The boys and I took a road trip in the last week of June.
The town of Coromandel is straight out of the ‘Mountain Theme Pack’.
Main Street
Rural Fire Station (Volunteer) – note the siren to alert the firefighters to come to the station for calls.
Original Fire Station and Ambulance Station
The Ambulance Officer, also works at the butcher, and carries a pager, for calls.
Coromandel Police Station
Pamplona, may have the running of the bulls, but Dunedin, New Zealand has the running of the balls… chocolate orange candy ones, or Jaffas.
Around 14 thousand people lined the world’s steepest street, Baldwin Street, Dunedin, New Zealand, for the annual, Cadbury Jaffa Race.
Now I know, that this is not exactly ‘breaking news’ and this crisis has been going on for some months now, but with no immediate end in sight, it is important to get the message out to the interwebs, about the on going national state of emergency in New Zealand, other wise known as Marmageddon.
In summary, the two earthquakes, in Christchurch in September 2010 and February 2011, not only devastated iconic buildings such as the Christchurch Cathedral, but they also damaged the Sanitarium factory, and the only one in the whole world that makes the New Zealand version of Marmite.
The following thread in the Simtropolis Current Events forum, (started by yours truly) provides a fascinating and indepth insight both into the crisis itself, but also it attempts to explain in simple (Kiwi) English, to the bemused Americans and Canadians, and anyone else who has no idea what the heck we poor Kiwi’s at the bottom of the South Pacific, are going on about.
http://community.simtropolis.com/topic/48491-marmageddon-crisis-in-new-zealand/
The Australian’s of course are attempting to be as smug as ever, with their version of the spread, Vegemite… however even Vegemite, has experienced some supply issues of their own in recent weeks.
‘Vege-pocalypse’ fears in spread shortage
First it was “Marmageddon” as Marmite vanished from shop shelves – now Vegemite has been hit by supply problems.
Stocks of the Australian-made yeast spread have run out this week at several supermarkets, including at least two large stores in Auckland.
Naturally the alternatives don’t really bear thinking about…
THE OPTIONS
VEGEMITE (AUS)
Prime Minister John Key says he can happily switch to the Australian-made rival spread, currently on special at most New Zealand supermarkets.
PROMITE (AUS & NZ)
Made by Masterfoods, it’s a bit like Kiwi Marmite in that it’s a yeast extract spread.
MY MATE (UK)
The UK brand (called Marmite over there) is available here. However, its powerful salty taste may offend those raised on the sugar-laced Kiwi variety.
HOME BREW
The internet abounds with recipes, although most are for the British version. Ingredients: brewer’s yeast, sea salt, onion, carrots, turnips and celery.
MEAT LOVERS ONLY
Bovril and Oxo may not be so good on the breakfast table.
Perhaps it is best to leave this post with the immortal words of Dr King…
I have a dream that one day we will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all bread spreads are created equal.”
I have a dream that all the little children will one day live in a world where they will not be judged by the color of their spreads but by the content of their character and flavour.
I have a dream today!
This is our hope, and this is the faith that we traverse the depths and the distance of the ‘great wet thing’ the expanse of the South Pacific with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair in this grave time of the great Marmite shortage, a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our world into a beautiful spreadable symphony of brotherhood, where the lovers of Marmite will with this faith, be able to work together, to spread together, and to stand up for the freedom of all toast and bread lovers together, knowing that one day, Marmite shall rise again!
(I might be paraphrasing just a little.)
Craig
Have you ever Google searched your self? It was an interesting exercise…
http://www.simcity.cn/viewthread.php?tid=99913
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/1326905037
Actually I am a little flattered… 
…even if the images are hot-linked straight back to my Photobucket! Just as well I have a pro account with lots of band width eh?
Welcome to Screw Pile Developments, South Pacific Down Under Division… or here just Screwpile for short.
Now, I know that all may sound rather grandiose, but you do have to call yourself, and the stuff you put on the interwebs, something, and that something is the name that I use for anything that I make for the city building and simulation game, Simcity 4 Rush Hour made by Maxis / EA Games.
Screw Pile Developments is also a sub-forum on Simpeg.com which provides both a workshop for lots under development and also a show-case of my current and past Simcity 4 projects.
Simpeg also hosts my City Journal (CJ), Bean Rock which was started way back in May 2008, and now has well over 100k views, and over 1400 replies… but who is counting really…? Me apparently.
Here on the Screwpile, you will find different pages of Simcity 4 stuff, galleries of pictures, a download area for lots, useful links and game tutorials. Take a good look around, help your self to to a download or three, poke about, but most of all enjoy!
– Craig
(AKA Craig-Abcvs)
Screw Pile Developments 