Brian Holden: Cycleway is putting few bums on bicycle seats

I'm still not convinced the cycleway south of Rotorua is such a good idea. The And Another Thing team hammers up and down that stretch of highway quite a bit and only occasionally is a cyclist seen using it.

Perhaps the path is not promoted enough - I don't know, but a few signposts would help to remind cyclists that the long concrete path has actually been put there for them to use.

After recently speaking to a guy riding on the road beside the path, without knowing it was put there for him, it seems that more promoting should be done.

Gosh, with so much money having been sunk into the project, it is a shame that it's being used so little - and when will the rest of the great long path be finished? And should we even think of finishing it?

Maybe the Government should cut its losses and abandon our section of the project - which is fast becoming overgrown - altogether.

I've scoured the internet and cannot find anything that refers to the cycleway section in our little neck of the woods.

Indeed, are we officially part of the eight new cycle trails which will make up the "integrated network" covering 1700km when completed?

We are told the Government has allocated $18.85 million for the eight new trails, which would bring "huge benefits" for the communities involved.

"The new trails will be included in a series of 'Great Rides' that will take cyclists through some of New Zealand's most iconic and picturesque country," they say.

They "showcase the very best that NZ has to offer in terms of our landscapes, culture and communities ... and will be a drawcard for both international and domestic visitors, adding a further dimension to our vibrant tourism sector."

I'm blown away, but while this may be true in other parts of the country, I'm yet to be convinced that this will be the case here.

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The residents of a street in Welcome Bay, Tauranga, were treated to a bit of excitement last week when a homemade rocket blew up.

A man and his son were building the rocket using gunpowder and a concoction of other volatile ingredients in order to propel it.

Somehow they got the mixture wrong - and boof! Off it went. The boys in blue came promptly to their rescue and fortunately neither of the men was found to be injured.

Jolly bad timing, though, when the police just happened to find cannabis plant material and methamphetamine in the house.

With drug busts, one normally expects to hear of quite large sums of money, weapons and dubious manufacturing utensils also being on the property. One has to wonder how a homemade rocket fits into the picture.

So much for father and son bonding, and the question remains with these two men is after having now been charged, are they likely to be ... let off?

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Marmageddon is almost over and Kiwis will be delighted to know that 250g jars of our iconic national delicacy Marmite will be back on supermarket shelves within a few days.

Repairs on the Christchurch Sanitarium factory were expected to be completed early last year, but the discovery of more quake damage pushed that date back to November.

While most had to resort to spreading the Marmite on to their toast and sammies ever so thinly, greedy traders on Trade Me were listing jars of the precious spread for up to $100 each.

Well, those greedy so-and-sos will have Marmite all over the faces now that it is about to be in plentiful supply.