Wednesday 25 April 2018

ANZAC Day

Just a short post today, as today is ANZAC Day here in NZ (and in Australia).

This is our day of remembrance and reflection.

As such, here is a song I remembered hearing a few years ago.

I have no connection to the Vietnam War, but it is still very moving.


The original Redgum version is here.

Sunday 22 April 2018

Bolt Action

Friday night games and Bolt Action.

800pts was the agreed limit and it would be Andrew and I vs. Paul & Ian.

But, at the 11th hour, the points were increased to 1000pts!! There was nothing for it... I would have to drop the sniper team to fit in the Wirbelwind :-)

Andrew had decided to field a Last Levy force (supported by Charlemagne SS), so it was going to be interesting...

Against us were a combined French / Russian force.

It would be a straight up meeting engagement.






German fire in the first few turns does little, but the Russians pepper the Last Levy with fire decimating a couple of units. French fire pins the Puma out of the game.





Pinned in the middle by the immobilised T34/85, the German centre is effectively stalled. The right is collapsing under the weight of Russian advance and French flank maneuver. As for the left... well both the German regular troops and French are locked down there.


So there's nothing for it. The Hitler Youth jump out of some ruins! For the Fatherland!


And unload their panzerfausts (note actual fausts, not bits of fluff) destroying the Greyhound and Scout Car. A nice bit of work.


But little else is happening.


Other than some very angry Goums rolling up the German right.


And a lucky bit of fluff (aka panzerfaust) knocks out the Wirbelwind. Only for that Russian unit to be wiped out by the SS in return.


And with that, the game is pretty much over - turn 6 ends.

8 VP to 6, so a close game overall, but victory to the Allied forces it is.

Next time Germany shall have revenge!!

Monday 16 April 2018

Taupo

Lads weekend away and the choice this time was Taupo.

Quite a nice location in the middle on the North Island here in NZ. Particularly if you like outdoors activities.

Unfortunately winter is nigh and the weather was rubbish most of the weekend. It meant we didn't get to do the sky dive that we were after, but the Huka Jet and some clay bird shooting was good fun. Even when hungover :-)

I arrived early to get around to a couple of places that looked interesting.

First up... Lava Glass

Quite a cool glass sculpture garden. Would have looked much cooler in sunlight as I think the bright light would have brought out the colours much more!







And then a quick stop to see Huka Falls and some long exposures. Might not look big, but its a huge volume of water in a small place!




As for the rest of the weekend, well what happens on a lads weekend, stays on a lads weekend. Except all the photos that are on Instagram & Facebook!! :D