iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Martin @mandab.com · 25/09/2026

If you're out and about in Tāmaki Makaurau tomorrow and you like beer, you're spoilt for choice. I would recommend a triangle of Churly's, Saint Leonards and Garage Project. Between those you will find happiness.

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Martin @mandab.com · 25/09/2026

My only hope is that we get her a ministerial position in the next government. Sadly I'm not confident (fuck off Chippy!)

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Martin @mandab.com · 25/09/2026

Chloe is my favourite NZ politician of all time.

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Martin @mandab.com · 25/09/2026

Just down the road, the Kopfüber Marzen at Garage Project is pants-adjustingly excellent. Matured for six months in the tanks at Leeds Street in Wellington. Outstanding.

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Martin @mandab.com · 25/09/2026

Occidental is pretty much all we have up here.

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Martin @mandab.com · 25/09/2026

If anyone has any German visitors to Auckland, send them to Saint Leonards brewery in Kingsland - the best German style beers I've had outside Germany. The festbier is transcendent.

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Martin @mandab.com · 23/09/2026

We had a great discussion with the guys from One Drop, the Sydney-based brewery that makes crazy ice-cream smoothie sours, as well as some great lagers and hoppy IPAs. Their Auntie's Pudding beer turned out to be the top-voted beer of the whole Beervana festival.

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Martin @mandab.com · 18/09/2026

Renewed my Warriors season tickets for 2027. If this isn't our year, maybe that will be.

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Martin @mandab.com · 18/09/2026

Yes, I'm looking forward to a day of doing nothing (other than walking the dog) tomorrow.

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Martin @mandab.com · 18/09/2026

I usually get around 50c per word for beer stuff. It's not going to enable me to retire early but it's a nice topup.

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The Third Pint Theory @thirdpinttheory.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

New podcast episode is live. It's the first of our panel interviews recorded live at Beervana, featuring a chat with Scott Taylor from Neck of the Woods Brewing and Jared 'Red' Proudfoot from Bonnie Day Brewing. open.spotify.com/episode/5AZb... podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/t... youtu.be/RV7fiVfYN5o

open.spotify.com

The Beervana Sessions 1 — Bonnie Day & Neck Of The Woods

The Third Pint Theory · Episode

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Matthew Curtis @totalcurtis.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Lovely article from @mandab.com about one of my favourite breweries anywhere in the world. Great photos from Jed Soane too!

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Martin @mandab.com · 16/09/2026

Thanks! If you come back you will find they (and the rest of the NZ beer scene) have grown and developed. More taprooms to visit, for sure.

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Martin @mandab.com · 16/09/2026

Thank you @pelliclemag.com for indulging my desire to tell this story and @clairembullen.bsky.social for guiding it through the edit. Support independent journalism and subscribe to Pellicle. You won't regret it!

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Martin @mandab.com · 16/09/2026

I am super-chuffed that this piece is out in the world. It's the biggest thing I've written and it is published by one of my favourite sites.

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Martin @mandab.com · 16/09/2026

If you live on the Shore like me you now have two permanent donation centres (Takapuna and Constellation Drive) plus there are mobile options. Please consider donating!

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Martin @mandab.com · 16/09/2026

You can donate plasma every two weeks. It's no more painful than standard blood donation, although it takes longer - I'm in the chair for about an hour as opposed to 20 minutes for blood donation. But you get snacks while donating, and the time passes quickly. I listen to a podcast or read a book.

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Martin @mandab.com · 16/09/2026

The NZ Blood Service is in urgent need of more plasma donors: www.nzblood.co.nz/plasma-appea... It's a double whammy: the flu season has clobbered their number of donors, and their manufacturing partner has a scheduled 3-month shutdown.

nzblood.co.nz

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Martin @mandab.com · 15/09/2026

I'm going tomorrow. Excellent snack selection and an opportunity to lie still for an hour - bliss!

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Martin @mandab.com · 14/09/2026

As I understand it, the platforms are built for screen doors to be added later. Needs some signalling updates I think.

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Martin @mandab.com · 13/09/2026

The other weird thing is having to figure out which way to turn after getting off a train arriving at Waitematā. My muscle memory got it wrong when arriving from Te Waihorotiu.

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Martin @mandab.com · 13/09/2026

If any political party had sense they'd announce Auckland Light Rail as a policy ASAP. Quick, while people are enthusiastic about PT!

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Martin @mandab.com · 12/09/2026

It's so weird being on a train leaving Waitematā the "wrong" way!

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Martin @mandab.com · 12/09/2026

I'm on a packed NX1 bus from Albany into the city in order to ride the City Rail Link. Yay for public transport

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Martin @mandab.com · 11/09/2026

All was OK, brother was safe. Then came the rumours. London was also under attack. Planes over Canary Wharf, apparently. Blinds lowered, like in IRA days. Nervousness. Strange day. Got home OK. World changed.

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Martin @mandab.com · 11/09/2026

Memories of 9/11,since others are sharing. I was working in London, recently arrived back from Sydney. Someone said a plane had hit the WTC. Assumed it was a terrible accident. Then the second hit. One of my team went pale. His brother worked there. We got him into a meeting room and on a phone.

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Martin @mandab.com · 11/09/2026

As do I, which is awesome. Gillian is one of my two hall passes, along with Rachel Weisz.

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Martin @mandab.com · 11/09/2026

I cannot wait! I am, however, slightly concerned about shipping costs to the other side of the world but what the hell.

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Martin @mandab.com · 07/09/2026

Well, that ticketing process for the Warriors home final was chaos. Tickets secured, but could only get the South stand.

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Martin @mandab.com · 04/09/2026

It's insane. I keep getting served ads which ask me "What's stopping you getting the shingles vaccine?" which always results in me yelling at the TV "The bloody cost!".

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Martin @mandab.com · 03/09/2026

I'm considering Proton. Unfortunately my annual subscription payment for LastPass just went out before I could figure out where I was going to shift to.

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Martin @mandab.com · 28/08/2026

In tribute to both Sam Neill and Tim Curry we watched Hunt for Red October tonight. Great film.

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Martin @mandab.com · 28/08/2026

It's just a jump to the left

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Martin @mandab.com · 28/08/2026

In honour of Tim Curry

A beer can, standing next to a glass containing a pale amber beer with a white head of foam. The beer is Time Warp, a West Coast IPA from Urbanaut Brewing in Auckland. It was their entry in the annual West Coast IPA Challenge at the Malthouse pub in Wellington. This year the theme was musicals, hence a beer named after a song from the Rocky Horror Show.

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Martin @mandab.com · 27/08/2026

Holy shit that's stunning

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Martin @mandab.com · 25/08/2026

Ah bugger, not Dolly. She was supposed to outlast the Orange One.

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Martin @mandab.com · 24/08/2026

My flights to and from Wellington last week were both delayed. The second one even after I'd shifted it to avoid the weather warning. Obviously the weather is unavoidable but it feels like there is a lack of resilience in the system.

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Martin @mandab.com · 23/08/2026

Wests Tigers you absolute beauties. Warriors still top of the table.

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Martin @mandab.com · 23/08/2026

At least it wasn't a bad moon.

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Martin @mandab.com · 22/08/2026

The simple things done well can be transcendent. Garage Project's 90-day aged version of their BEER - a simple Czech style lager. Minimal ingredients, maximum skill.

Dimpled handled beer glass filled with pale gold beer. Dense white head. The glass is sat on a wooden table with a blurred background.

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Martin @mandab.com · 20/08/2026

Argh, ignore "stopped"

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Martin @mandab.com · 20/08/2026

Sigh. I find it frustrating when AirNZ does the "20 minute delay, 30 minute delay, 40 minute delay" dance when the inbound aircraft hasn't stopped even left its previous airport. Just be realistic.

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The Third Pint Theory @thirdpinttheory.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

We're on our way to Wellington for Beervana. Will we see you at our Brewer Q&A panels during sessions 1, 2 or 3? We'll have some great chats and some interesting beers to try.

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Martin @mandab.com · 19/08/2026

Catching PT to Auckland airport from the North Shore (Torbay). Two buses, a train and another bus. About 2 hours. $8. As opposed to about 50 minutes drive and $200-$300 parking for 4 days. The extra time and hassle is worth it, I think.

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The Third Pint Theory @thirdpinttheory.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Are you going to Beervana this weekend? We'll be there, running Brewer Q&A panels with One Drop, Double Vision, Mount Brewing and many others. Come along and say hi!

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