bad motor. I was supposedly upgraded to a Holden (Vauxhall) ute but it's got less grunt off the line and it's a heavy unwieldy thing. The ssangyong or ping pong as I called it, is quite a lively little diesel and if all you need is a four seat, cheap motor that you can throw a few saws, chooks, bricks or whatever in the back, it'll do the job fine. Oh, and it's a darn site more comfy ride than the Vauxhall in my opinion. Just don't expect much room in the back seats. Also, have a look at the Rexton. Sharp looking motor for the price.

Don't tease Mario, that's not fair.

Okidoki, quick question probably requiring more explanation and a long answer. We have been asked to create a data base of all the street trees in our district which may also lead on to parks and reserves trees. We were logging the details on a data logger but it seems that, because the trees were logged as an asset (yep, don't go there, I already know) caused a whole chain of events which became complicated and convoluted so it was ditched. So.....is there any simple apps or data management systems out there that do nothing but simply log the location, species and number of trees etc without having to write everything down and then transfer it to a spreadsheet. Just trying not to invent the wheel here.

Mario, if I can hijack for a brief moment; we visited Sequoia National Park on our latest trip to the U.S. And we're left distinctly underwhelmed. Spent all of an hour there compared with several days in the Coastal Redwood Forests. If you can only do one of the two head North of San Francisco. Way, way better.

Any reason why Auckland? There's so much more to NZ than Auckland and it's bloody expensive.

I agree whole heartedly. Didn't a similar conversation come up during the freedom of speech thread? Calling a spade a spade? Anyway, it's one of my look forward too shows each week. I like the childish antics and it doesn't take a lot of brain power to watch and digest. Not a keen fan of Hammond I have to say.

Got a tiny seed punctured the top layer of the eyeball which then closed over the top of it. Went to the opticians after the quack and they couldn't find anything despite their best attempts so sent me on to an ophthalmologist. He found the seed and dug it out. Doctor was next to useless due to the lack of specialist gear. My suggestion is go to a proper specialist. Also made me wear my safety glasses nearly always and not rely on my visor. Second suggestion is to patch the eye up and let it rest.

And apparently Christchurch is crying out for arbies but check trademe for available jobs. If you want to settle in Auckland be aware that rents are high.

I don't think that's entirely true anymore. Yep, there's a massive issue with serious injuries and fatalities but I think the drug culture has declined massively due in no small part to random drug testing and the industry coming under intense scrutiny from WorkSafe. There's still a drink culture but not at work anymore. According to the recent WorkSafe report its more about employees working longer hours due to poor pay and getting fatigued along with corner cutting to make ends meet. Whatever, it's still a dangerous industry and different from that in the UK. There is a high number of Maori employed by forestry but I feel that's more to do with where the Industry is located. Most forestry is based around small working class towns in predominantly Maori areas. Doesn't mean they're a bunch of idiots. These working class towns are generally one or two industry towns, like mine, Turangi. You work for either the prison, DoC or Forestry. NZ is very different from the UK. One third of the population is now in Auckland so any smaller towns are dying. With regard to the big two; they are arb companies but do some Land clearing work as well with the bigger machinery.

Noticed the same. Not been on the crew much recently due to surgery and also have a liking for a glass or two of wine at night which possibly doesn't help. Hoping a two month holiday will help with a lot more walking and some better food choices.

Outstanding 😄

Done both Muir woods and Avenue of the Giants. Did Muir woods on my first visit to SF and Mario is right. It's nice but it's all over in an hour and although the trees are spectacular they're not a patch on further north. Avenue of the Giants is something else. Make the effort and take the time to maybe spend maybe a night up the coast and really experience the true Giants. They are most definitely worth the effort.

The likes of Asplundh and Treescape should be able to streamline the visa application process. Both have pre approval with immigration I believe. Not the best outfits to work for but most definitely not the worst. Plenty of good guys and work locations. Probably the easiest way to start and it will give you time to get your bearings and look for alternatives if the big two aren't your thing. Plenty of small outfits looking for staff in smaller towns which often have much more of a close knit community feel. Check on seek and trademe. Plenty of jobs advertised for arborists. If you can walk in to a job with your visa already sorted it just saves on the panic later and means you can start earning straight away. And one thing to bear in mind; Auckland is one of the most expensive cities in the world so think long and hard before basing yourself there.

Love the shot of the guy on the tracks. Great bokeh.

Slight Hijack for Little Green Woodchopper who asked for a couple more photos.

That's beautiful shot Mario.

Thanks for posting. Motorcycle racing isn't really my thing but that's pretty epic. Haven't watched much of Guy Martin although he was out here recently for a burn on the Britten. Watched his Spitfire program which was pretty good but sometimes his voice can grate a little. The man has some skills though.

I have one of my better ones on the wall. We're quite lucky here with the dark skies and minimal light pollution. We also have some well protected lakes which are dead calm so sometimes you can get some decent reflections of the stars. After a hard day sometimes it's just nice to cruise out and sit by myself for a couple of hours, watch the sun go down and the stars come out. If the sky is clear enough you can see the stars flashing different colours. Reds, greens, blues. Living the dream? Not sure this was my dream when I was a kid (I thought Canada) but this surpasses anything I think I dreamt about.

Was topping out a hedge years ago, walking along the top with the hedgy in front if me. Had a fast idle and as I dropped it onto the next part to be done it cut its way through and landed on my leg. Hurts way more than a chainsaw cut. Never had an incident yet though with the pole hedge trimmer.

No just an ultra wide angle (14mm) on full frame camera. The second is a 4 photo stitch using the same lens. The skies around me are pretty dark so you actually get a decent visual display and with a little post processing you can bring the Milky Way out more. Sometimes I just have to pull away from the camera and take time to look up and enjoy the show.