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    • How to improve the efficiency of the heat pump?
      •   If you want to improve the efficiency of your heat pump then it is better for you to perform the routine maintenance on the heat pump. Here are some tips that you can follow to extend the life of your heat pump and also able to save your money on the energy bills. Clean the filters The efficiency of the heat pump can be affected by the cleanliness of the air filters that are attached to the ducts. The filters can take in dirt, dust and debris from the air and make the air clean. If the filters were clogged then they cannot take the air and allow less hot air to the flow through the ducts that means the heat will be at the reduced temperature. So, all you need is to clean the filters by removing the dirt and dust on then and you can also replace the screen material if needed. It is beneficial for you to have the space filters in your home so that you can use them anytime you want. You can easily wash the filters to remove all dirt and dust and then leave them to dry so that you can use them next time in an effective manner. Clean the pump It is beneficial for you to clean the outside and inside of the pump with the help of a garden hose to remove all dirt and dust. You can also vacuum and sweep the system to remove all the dirt and debris left behind in the pump. It is also essential for you to make sure that the coils are cleaned because the dirty coils can reduce the efficiency of your heat pump. While you are cleaning the pump then it is good for you to add oil to your motor and belt that make it flow smoothly without having any issue. Change the refrigerant It is important for you to maintain the refrigerant of your heat pump at home that carries the heat from the source to the compressor. In order to keep the heat pump running efficiently, it is very important for you to measure the amount of refrigerant in your coil and make sure to adjust it according to the instructions of manufacturers. Regular maintenance Performing regular maintenance like cleaning the pump, greasing the moving parts, and make other tasks helps to improve the efficiency of your heat pump in an effective manner. It is essential for you to perform regular maintenance of your heat pump so that you can enjoy better temperature at your home. It is beneficial for you to buy one best quality heat pump NZ so that you can make out of your investment for a long-lasting time. Performing regular repair and maintenance of a heat pump is essential but if you are not able to this on your own then it is beneficial for you to get help from a professional for this work who knows how to improve the life of your heat pump NZ in an effective manner. The post How to improve the efficiency of the heat pump? appeared first on Cycling Wellington.

    •  Can you make money by selling the junk car?
      •   Do you have a car that is only staying in the garden, loan or backyard? Perhaps you have a removable vehicle for an old car that doesn’t get used or run anymore, you have to fix it. Probably, it’s worth to fix these kinds of vehicles.  Did you know that you have an option to call on a number for old car selling services? Moreover, you can get towing services for free. They come to your home and away you the right cash when you are satisfied with the deal. It sounds great or it’s very true also. Actually, there are several companies available in your area for junk cars. It’s the right time to remove the Ugly or Rusted metal pieces through your home. Firstly, your neighbors will be happy and you will be happy also by cleaning up space. All you have to do Surf on the Internet to search the local company to provide car removal services. If you have a junk car or car that you no longer want to have, it is the right deal to call these car removal professionals for selling. There is a need to pick up the phone to make a call or mention the right address. As well as you can visit the website of the company to fill out the form if you don’t want to make a phone call. With no doubts, you can get the right online quotes. Today, it is really easy and to get the best deal for your old car. Moreover, you can get the extra or worth amount in your pocket. If you want to free up some room or it is the time to clear the driveway or loan, you have to keep the used for selling. It’s become so easier to call the tow truck in a few minutes for free. After some time, they give you cash or you can enjoy the better wallet or good looking space. It becomes too easier to get rid of the junk vehicle within a few minutes by calling the professional car removal Auckland Now, it’s a shot that you don’t want to lose because you will be able to collect the right amount of money by selling the rust or dust. Conclusion- Yes, you will be able to make the money by selling junk cars. If you have any on used for taking a car at home, it’s the right time to call the professional car removal services for earning a better amount. Undoubtedly, you will be able to earn the right amount by selling the dispose of it. It’s quite good wanted to call the right professionals for selling the pose.  Effortlessly, you will be able to sell the dispose car by asking the right experts. Even so, you will be able to earn a good amount of money as soon as possible. You don’t need to pay any charges for doing or on disposing of services for the car. You can get both of the services for free or get reasonable prices for junk.   The post  Can you make money by selling the junk car? appeared first on Cycling Wellington.

    • How to find out what kind of ink cartridge you need?
      • With the emergence of HP ink cartridges, NZ most of the work has become easy and comfortable. They are really doing well in the whole corporate market. However, the most important question or issue that can arise in the mind of normal people is that how one find out which type of ink cartridge can is needed. There are some points that must be kept in mind while selecting the right cartridge for your device. If the cartridge is not well selected then the device may face various issues at the time of working. Most of the inkjet printers contain multiple cartridges that work together and help in the easy output of company’s forms or letters or other associated documents. Importance of ink cartridge carrier: If you see minutely then it will be seen that most of the inkjet cartridge number is printed mainly on the top or front of the cartridge in the form of a sticker. The sticker will also state the color of the cartridge like yellow or magenta or yellow or cyan. If you see that the printer contains a color ink cartridge then the combined cartridge contains a single number instead of the three other numbers of colors like yellow, cyan or magenta. The correct number of the cartridge can be observed in the ink cartridge itself. So, it can be one of the best ways to decide what of the ink cartridge is needed. Role of printer manual: The user must look to the wording of the cartridge number or cartridge type. It is always better to write down the numbers on a piece of a paper or either take the manual with you at the time of visiting the store. With this, any type of problem can be easily overcome. Position of Ink cartridge card: There are certain model printers like HP that include a wallet-sized reference card containing your printer’s ink cartridges number. The card also contains the brand’s name or model number. Always place in the wallet or other safe places for reference purpose. Noting the manufacturer’s website: It is also very important to note the manufacturer’s website. The website will provide the actual address and other related matters that are needed in this case. In such a situation, it is very essential to remember or note the manufacturer’s website in a safe place. The website will also provide the perfect specification of the printer. The above-mentioned steps are really very helpful for finding the actual ink cartridge for the printer. There are many people who do not understand the correct one and so they get confused. So, in such a situation, it is vital to remember a few points that have been stated. In case of any confusion, one can also consult and take the correct advice of the manufacturer or directly from the company. They are quite expert and can guide you in the correct way. Think and go through the tips before making a firm decision on choosing the right ink cartridge for the printer.

    • How to choose the right prints for your business?
      • Printed banners have a good demand in the present world. Most of the advertising agencies are mainly focusing on choosing good prints for the product. However, there are certain criteria or guidelines for choosing the right prints for a business. It should be always kept in mind. Most of the time people get confused while choosing the right prints for the product. There were very limited options during the early days, but now there have been slight changes. People should have appropriate knowledge about choosing the right prints for the project or work. Identification of printing requirements: The very first thing, in this case, is that the user should be well aware of the requirement of printing. This is the most essential one. There are some companies who need to color the charts or figures. In such a case the color that should be used must of a different quality. Determine the business first and then start the printing work. That would always be a wise idea. There are mainly two major printers. One is the laser and the other one is the inkjet printer. Both of them have some special identities and features. The Output required for printing: At the same time, it should be seen that the print volume is mainly analyzed by the number of printing pages. So from this, the intensity of printer can be easily measured. In fact, one must also have a good watch on the number of rims used in a month. Reports say that normal rims usually contain 500 sheets. So the calculation must be done on the basis of the business requirement. Search as per the budget: It is also equally important to see that the print should be chosen as per the budget. Everyone has a specific budget and so the people should have a general calculation on the actual budget. Easy accessibility: The prints should be chosen in such a way so that they can be easily accessed by the employees. Opt for the printers that have multiple functions. It is quite relevant in such a case. Even there are relevant videos and tutorials that can also help in an effective manner. If searched properly then one can get proper IT support for any type of issues. Priority on security part: Above all this, proper stress should be given on the security portion. It is the primary thing and must never be overlooked in any situation. Most of the problem usually arises due to security issues. So, all attention should be given on this part. A business can only prosper if the promotion is done in a proper way. Many times most of the business or products do not run for a long time due to lack of promotion. So when there are good ways to promote everyone should make use of the best thing. In today’s world, printed banners are one of the best ways by which products or business can be launched. There is nothing above it.

    • How to fix the price of used furniture?
      • There are a lot of reasons for which one could sell his or furniture. Now, it really does not matter what reason is there behind it, but the one thing that matters the most is that one should get the genuine price of the furniture they are selling. For this, one should know to fix the price of the furniture that is about to get sold. So, here are the tips that will help you in deciding the genuine price of your furniture. The first thing that you need to do, in order to determine the price of used furniture is to clean it properly. Cleaning the furniture properly will help you in determining the actual conditioning of the furniture, this will make the pricing process easier. If your furniture has any stain or another defect, you need to fix that. If it needs any repair, you should go for it. If it has something electronic connection in it, then you should check whether it is working or not.Now that you have fixed all the defects that your furniture has, it is the time to know about the rates of it in the market. You are not the only one who wants to sell his or her furniture. There are other people too, and a price range is there in the market for every product. So, before deciding the price of your furniture, it is your duty to check the rates in the market. Not just the pricing, but once you start checking the new furniture trends, you will come to know where your furniture fits in. It is obvious that you are selling your used furniture, therefore, it could not be sold at its original price. In the point above, we asked you to clean the furniture, so that you could determine its quality. The second method of determining the quality of the furniture is to compare its current condition from the time it was new. This comparison will again help you in knowing the quality of your furniture and then you could actually decide it’s a genuine price.In the second point, we asked you to try to find out the rates that are there in the market. Now, one of the easiest ways to fix a price for your old furniture is to follow the standard rates that are fixed. Again, these rates are decided according to the condition of your furniture. Mostly, the rates lie between 70-80% of the price on which the furniture was bought. So, if your furniture is in the best condition you could keep it 80, if not then 70 or less than that. If you want to sell your furniture at good prices, you could simply go to second-hand furniture in Auckland. These are all the required tips for fixing the price of your furniture to be sold. These tips will help you in determining the price of your furniture in the best way possible.

    • How to decor the interior of your house with sheepskin rugs?
      • Well, sheepskin rug always increases the look of a house to a great extent. Rather, it is a very good choice to decorate the house with such type of rugs. They add both style and warmness to a room. It has been observed that the rugs look equally good with any type of room structure. Most of the rooms use these types of rugs to enhance the beauty of the rooms. The hotels and cottages are also using these rugs in their rooms.  Tips to decorate the rooms with sheepskin rug: Now let us follow some tips by which a room can be decorated with these types of rugs. Let’s have a look at some of the essential points. Most of these types of rugs are placed in the living room. You can put them below the chairs and it will provide good comfort to your toes. Even they can be thrown below your favorite chair so that they can give you good comfort to the people.Sheepskin is also suitable for the bedroom. You can also put them just by the side of your bed so that it gives a very cozy look to the entire room.Apart from this, if you want an affordable look, then it is best to put the sheepskin over the bench or chair of the living room. Now a day’s sheepskin cushions are very common. They are mostly observed in various rooms to beautify the whole place. It gives a very warm feeling.Even most of the offices are using such sheepskin on the chairs. There is a good advantage of using such items as they give good comfort and relaxation while working continuously at the office.Your big center table will also get a tempting look if such a sheepskin rug is placed over it. This change will be easily noticed by visitors. Even such rugs can be used in the kid’s room. They can be placed anywhere in the room. It will add good comfort and warmness to the whole area. Other ways to decorate the home with sheepskin: Putting a sheepskin inside the room can give a natural look to the whole place. The most amazing things about this rug are that they can be used in any corner of the room. To increase the beauty of a harmonious interior these rugs can be matched with the color and other items. There are many colors of sheepskin rugs available in the market. One can choose the best one for their rooms.Such rugs can be placed over any type of chairs and stools. It can increase the beauty of such furniture abruptly.Such rugs are also found in various sizes and shapes and this adds a very fashionable look to the rooms. In short, it can be commented that the sheepskin rug is a very convenient and unique manner to enhance the beauty of any room.  

    • How To Hire Reliable Mortgage Brokers?
      • Hiring a mortgage broker is an easy task which many complicate unnecessarily. Sure, there are precautions to be taken and details to be checked before hiring, but with a little dedication and research, you can land yourself a great broker. To help you along the way, here are some steps you should follow to hire a trustworthy and efficient mortgage broker: Speak to brokers: Speak with brokers either in person or over the telephone. If you want to know where you can get brokers, try searching online. But the problem with online contacts is not that what you really want. So it’s advisable to talk to someone who is completely independent and has access to the complete marketplace. Also, check if he is absolutely fee-free. On the other hand, don’t approach anyone dealing just with a little panel of lenders. They will look for selling you what’s best for their company. Look out for those who have won awards and then check for reviews. Be on the Lookout for charges: A broker is bound to charge at least up to 1 percent. They will also try to use any type of lender commission to try and reduce the fee. Brokers should then offer you access to a better type of deals which you yourself might not be able to get. They should also ideally try to remove as much hassle as they can from the whole application process and give advice on the best structure. Check the fees: Many brokers do offer up their advice absolutely free of charge, but there are others who charge thousands. They generally bundle it up under the label of a type of arrangement fee. These kind of fees are nothing more than just charging you up for the privilege of being able to take out any mortgage. To avoid this, make sure that you have researched the credentials well beforehand.  Ask for the qualifications: All brokers should be regulated and they must have passed their Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice (CeMAP) exams. Some brokers could even have Advanced CeMAP. This allows them to give advice on even lifetime mortgages, which are directed towards retired applicants. They can also take up the task of checking files on the regular and conducting annual exams to ensure that they remain compliant. But their knowledge and experience will surely differ a lot depending on their active years in the industry. Check for relevant experience: The whole mortgage market appears really different for first-time buyers than those of from the high earnings bracket who are on the lookout for bigger loans. So you should clearly ask the broker you have hired whether they do have the required experience and skills or not. Take the best deal: An independent broker will surely work fully from your side and not from that if the bank or estate agents. So they should have your best interests at heart. They should also have access to a huge pool of lenders. They should recommend them based on the circumstances rather than the remuneration. Following these steps or tips will help you find a trusted mortgage broker who will help you out with your unique problems. Always remember that experience, expertise and reliability matters the most.

    • Tips On Staging Your House To Sell It Faster
      • If you have put up your house for sale in the market, then it doesn’t need to be clarified that you want it to sell fast. But you obviously don’t just want it to sell, you would also want to get the asking price that you originally have set. So whether you have put up your house for sale in Auckland or Switzerland, here are some ways to stage your home for fast sales: Boost your curb appeal: There’s a lot, which depends upon the first impression. Many people who are thinking of seeing your house will first do a quick short drive by your house to see if it’s even worth a look inside. To make sure your home is ready for the visit, first power washes the walkways and siding, the plant just blooming flowers and other fresh greenery, mow your lawn and add fresh soil if needed, wash your front windows and repaint your porch floor if needed. Have a welcoming porch: If you even have a little stoop, make sure that it says ‘welcome home’. But it should be written on a clean doormat and there must be some blooming potted plants nearby. If your porch is bigger then you should definitely put a few pieces of porch furniture therein. Make sure to keep the porch lights on in the evening, just in case some potential buyers think of driving by. Keep your house clean: Every surface ranging from gleaming windows and shining floors to scrubbed grout and clean counters should be squeaky clean. This is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to ensure that you put your best step forward with your home. If your house is large then you might have to invest in hiring some pros. Also, hire them if there are tough spots which just aren’t coming out. Don’t skimp out on this step. Take stock of your floors: If you are low on a budget regarding house maintenance and renovation while you are thinking of staging your home, even then do the bare minimum and clean all your floors thoroughly. Give your carpets a steam cleaning as well. But if you have wood floors, then do think about refinishing them if they are in a bad shape. If you don’t or can’t invest fully in floors in placing some area rugs strategically can also go a long way. Style up your dining room: The dining room of any house is generally taken to be a blind spot when decorating the house. A huge empty dining table can look very uninviting, not to mention bare. So if you style it up keeping visitors in mind then it can certainly increase the appeal. But make sure to not overdo it as an oversized arrangement will work to make the area look too formal and stiff. Instead, you should opt for just lining up little vessels all the way down to the center of the table instead. Get rid of all clutter: If you want to put your best foot forward with your house staging, then keep in mind that all clutter will have to go. It will certainly not be easy and you might even have to arrange for off-site storage or perhaps a garage. But it is worth all the trouble because of clean and clear surfaces, closets, floors, cupboards and such translate to more space for the potential buyers. House selling depends a lot on how you opt to present it. So try to present the house, how you would like to be shown. Then you can entice buyers and get it sold faster.

    • Tips To Follow When Buying Furniture
      • When it’s time to move into a new house or maybe to get something new to spice up the old apartment, many people do opt for buying new furniture. There are many furniture stores in Auckland and nearby areas where the furniture stock is inviting. But no matter the store, one is always searching for quality along with a reasonable price. So here are some tips you should keep in mind while buying furniture: Do some research on your wood types While it may all seem the same, but wooden furniture falls into three distinct categories. This includes veneers, solid wood, and composite wood. Solid wood is generally more expensive but looks great. It can, however, be more susceptible to water rings and scratches. Veneers on another hand are made up of an inexpensive wood base which is covered up by multiple things layers of good quality wood. Composite board is made up of a combination of resin, wood pulp, plastics, and other furniture scraps. As one can imagine, these are the cheapest and can even be decent looking. But you shouldn’t expect them to last long. Check the cabinets and drawers When in the furniture store, make sure to open up the cabinets and drawers and check if it pulls all the way out. Along with this, make sure if it latches properly and then shuts properly and evenly as well. Check to ensure that the door open and remain open instead of snapping close. If they do then you should rethink buying that because it might be difficult for you to get things out. Give a pass to glue and nails Always look for furniture which has wood joined right at the corners and ends. Don’t go for the nailed in or glued ones. It is commonly known that wood joined pieces are sturdier and can sustain more weight. Give your lifestyle a thought When thinking about what fabrics and colors to choose, always let your lifestyle, make the choice. If you have a pet who climbs on furniture then choosing a white couch wouldn’t mesh well with that. Instead, opt for a sturdy, dark colored and stain resistant fabric in that regard. Check the legs The legs of your furniture should be joined to the frame and not nailed. It should also be made of wood and not heavy. There are rubber, metal and plastic legs, but they won’t be very nice to look at and they also won’t be able to hold much weight. Here’s a tip when it comes to sofas- if you are splurging on one, make sure that there’s a fifth leg as well. This will provide extra support and you surely won’t get them on cheaper sofas. Check on the springs If you are found of firm sofas then look for the ones which come with the traditionally could springs. For a softer one, go with the zigzag could. Before you finalize your buy, always take off the cushions and then press down right on the base of that sofa. Ideally, the coils should push down, but then they should immediately spring back into the right place. Furniture buying depends on your taste and style,d but these tips will ensure that you don’t get duped into getting cheap furniture.

    • What are the advantages of childcare?
      • Childcare or often termed as Daycare is a very vital place for families where both the parents are working. If you have a kid and you are working but there is no one to look after your child then childcare is the best option. It is far better than to keep your little one along with a maid. In fact, childcare is also a viable option before the parents as they are much safe and secure platform for your kid. Apart from this, your kid will also learn some basic things in life. Some benefits of childcare: Here are some of the benefits of childcare. Let’s have a short glimpse at it. It has been found that kids aged between 6 months to 4 years have a strong tendency to learning. They can easily learn any type of activity and store it in their memory. Most of the childcare teaches various types of activities that are quite vital for them.Most of the kids who spend a long time at childcare are academically advanced. These childcare centers conduct various types of interactive sessions that are quite beneficial for them.A kid who stays at childcare centers is much more advanced in terms of behavior because they grow the habit of sharing and solving the problem even in a tough environment. They can also adjust to any type of situation very easily.Most of the childcare always provide positive guidance to the kids. They take utmost care of each and every child. If they notice any type of negative attitude among the child, then they try to remove it through a positive approach. It may not be possible at home as most of the parents become restless while handling kids. Maximum childcare provides all the amenities and infrastructure that are required by a child. Sometimes it may not be provided at home by the parents. Helps your child to grow in a peaceful environment: Reports have revealed the fact that most of the childcare centers are very advanced and updated in true sense. To be very specific these centers can help your child grow naturally. They will also help the child to develop good imagination power and skills. They conduct various types of outdoor activities through which a child can come very close to nature. Some of the activities include tree plantation, keeping the environment clean, etc. These help to develop a sense of cleanliness and love for nature among a child.Sometimes the kids are taken to various places like a museum or a park where they can see and learn numerous things.  In this context, it can be said that the childcare Whangarei is very popular due to its quality service to the kids. In short, the emergence of childcare centers or homes have really helped and benefitted parents who were long wandering to keep their little ones in a secured place. This is really a matter of great appreciation.

    • Steps To Take To Hire A Competent Architect
      • Before deciding to call on an architect, it’s important to understand his job. An architect is basically a consultant. His job is to design the buildings on paper. But if you are in need of one, then architects North Shore have the experience and skill to meet your needs. Remember that an architect does not construct that building. That part of the job is done by a contractor according to the designs of the architect. So you will have to hire an architect to get the designs of your building before you hire a contractor to build it. Here are some tips to help you hire a competent architect for your project: Gauge the competence of the architect An architect will always put forward his best and creative sketches. But your ultimate concern should be to ensure that your building is built to ensure stability, prevent leakages and such. So while choosing an architect to make sure you go for one who has at least a basic understanding of building construction, structural engineering, local building regulations, quality management and of building services like electrical, air conditioning, plumbing and such. Also, ensure that your architect has the proper licenses to operate legally. Don’t hire someone with dodgy credentials. Not every architect will have these skills so make sure to check his previous work. Be clear with your wants You should put a lot of thought into what you want. Try to go into details and specify as much as you can. Write out a clean and clear design brief for the architect. This will not only help you clarify your thoughts and make you focus on the littlest of details, but it will also help in communicating with the architect what you need. Make sure to include a list of the spaces you need in the design brief. Also make a brief note on the organization and functioning of the project, no matter the size of the project. Getting the other consultants Of course, an architect can’t design a building all by himself so you are also going to need a licensed structural engineer, a landscape designer, a building services engineer and more. An architect needs to have a rudimentary knowledge of all the above professions, but you won’t get an architect who is well versed in all of these. So it’s better to hire the professional and make sure that you have a great building at the end. Many times, the architect himself will hire these additional people and give you a full packaged service. But you can, of course, hire them all independently as well. Proceeding to the Construction Stage You will have to decide how it will be supervised from the beginning. This supervision needs to be done by experienced and knowledgeable people. For small projects, the architect himself can do it, but for larger ones hiring a project management consultant will be advisable. If you are hiring the architect to do the supervision, then ask him to include the charge for it in his scope of work. An architect is a designer who should come with basic knowledge regarding buildings. Talk to people who have worked with him before and also make sure to check his credentials before hiring.

    • How is childcare benefits for kids?
      • People all across the world use child care center services so that they have someone to look after their kid when they are at work. People fail to understand that a child care center has a lot of benefits for the kids which goes unseen very often. Today we have listed down all the ways that the child care services can help the children when their parents are at work. Childcare Tauranga services are one of the reasons why child care centers have become so much popular all across the area. If you are looking for the benefits of the child care center, then you are in the right place. Here we have listed down all the benefits of child care services that you need to know before you take your child to one. The most important reason why all children should be sent to the childcare center is that this place will help the children behave properly and make them ready for the future. Since both, the parents will be out working these centers will definitely play a very important role in the growth of the child. It has been researched that if children attend daycare they can increase their immune system and also lower the risk of cancer in children. This claim is theoretical and nothing has been proved till now. One thing you need to keep in mind is that if you are sending your child to daycare, then they will definitely become intelligent. As there will be other children around exchanging knowledge will be easy. The children can learn to compete with their friends at child care centers. This helps them to become successful in their life. It has been researched that children who go to child care centers are more likely to get college degrees in the future. The child care center helps the kids to grow their personality and also help them to get prepared for tough situations from a very early age. The child care centers prepare the children in such a way so that they can stay independent for a very early age. In child care centers once the children grow up they are taught to do almost everything that they will need in their day to day life. This learning comes in handy when those children go to college to live on their own. Since daycare is a place where the children play, learn and study with each other it is said that they can build a strong immune system. This immune system prevents children from falling sick on a regular basis. It is not an easy task for a child to learn all the things that are taught in these child care centers, but with the help of all the friends, the children can learn everything in a short time. The parents are recommended to make sure that they admit their child in a good child care center because it will be affecting the future of the child.

    • Best hair loss treatments you can opt
      • As there are different reasons for hair loss, there are different ways in which it could be treated. One should always know the cause first and they should go for the treatment accordingly. Following is the list of the best treatments available. Medication The first way in which you can get your hair fall treated is by taking the help of medication. There are certain causes that lead to hair fall and sometimes it’s just because of a mere disease. In such cases, taking proper medicines to do the job. Now, there are a lot of medications available for the treatment of hair loss, out of which two are very popular. The popularity of these two medications is due to the properties that they have. They are best for treating the hair loss both in men and women and it has been proven. The first medication used to stop hair fall is called Finasteride. This is said to be one of the most effective medicines to be taken for stopping hair fall among men. The impressive results have been seen after the use of this medicine. The only problem with this medicine is that it has harsh side effects. The person using this medicine can have a problem in their sexual functionalities. Also, this medicine is not going to work for men above the age of 60 years. Another medicine used for the treatment of hair fall is called Rogaine. This is a non-prescription medicine, for both men and women. You can feel the visible results after 6 months of the use of medicine. It is available in the form of foam or liquid and one just have to rub the foam between their hands and then apply it on the scalp. One can get the issue of unwanted hair growth and scalp irritation after the use of this medicine. Hair transplantation Before you go to a doctor for any type of hair treatment, you need to understand that what the exact reason behind the hair fall is. In the case of any other disease, the medication would be a good way to stop hair fall, but if the damage is just due to the damage in the top part of the head, then hair transplantation could be a good choice to go with. In this process, the dermatologist places the hair follicle in the bald area of your head. After that, he or she gives you certain medicine or lotion to apply on the scalp. This is no magic and it also needs some time to get rid of the hair fall completely.  Normally, hair transplantations are very expensive. The side effects of having hair transplantation treatment could be a bleeding scalp. Laser therapy Laser treatments are proved to be one of the best hair loss solutions. They work very effectively, but due to higher costs, not many people go for this treatment. A little care can give stop your problem of hair loss and can give you wonderful hair. You just need to do the right treatment at the right time.

    • Popular milkshake flavours that we all love
      • Milkshakes are the go-to drink. If a person loves milk and desserts, then he must love milkshakes. Here is a list of some of the popular recipes of milkshake or thick shakes that we love to have.  Peanut butter flavour This is a very popular and tasty flavour of milkshake that we can find at any of the common milkshake brands. The main ingredient used in this milkshake is the peanut butter, as the name suggests. If you talk about the variations related to this flavour, then sometimes bananas are added to create a completely unique flavour. This shake is nothing but the addition of one or two spoons of peanut butter to a chocolate or vanilla flavoured milkshake. Peanut butter can also be used as the base of this milkshake and then chocolate or vanilla essence is added to it. Mint and chocolate flavour This is again one of the most popular flavours and most of us like them. This is a classic blend of mint and chocolate. This shake is often known as Grasshopper shake or Thin mint milkshake. The base of this milkshake is basically a mint chocolate ice cream and above that, some chocolate syrup is added. Use of peppermint makes it even tastier. This unique flavour of this milkshake has made it one of the popular and favourite milkshakes of most people. Double chocolate milkshake Another milkshake that has got all the hype is the double chocolate milkshake. This milkshake is overloaded with chocolate and is the favourite recipe for people who love chocolate. As the name suggests, this is a milkshake overloaded with chocolate. The basic thing about this milkshake is that more chocolate is added to an already made chocolate shake. This could be made using regular chocolate or dark chocolate could be used in the making of it. Also, this is one of the most simple recipes of a milkshake. You can prepare the base of your own choice and then can add chocolate syrup to that and you are done. Yes! It is that simple. So, this recipe could be made at home and you can even go to your favourite place to have it. Cookies and cream flavour The main ingredient used in the making of this shake is cookies and Oreo is considered as the best cookie amongst all. So, most of the brands use it as the key ingredient. The basic idea behind the making of this shake is the mixing of the vanilla ice-cream with the chocolate syrup and cookies. This is so simple to make that you can prepare this at home any time you want. If you love Oreo or any other cookie, for that matter, then go for it and try making at home. So, these are the popular recipes that every milkshake lover likes and can never say no to them.  The best part about these milkshake recipes is that could be made easily at the home also.

    • How to become a psychic medium
      • There must be some people in your life who are not with you anymore. We miss them a lot and at times it is difficult to resist ourselves from talking to them. It is not possible, although, but there is a person who help us at this time. We call him or her a psychic medium. He acts as a medium between the spirits and the living human being. Here are few of the points that can help you in becoming one. Know the importance of your job first  Those who have not attended any medium session must not know about the importance of it and therefore cannot understand what responsibility this job needs. This is a job full of responsibility as the person who comes to you is in grief and sorrow. So, before you start your practice as a psychic medium you should realize whether you want to do it or not or you are fit for it or not. If not, then do not get into this. Meditation Lately, we all know about the importance and benefits of meditation in our lives. Even a common man needs to meditate for relieving the stress he or she gets on a daily basis. If we talk about a psychic medium then he or she is a person who does a very difficult job. Meditation, in the first place is necessary for connecting to the other world, which is the world of spirits. Also, it is helps you in calming your mind. The work of a psychic medium is very stressful and thus it is a requirement for him or her. Adding to that, meditation helps you in dealing with the signs and symbols that you get while your sessions. Join circles or classes So, this is also like a course. You need to join some circles or groups where you can learn various techniques related to this thing. This will help you in understanding various symbols and signs that comes during the sessions. Also, a proper guidance is very important before starting anything new. Joining a circle or a group helps you in interacting with other people, who are either learning or are already in this business. To join one, search for psychic medium Auckland. Try making notes while your sessions Now, that you have joined a circle, half of your work is done. If you are thinking about the full course of becoming a psychic medium, then there is nothing sort of it. There are few techniques and symbols that you need to learn and that is it. You have to practice them a lot for the perfection. So, to become the perfect medium, you need to note down the things that you feel during your sessions. This will help you in getting the ideas related to it. You can read these notes later and they will actually help you in getting better. So, these were few of the steps that can help you in becoming a psychic medium. Amongst all the steps, your determination and patience are the two things that are required the most for becoming a psychic medium.

    • How Can Your Pack Your Furniture Well For Moving?
      • Furnitures are hard and heavy to move without taking the help of professionals. You will have to prepare your furniture and other big appliances well so that you can protect them against damages. This will also make the furniture carrying easier. So whether you are hiring professional movers or rolling up your sleeves to do it yourself, here are some steps to follow so that you can protect your furniture well. Gather up your Packing Supplies You might have seen how in movies the only things one needs to gather to get packing done are some cardboard boxes, some packing tape and you are all set to go. Reality works different and while having cardboard boxes and packing tape is a necessity, but investing in some more supplies like bubble wrap, blankets, corrugated cardboard sheets, plastic stretch wrap, mattress and sofa covers and sealable plastic bags. Prep your Furniture Before you pack up any of your items, take the time to dust off the items, especially the glass items. This is because debris and dust can scratch hard surfaces during the process of moving. Cleaning also has the additional benefit of ensuring that grime from your old place won’t move into the new one. Apart from this: Make sure to remove all types of casters, knobs and pulls from your furniture. Also pull all the drawers out of your desk and dressers put them aside to pack other items within them. This will give you more storage space to safely stored little items whole simultaneously freeing up the heavy furniture. If possible then try to dismantle you furniture fully. Remove all possible legs from the couches and tables, remove the cushions, take the bed frame apart and such. This will make the finger easy to carry and will prevent it from brushing up against doors or walls. Opt for sealable plastics to keep the screws in along with other hardware pieces for each such piece of furniture. Remember to take the bag well. Figure out how to arrange truck space You should begin by making a wall of boxes to stand all over across the back of the vehicle. Make sure that boxes you are using for stacking are of the same size and are tightly sealed. The heaviest boxes go down but they shouldn’t have fragile items in them. Now move in square furniture like desks and dressers. Place them up directly against the box wall as it will act as cushion. Don’t forget to use corrugated cardboard and packing blankets in between the pieces. You can use the dresser tops to place more boxes, just ensure that the boxes you are putting on top are not just tightly packed but lightweight as well. Now comes the mattresses. Put them on the floor, on top of a blanket to percent dirt getting on them. Where to find furniture movers? You can get furniture movers Auckland, Christchurch and in other places as well. Reliable furniture movers are also found locally as well. Following the above steps will ensure that you are fully prepared for the move.

    • Things To Consider While Buying A Diamond For Your Significant Other
      • If you are thinking of the ideal way to get diamond rings for your significant other then the first thing you should eliminate is bringing them along. But here are some ways you can make a perfect surprise to bring out the diamond for them: Purchase First: You should purchase the diamond first and then set it into a solitaire presentation if you are planning on proposing. Make it known to the person that they have the option of later choosing on a ring which suits their taste and style. The diamond you have picked up can be reset in a ring of the person’s choice. This will just ensure that you pick up the diamond without having to worry about the perfect ring. Later on, you can mutually decide on a budget and such. This will also make sure that your partner gets a choice in choosing a setting which they would actually like to wear. Get Better Collections: To select the perfect diamond, you need a shop which comes with a wide selection. You can get the widest variety in online stores, but if you want the satisfaction of personally seeing and touching the diamond before you buy it then ensure you get it from a shop which offers that variety. Customize The Ring: There are custom jewelers who would surely love to be able to design a ring which caters to your or your partner’s personal tastes. It would also allow your fiancée to create something original and which they like instead of actually settling in for something which a jewelry store has with it. This can be both a romantic and creative experience. Purchase Separately: Buying the diamond separately will definitely save you some money. If you purchase the diamond from a diamond seller then you will have to pay anywhere from 20% to 40% less than what you would ideally pay at a traditional jewelry store. That savings on that can even pay for the setting later on. Confirm the Warranty: Make sure that you know what the warranty covers exactly besides the standard inspections and cleanings. Make sure you ask if they cover for theft, loss, and damage of any sort. Also, remember that the warranty of a jeweler almost never works as a replacement of insurance. Along with this, many such contracts become void if another such jeweler alters, repairs or even cleans up the item under the agreement. Know Your Obligations: Know that the purpose of some agreements is just to provide value but the ultimate purpose of those is to get your loyalty by essentially preventing other jewelers from working in it. So you should know all your obligations well under the agreement. Most of the time the inspections and cleanings are free and they are required to be to keep the warranty in place. But you should see what they require of you to maintain the warranty. This diamond first approach ensures that there are more satisfied people who pay less than what they ideally thought they would have to.

    • A comparative study between White and Black hat SEO technique
      • For improving the ranking in the search engine different SEO service provider utilizes different techniques in order to get optimum result. Black, grey and white hat techniques are very much popular nowadays. So let’s just discuss two of them and see which one is beneficial. Black Hat SEO Technique: In the technique of Black Hat SEO in order to obtain a higher ranking in the search engine the rules of the search engines are broken. So the technique of black hat will mainly focus on the search engine, but not on the human audience. So if you are looking for a quick return on your website then you can opt for this technique rather than investing in the long term solution for your website. The techniques which are a part of this Black Hat SEO link farming, keyword stuffing, hidden links, and text, spamming the blog content and many more. But if you opt for this technique, there is one risk and that is banning your website or the de-indexing of the website as the punishment of penalization for utilizing unethical techniques. White Hat SEO Technique: The technique of white hat mainly focuses on the human audience rather than the search engine. The main feature of this technique includes using of proper keywords by analyzing and performing proper research, rewriting of the meta tags to make the entire thing more relevant, link building, backlinking as well as providing content for the human readers. If you opt for the technique of white hat, then you will have to invest in a long term plan so that the result can prevail for a long time. How the content quality the first in white hat technique and black hat technique? As the former one basically looks forward to long term results so it creates content which will be beneficial and informative for the readers and hence it tries to maintain the quality of content. Because whenever a website is creating content of good quality then it is indicating to the fact that the entire site is appropriate and unique for displaying in the first few searches. One should also research the keywords having a long and short tail so that depending on the relevance you can put it on the content. Try to put a lot of keywords which will naturally synchronize well in the link, anchoring text, page titles, and headings. One thing that you should not forget is to continuously add new and relevant content on a daily basis. If the content of a website is rich then it is normally going to give you a lot of traffic boosting and SEO is going to initiate the entire process. It is true that creating good quality content will take a lot of time but it will come as a fruitful event in the future. From the comparative study, it is clear that opting for the white hat technique is always a better idea. For top-notch SEO services, you can opt for SEO NZ.

    • YEAR IN REVIEW: Over 200 glass recycling crates rejected on day one of Tauranga kerbside service
      • Bay of Plenty Times Year In Review takes a look back at 2018 and republishes some of the top stories of the year. This one was originally published in October and was one of the most-read stories on bayofplentytimes.co.nz. An estimated 200 glass recycling crates were rejected, most for being too full, as Tauranga City Council’s new kerbside collection service started today. Mount Maunganui and Omanu were the first suburbs to be visited by the Smart Environmental trucks contracted to provide the rates-funded service. NZME saw dozens of crates left full and affixed with yellow stickers denoting the reason for rejection. A council spokeswoman said contractors estimated about five per cent of crates were rejected, mostly for being overfilled or containing unaccepted materials. She said crates should not be filled past the top edge as the bottles and jars could “easily’ fall out when lifted and smash, causing a hazard for collectors and footpath or road users. An estimated 85 per cent of the crates delivered to the 4300 residences in the area were put out on the kerbside for collection, demonstrating a keen uptake of the service, she said. Uncollected glass recycling bin due to overfill on Oceanbeach Rd, Mount Maunganui. Photo/George Novak NZME spotted some rejected crates with precarious mounds contained only by a ‘fence’ of bottles around the rim, but others were filled only a centimetre or two above the rim. The rejections generated hundreds of comments on social media. Some people said the hard-line strategy would just cause people to throw their glass in the bin instead. Related articles: Kerbside glass collection service starting Monday Armed police operation in Mount Maunganui Car and motorbike collide at Mount De Mooij over the moon at NZ selection 2 Oct, 2018 1:00pm 3 minutes to read Others complained the bins were too small and poorly shaped with tapered sides that made it harder to keep bottles contained. Some pointed out that the rules were clear in the information the council put out pre-collection. One observer on the Mount Maunganui Notice Board Facebook page said the crates allowed for “one beer per day and one bottle of wine per week and a jar of pickled onions.” Another posted contact information for Alcoholics Anonymous. Mount Maunganui/Papamoa ward councillor Steve Morris said he “appreciated the enthusiasm” of the over-fillers. “It’s a new service so it’ll take time for people to get used to how it works. “The first one was always going to be a big one and people have been saving up recycling since the crates were delivered last month.” He said people could get a second crate for an additional $26 a year or 50c a week. “Some people don’t want one, others want bigger ones. Hopefully, we’ve got the right size for most people.” The fortnightly service will continue to be rolled out through the city this week, with Papamoa due for a visit tomorrow. Readers’ comments Shaaz Hussain Mine got picked up. I followed the rules to the T. It’s not that hard Margaret Calkin Make it hard and people will stop recycling and it will all go in the general rubbish. Karlie Morrow I think they could have been lenient on their rules for the first pick-up, left their little yellow sticker and mentioned the fact the bins wouldn’t be picked up in future. Lynn Forde We are paying for this service, unasked for. Too many rules, cannot put it out if there are not enough bottles, same if there are too many Paul McKerrow It’s great to have another glass bin for our glass run to the recycling centre. – Source: Bay of Plenty Times Facebook page NZ Herald

    • Auckland cycleways overestimated demand to obtain taxpayer funding, says Auckland Transport report
      • Auckland Transport may have used exaggerated figures to receive taxpayer dollars for four cycleways in the city, says an internal AT report. “The cycle demand was overestimated in all the four business cases” for the Quay St, Nelson St, Grafton Gully and Beach Rd cycleways, says an AT report, obtained by the Herald. The City Centre Cycle Network: Post Implementation Review report looked at the number of cyclist figures used in the business cases to receive funding from the Government’s Urban Cycleways Programme against the actual performance. The reality is that we are developing a whole-of-city network Two projects – Nelson St and Grafton Gully – went over budget, performed worse than expected and may not have been economically viable, said the report. The business case for Nelson St predicted 986 cyclists would use the cycleway daily, but in January last year the count was 333 when the report was written. The latest figures from AT at the end of September this year show 448 cyclists a day using the cycleway. The divergence between the forecast and actual figures for Grafton Gully were also significant, said the report. The business case forecast 975 cyclists and the January 2017 count was 292. In the case of Nelson St, the AT report said a 647 figure for cycle trips on Nelson St pre-cycleway came from an “unknown report” and the consultants doing the business case, Beca, “commented the estimate was very high, but ultimately stuck with this estimate”. A Beca spokeswoman said the 647 figure was provided to Beca to enter into the economic analysis, saying “the use was agreed with our client, Auckland Transport”. She did not say who provided the figure. The Quay St and Beach Rd cycleways did not have such a big difference between forecast and actual numbers, and Quay St now has more cyclists than forecast in the business case. The report said possible reasons for the differences included exaggerated data to improve the business cases to give a favourable cost-benefit analysis, inappropriate forecast methodology, cycleways not being up to standard and people not being aware of the facilities. Auckland motorists to lose central traffic lane for cycleway Bizarre moment car drives through Auckland cycleway 19 Jul, 2018 8:45am 3 minutes to read Cycling demand was not living up to expectations, said the report, but noted the CBD cycle network was still to be completed. Kathryn King, Auckland Transport walking, cycling and road safety manager. Photo / Supplied AT walking, cycling and road safety manager Kathryn King said the report was a “work in progress” document that was never finalised, although the issues it raised had been followed up to improve business processes for the 2018-2021 cycling programme. She said traffic modelling for the first tranche of cycling projects arrived at cycling numbers that seemed too high in the early years when compared with actual cycle counts. King said most cycle projects require estimates for a 40-year investment using variables that can be hard to predict into the future. “We have also observed that as additional parts of the central city network have been completed, we have experienced additional increases. The reality is that we are developing a whole-of-city network,” said King. Latest figures show 281,000 cycle movements were recorded in September 2018, an increase of 15.5 per cent when compared to September 2017. When it comes to the 2018-2021 cycling programme, analysis will need to consider both actual and modelled results and explain any differences, she said. The Grafton Gully Cycleway in Auckland. The New Zealand Transport Agency, which approves taxpayer funding toward council cycleways, said it had not seen the AT report and cannot comment on it. It provided the Herald with a review of the Urban Cycleways Programme completed in September this year. “In undertaking this review, the audit and assurance team was informed that Auckland Transport forecast cyclist user numbers were based on cyclist user estimates forecast in 2026,” a spokesman said. The review of 54 urban cycling projects nationwide said the way cyclist numbers were estimated were considered “acceptable and robust”, including estimating numbers at a future date. The review said the cost of cycling projects went over budget by 15 per cent on average, saying Auckland’s Lightpath and Nelson St cycleway project shot 71 per cent over budget, from $9.76 million to $16.67m. Cycleway figures Quay St: Business Case forecast: 1060 Count January 2017: 689 Count September 2018: 1111 Nelson St:Business Case forecast: 986Count January 2017: 333Count September 2018: 448 Grafton Gully:Business Case forecast: 975Count January 2017: 292Count September 2018: 375 Beach Rd:Business Case forecast: 443Count January 2017: 265Count September 2018: 318 – The business case and January counts were part of the AT report. The latest counts were provided by AT to the Herald. NZ herald

    • Opinion: The real reason Auckland’s cycle lanes are always empty
      • I’m not a cyclist. I don’t own a bike and I hate the feeling of Lycra . I drive my car over offensively short distances sometimes and I’m unapologetically lazy about walking to the shops. My only bias is being a big fan of whatever makes moving around Auckland a bit easier because, as anyone who’s spent more than a few hours in the 09 knows, getting around in Auckland can be a goddamn nightmare. There’s a surprisingly simple reason cycle lanes are so empty and, despite the loud naysayers, it’s not because no one uses them. Cycle lanes are often empty because they are so efficient. Your cycling workmates are already at work, showered and ready to start annoying someone with some kind of annoyingly accurate stat about their carbon footprint . Meanwhile, you (and me) are still sitting at the stupid traffic lights on the motorway onramp. For every negative statistic you can find for bike lanes, I can find you 27 worse ones for cars and buses. Public transport in Auckland is a complete shambles. I have lost count at the number of times I’ve had to pay for a taxi ride home or call someone asking if they could pick me up because the bus that was supposed to take me home after a late shift didn’t show up. The reality is: people who want a reason to complain about something, will always find one. If cycle lanes were always congested, with queues of cyclists trying to make their way into and out of town (the bloody cheek of these people), people would slam them as inefficient. Because cycle lanes are always empty, they slam them as ” useless ” . I’m never going to ride my bike to or from work. That sounds exhausting and, honestly, I don’t want to deal with helmet hair. But I love cycleways. I love the fact that they take cars off the motorway and make my journey slightly easier. I love that I can annoy cyclists by going for runs along them with my headphones on so I can’t hear them when they come whizzing by and shouting “on your riiiiiight!”. I love that they’re a safe way to get around. I like knowing that a city like Auckland, with no subway and a very limited train network, is building a cycle network worth being proud of. “But the cycleway takes away carparks right on the main street!” Yeah, ok, Karen. I never find any parking on the main street anyway so you can be like me and go park on a side street and walk the rest of the way. I don’t know anyone who’s ever stopped going somewhere they needed or wanted to go to just because there was no guarantee of a carpark right outside that door. And as for the numbers and the forecasts and the complicated maths, I don’t actually care and I don’t think you should either. No one is counting how many people use the designated car parks for parents in my local supermarket. We all just agree that, regardless of whether two people or 200 people use them, it’s important to have them. No one cares how many people visit any of the local parks near you. No one is going to say “Only 217 people a month go to that park, shall we just knock it down a build a carpark?”. We just leave them be, because they’re important pieces of infrastructure for a liveable city. So why are we so uptight about tracking down how many people use a cycleway? Why does it matter? We can’t be the city we want to be in 50 years if we don’t start working towards it now. Imagine if 50 years ago we’d built a subway network underground? We’d all be getting in and out of Auckland so much faster these days, instead of clogging up the motorways on this seemingly day-long rush hour we live in. We can’t be short-sighted and assume that, because not many of us will use it now, it’s not worth investing in. There’ll always be people unhappy about fewer cars on the road (think petrol companies, mechanics) and it’s naïve to assume there is anything out there in the world that will ever be unanimously and universally loved . Of all things to hate, cycleways should be really low on your list. So low that, by the time you get to get angry about it, you might actually realise they were a great idea all along. I’m not here to tell you what to do, but since it already sounds exactly like that’s what I’m doing, I suggest you leave the cycleway alone and start getting upset at things worth getting angry about, like the price of milk and cheese in a country full of cows. resource

    • Cycle tourer Jan Burch appeals for return of bike stolen from campground
      • Jan Burch spent four months cycling solo 5500km across the United States without a hitch. But a few weeks into a planned New Zealand cycle trip, her bike, bags and clothes were stolen while she was staying at a Bay of Islands campground. Now the Dunedin teacher is appealing for the return of her bike, which she says is beaten up and worth little to anyone else although it is invaluable to her. Burch took a year off work to cycle the world. While she was in the US she met Rick Burdyshaw, from Ohio, and persuaded him to cycle the length of New Zealand with her. They arrived in Auckland on November 1 and pedalled up the west coast to Hokianga, then followed the Twin Coast Cycle Trail to the Bay of Islands. They camped at Waitangi Holiday Park, planning to spend a few days exploring, but when Burdyshaw got up at 5.30am on Tuesday he discovered both bikes were missing. It was still dark but he could see a trail where his bike, which had a wheel lock, had been dragged across the gravel. The trail stopped at the road but just as he was considering what to do next he saw someone cycling towards him. On his bike. ”I said, ‘Hey, that’s my bike’. I reached for him but he swerved away. I chased him but he got away.” A few minutes later he asked a group of young men walking past if they had seen his bike. They had not, but returned shortly afterwards with his bicycle, saying they had found it dumped in bushes. The GPS and tool kit were missing but it was otherwise intact. They had no such luck with Burch’s bike, however, or her clothing, food and cooking gear which were in the bike’s pannier bags. The theft left her with just one set of clothes. She said the bike was worth little — it was damaged where she had crashed into a bollard, was covered in stickers and the bags were falling apart — but it could cost as much as $4000 to replace the bike, racks and panniers. ”They’ll be lucky to get $100 for it. They’ll probably dump it somewhere,” she said. Burch said they had no ill feelings towards Northland and everyone they had met since the theft had been ”lovely”. ”I felt a bit bad because I’d told Rick New Zealand was so crime-free … but everywhere you go there are good and bad people.” Burdyshaw was philosophical about the premature end to their cycle tour. ”At first I was very upset and angry, but the longer I think about it, the more I accept that these things happen and we’ll get over it.” They are currently staying in Whangārei while they come up with a new holiday plan. ■ The bike is a blue Kona Sutra touring bike with the frame covered in star stickers. It has two large orange pannier bags with safety triangles on the back and a black pannier bag on the front. If you know where it is phone the police, email reporters@northernadvocate.co.nz or call/text the Advocate’s Kerikeri office on 021 516 468. NZ Herald

    • Cyclist dies following ‘medical event’ during Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge
      • A cyclist has died in the annual Lake Taupō Cycle challenge. Event organisers have confirmed the person died while competing in today’s event, which takes cyclists on a course around Lake Taupō. “Early information suggests a medical event involving a single rider,” a spokesperson for the event said. “We extend our deepest sympathies and thoughts to the family of the deceased and those close to them.” Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge management and trustees were working with police and other authorities regarding the incident. Immediate family had been notified by police. Organisers also extended their thanks to fellow riders who stopped to provide medical assistance at the scene. The incident was the second involving a cyclist in the Taupō region today. A police spokesperson said officers were called to a crash involving a car and a cyclist on Wairau Ave, shortly after 1.30pm. The cyclist had serious injuries and was taken to Taupō Hospital, he said. A Taupō Hospital spokeswoman said the patient had since been transferred to Rotorua Hospital in a “stable condition.” Cyclists competing in the Lake Taupō Cycle Challenge are given the option to ride courses ranging from 5 kilometres, to 640 kilometres for the “maxi enduro” race. Resource

    • Study finds cycle lanes and walkways reduce car use and emissions
      • New research has shown that investing in cycle lanes and walkways encourages people to drive less and cuts carbon emissions. The research, from the University of Otago, Wellington and Victoria University, studied the impact of new cycling and walking paths built in New Plymouth and Hastings in 2011. In the three years after the development of the new infrastructure, it was found there was a reduction of 1.6 per cent in vehicle kilometres travelled and an associated 1 per cent drop in carbon emissions. It is the first study internationally to demonstrate that investing in cycle paths and walkways leads to a reduction in emissions “This is good news for our agenda to reduce carbon emissions, which is essential to meet our international targets and of course to contribute to stabilising the climate,” lead author Associate Professor Michael Keall said. Bike Auckland chairwoman Barb Cuthbert said she welcome the research results “as more compelling evidence why building safe and attractive walking and cycling routes is productive and valuable in major centres across NZ”. Co-author Dr Caroline Shaw, said the 1 per cent reduction in carbon emissions is likely to be a conservative estimate, as shorter car trips – those most likely to be replaced by walking or cycling – typically had higher per kilometre emissions. “It is also important to note that we would expect the more extensive networks of cycle lanes which some councils are now putting in, to have an even bigger response,” she said. If the same level of investment was made nationwide, it could reduce the country’s carbon dioxide emissions by at least 0.23 million tonnes over three years, the researchers said. Building new cycle paths and walkways also appeared to reduce car ownership in the two cities. The researchers used a variety of methods to collect information on car usage, conducting face-to-face interviews with householders, analysing odometer readings from licensing data and reviewing details on car ownership from the New Zealand Household Travel Survey. The data from New Plymouth and Hastings were compared with information from Whanganui and Masterton – two cities which received no additional government funding for cycle ways or walking paths. Dr Shaw said the research clearly demonstrates that people are prepared to substitute cycling and walking for car journeys. “We already know that putting in cycling and walking infrastructure reduces congestion and makes cities nicer places to live, as well as being highly cost effective. We now also know that it reduces carbon emissions.” Resource

    • Advance Stop Boxes Fair?
      • Advance Stop Boxes can give cyclists a head start at intersections. A couple of years ago, green paint and bicycle symbols started appearing at intersections all over Wellington. These were Advance Stop Boxes (ASBs). The purpose of ASB’s is to give cyclists a place to wait ahead of the main traffic queue, making them more visible, and giving them a head start on other traffic. A 1998 OECD study into vulnerable road users showed that ASB’s significantly reduced accident risks to cyclists – in one Swedish study by 35%. On the other hand cycling experts Axel Wilke and Glen Koorey  “regard ASBs as useful in some circumstances, but don’t see them as solving all problems that cyclists may experience at signalised intersections”. I had to admit to some skepticism when I first saw the profusion of green paint. I felt this was a example of the dangers of outsourcing. Rather than using in-house expertise to identify intersections that would benefit from ASB’s, and doing them properly, it was easier to simply let a contract for laying down green paint everywhere, often in places where the ASB wasn’t particularly useful. So, two years on, how are ASB’s performing? I decided to ask Wellington cyclists with a brief online survey. To my surprise, ASB’s are clearly both important (145 people responded to the survey) and generally popular – 85% of respondents used ASB’s most times they encountered them. Why people saw ASB’s as useful was a bit more complicated. Although 35% said that it helped them to cross the intersection more safely, and 10% said that it enabled them to travel faster, the most common (42%) attraction of the ASB’s was simply that they recognized cycling as a legitimate transport mode . There was also a hard core of unbelievers (4%) that didn’t find ASB’s useful at all. “Usually I find it better to claim the lane and stay in line with cars”. There were also a couple of comments to the effect that the ASBs provided a good opportunity to socialise with other cyclists! When asked what the main problem was that people had with ASBs, the overwhelming issue was “I can’t get through the traffic to reach them” (46%) followed by “Other vehicles are in the box” (30%). This shows that we need more lead in lanes (bike lanes that lead up to the ASB), and better education/enforcement of the need for motor vehicles to keep clear of the ASBs. Should we have to share  ASBs? I also asked which ASB people found most useful. This got a wide variety of responses, including “All of them” and “I don’t find any particularly useful.” On numbers, the ASB at the junction of Riddiford and Adelaide is most popular (20 mentions) followed by Featherston/Bunny (15 mentions). Both of these are on important commuting routes, but they’re very different. Riddiford/Adelaide lacks lead in lanes, and it’s on a major public transport route, so to get to the ASB you often have to filter past buses. However if you can reach the ASB, you’ve got a head start at a complex intersection, avoiding conflict with traffic turning left into John St, for example. Featherston/Bunny is better designed – there’s an approach lane that keeps cyclists clear of vehicles turning left (although there is sometimes conflict with vehicles turning left across the lead in lane). Wellington’s most popular ASB – Riddiford/Adelaide Runner up: Featherson/Bunny ASB In both of these cases the advantage of the ASB is that it avoids conflict with left turning vehicles, and that should be a flag for installing ASBs. For example at Willis/Ghuznee cyclists heading north have to create their own “virtual” lead in lane to avoid conflict with the traffic in the left turn only lane. A lead in lane here would improve the ride for the many cyclists who commute along Willis St, and encourage less confident cyclists. Ghuznee/Willis – cyclists creating a “virtual” lead in lane Finally, I asked how ASB’s could be improved.   Lead in lanes were most demanded (73%), followed by separate bike phases in the traffic light sequence, which would enable cyclists to clear the intersection before other traffic moves  (66%). We’ve just seen the introduction of a separate bike light phase at Abel Smith St, as part of the Victoria Street upgrade, so perhaps this be rolled out at other intersections. Bike phase in traffic light sequence   Better education (54%) and policing (45%) were also seen as important. WCC and the Police carried out a campaign in 2014, and a poster has been distributed. Poster encouraging motorists to avoid the ASBs. To sum up: ASB’s are popular with Wellington cyclists, if only because they recognise cycling as a legitimate transport mode. Other road users need to keep clear of ASBs. ASBs  would be more effective if there were more lead in lanes, and bicycle phases in the traffic light sequence.

    • Illuminating night time cycling
      • Lights and reflectors – do we have what it takes? As winter closes in, we all check our bike lights and reflectors to make sure we’re visible on the commute home, and following the Road Code guidelines for lighting, right? Well, maybe not, according to some research carried out by Rongotai College year 9 student, Leo Griffiths,. For a Science Fair project, he investigated whether people on bikes complied with the Road Code guidelines, and whether cyclists were aware of the requirements. His results are a wake-up call. Leo’s research was in two parts: first, observing bike riders at night to see if they complied with the Road Code guidelines, and secondly, an online survey of cyclists to find out if they were aware of the guidelines. In the first part, he observed bikes passing at several points exiting the CBD, and visually checked whether the bikes complied with the guidelines. For the record these are: red or yellow rear reflector steady or flashing rear-facing red light white or yellow headlight Pedal reflectors or reflective clothing. Leo observed 321 cyclists heading home in the dark. Only 52% complied with the guidelines. The most significant omission was reflectors. Relatively few people had no lights or reflectors (it appears that Kent Terrace is the prime place for invisible cyclists!) The online survey of 136 people on CAW’s Facebook group asked what people used when they biked at night, what they thought the requirements were, and what they thought would most improve cyclist visibility. Only 33% of people said that they used a set of lights and reflectors that complied with the guidelines. Like the roadside survey, the main issue was lack of reflectors. Only 29% correctly identified the Road Code requirements, again mainly because they didn’t list the reflector requirements. The most popular suggested improvements were more reflective clothing, particularly on the legs (more visible because they move up and down), and better lights. What are we to make of this? In some ways it’s not surprising that many bikes lack reflectors. Most bikes leave the bike shop with reflectors (although some high end bikes don’t) but they often fall off and aren’t replaced. Pedals with reflectors are replaced by clip in pedals without reflectors (I have to plead guilty here!). Mudguards, the traditional place to place reflectors, are less common now. My informal observation is that a lot of us rely on reflective clothing and packs rather than reflectors on our bikes. This can be very effective, so long as we actually wear the gear, and don’t, for example, put on a non-reflective parka on a wet evening. It could be that the guidelines should be updated to put more emphasis on reflective gear. We seem to be reasonably conscious of the need for lights, and GWRC have been giving us good information about our choices here. Indeed there are concerns that some bike lights may be too bright, interfering with other people’s vision. To sum up, Leo offers an ultimate visibility list: A white/yellow steady light on front of bike A white/yellow steady or flashing on helmet A reflective vest (no back pack) Light coloured clothing (white, orange or yellow) A rear facing steady red light on helmet A rear facing red light on cyclists back or seat post Reflective bands on ankles Flashing lights in spokes facing sidewards. To this, I’d add a reflective band on the wrist, to make hand signals visible, a spacemaker flag to remind cars to keep a reasonable distance from me. If wearing a pack, I’d either use a reflective pack cover, or a “bum flap” below the pack. (Spacemaker flags and reflective pack covers are available from the CAN shop) You can read Leo’s full report (which earned him second prize in the Science Fair) here: Cycle visibility report. Thanks to Leo for a useful piece of research that should get us thinking about how we make ourselves visible at night, and that we are familiar with the guidelines.

    • NZTA commits to urban cycling
      • NZTA has recently released its 2015-2019 Statement of Intent, setting out the Agency’s priorities for the next four years. In the previous Statement of Intent (2014-2018) cycling wasn’t a specific priority despite the obligatory cyclist images scattered through the document. The good news is that in the latest document, priority #6 is “Make urban cycling a safer and more attractive transport choice”. The emphasis is on the main centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, aiming to progress the cycleway networks in these centres, with help from the Urban Cycleways Programme funding. NZTA’s aim is to increase urban cycling trips in those centres from 32 million to 42 million by 2019, an increase of about 8% per year. The aim is to achieve this with a lower rate of crashes involving cyclists. Another priority is to make urban journey times predictable. Although it’s not mentioned, cycling is one of the most predictable form of transport – you are less likely to be held up by congestion and you can park at your destination. Let’s hope NZTA joins the dots here. There’s also a commitment to safer speeds which is one of the most effective ways of making travel by bike safe and enjoyable. Of concern is the priority to increase freight productivity by the use of larger “high productivity vehicles”. I recently stood at the intersection of SH1 and SH3 in Bulls, as convoys of HPV’s negotiated the corner. HPV configurations limit the vision of drivers,and cyclists in their vicinity need to take care, particularly during turning maneuvers.  Cycling Advocates Network has done some good work on educating truck drivers and cyclists about the problems here. Although in theory HPVs reduce the number of vehicles on the road, it would be better for our environment if more of this freight went by rail. Better for cycle touring as well. So are we seeing a new cycle friendly NZTA? Bear in mind that this is still the same organisation that is enthusiastically pushing for a 1960’s style flyover at Wellington’s Basin Reserve, and is capable of designing the SH2/ SH58 intersection without provision for cycling. But making urban cycling an explicit priority certainly gives us grounds for hope.

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