Have fun visiting the New Zealand trip diary. I'm having fun making it. Sorry about the sparse page design and low res photos, but net access is pretty expensive here (NZ$10/MB).

Date: 10.11.2003 Start Location: Manapouri Lakeside Motor Park End Location: Aspiring Campervan Park, Wanaka S: 4° 42.331' E: 169° 5.418' Distance Driven 266km (2372km) Summary: Time: 09:30 Location: Manapouri Store Name: Breakfast and departure Description: Today we headed north to Queenstown (self-proclaimed "adventure capital of …

Date: 09.11.2003 Start Location: Te Anau Top 10 Mountain View Campground 45° 24.890' 167° 42.548' End Location: Manapouri Lakeside Motor Park : 43° 54.179' E: 172° 11.663' Distance Driven 20km (2,106km) Summary: Time: 10:30 Location: Te Anau Top 10 Mountain View Campground 45 …

Date: 08.11.2003 Start Location: Te Anau Top 10 Mountain View Campground 45° 24.890' 167° 42.548' End Location: Te Anau Top 10 Mountain View Campground 45° 24.890' 167° 42.548' Distance Driven 232km (2,086km) Summary: Time: 09:14 Location: Te Anau Top 10 Mountain View …

Date: 07.11.2003 Start Location: Curio Bay Campground End Location: Te Anau Top 10 Mountain View Campground 45° 24.890' 167° 42.548' Distance Driven 373km (1,854km) Summary: Time: 07:15 Location: Curio Bay Campground Name: It was a dark and stormy night Description: We awoke this morning …

Date: 06.11.2003 Start Location: Portobello Vacation Park End Location: Curio Bay Campground Distance Driven 263km (1,481km) Summary: Time: 08:50 Location: Taiaroa Point Name: Albatross hunting Description: This morning we headed further east along the peninsula to Taiaroa Point, site of the only mainland Albatross colony in …

Date: 05.11.2003 Start Location: Kelceys Bush Vacation Park S: 44° 42.255' E: 170° 58.451' End Location: Portobello Vacation Park Distance Driven 332km (1,218km) Summary: Time: 05:30 Location: Kelceys Bush Vacation Park S: 44° 42.255' E: 170° 58.451' Name: Sunrise photo session Description …

Date: 04.11.2003 Start Location: Mount Cook S: 43° 43.44' E: 170° 05.512' Alt: 2534 ft End Location: Kelceys Bush Camp Site S: 44° 42.255' E: 170° 58.451' Distance Driven 296km (880.6km) Summary: Time: 05:30 Location: White Horse Campgrounds Name: Sunrise over the …

Date: 03.11.2003 Start Location: Lake Tekapo S: 43° 59.873' E: 170° 27.663' Alt: 2492 ft End Location: Mount Cook S: 43° 43.44 E: 170° 05.512' Alt: 2534 ft Distance Driven 143km (584km) Summary: Time: 06:30 Location: Lake Tekapo Name: Rise & Post Description: After …

Date: 02.11.2003 Start Location: Rakaia River Mouth S: 43° 54.179' E: 172° 11.663' End Location: Lake Tekapo S: 43° 59.873' E: 170° 27.663' Alt: 2492 ft Distance Driven 188km (441km) Summary: Time: 07:00 Location: Mouth of the Rakaia River Name: Sunrise walk Description …

Date: 01.11.2003 Start Location: Christchurch, NZ End Location: Rakaia River Mouth S: 43° 54.179' E: 172° 11.663' Distance Driven 253km Summary: Time: 03:45 Location: Christchurch,NZ Name: Breakfast Description: I awoke this morning at about 3:45 to make some calls back to the States …

In October of 2003, Mike Wellman and I decided to head to New Zealand's South Island to take an extended look at the expanse of untamed wilderness and beauty that is New Zealand. Owing to a streak of "good luck" we were both unemployed at the time and it seemed …

As usual, pictures will eventually be forthcoming, but the trip to the Patagonia region of Chile to the Explora was spectacular. We spent 4 nights and three days at the resort hotel, hiking and trekking during the day and feasting on fine food and Chilean wines at night. The accommodations …

This article in USA Today describes an invention by a Chicago-area Boy Scout who saw an opportunity to streamline airport inspections at the world's busiest airport (still O'Hare). The invention (and I've actually seen these at Dulles as well) is a box with a metal detector in it that is …

Those interested in snorkeling and diving will find an article (subscription required) in this week's Science of concern. It sounds the alarm about a regional decline (which is paired with a worldwide decline) in coral population. The article is mostly an analysis of 65 studies covering 263 sites across the …

An article in the Scotsman describes the planned slaughter this week of about 3,000 genetically modified (GM) sheep from the firm that cloned Dolly. The sheep were being used by PPL Therapeutics to test AAT, a drug intended to slow the progress of diseases such as hereditary emphysema and …

Those interested in programming or learning to program the Macintosh using Cocoa, may find the large collection of sample code from Scotland Software All of it is under a pretty liberal license (basically, you need to say where you got the code). Everything from services, to apps, to nibs in …

It's a movie based on an old, technologically un-savvy, animatronic ride at Disney World, how much can it really have to offer? The answer is surprising: 2 hours and 23 minutes of raucous fun. Pirates of the Caribbean:The Curse of the Black Pearl may not be up for any …

ABC News reports that the Hotel Valencia in San Jose, California, has just finished a significant information systems deployment that has resulted in one of the most technologically advanced hotels in the nation. Among its interesting technologies are: A card-reader-armed doorman who can confirm your reservation, check you in, and …

An article from BBC News this morning talks about a new law (taking effect in a little over a year) that will call for significant pay-outs to customers whose flights are delayed or canceled or who are forced off due to overbooking. It remains to be seen what the direct …