The wife and I have done the trip from LA to Melbourne and it is a long haul but luckily we were in the upper cabin of a 747 in B-class so it wasn't too bad. Would love to go back and might get the chance next year with my wife's big Rio Tinto project.

Griff, nonetheless, check in when you can. :)

Yeah. I want to taunt you about the game

You can imagine how violent the quake was that tore up the ground and stranded these cattle on a grassy island.

These cows were apparently rescued by a couple of farmers with shovels. It would have been worth it to see them down safely. There's a few thousand dollars worth of beef there.

Yes, they were moved to another farm, so they're safe and sound... and tasty. :yum:

No! Get off the road train tracks, go back to bed.http://cellar.org/2012/nono.gif

♪ ♫ I whip my train back an forth
I whip my train back an forth ♪ ♫

this is not the masturbation thread.

At least it wasn't.....

Having computer sync problem iphone to pc will update I hope! Frontier sucks as well.

Toad Hall
 

On the way to Abel Tasman, I spotted something familiar, so I snapped a pic on the way back.

Earthquake!
 

So we didn't feel a thing. We left Wellington and flew to Queenstown before the earthquake. We saw some minor road and building damage in our travels but never felt a tremor.

Later in the trip we saw the USS Sampson which was in NZ for the 75th anniversary of their navy but was diverted for earthquake relief. She was the first US boat to visit since the banning of nukes from New Zealand.

Milford Sound
 

Milford Sound was the most spectacular place on the itinerary. We had a guided kayak paddle of about 3hours.

Ben Lomond, the one in NZed
 

Lil' G and I hiked Ben Lomond forgoing the lift at the bottom it became an all day affair.

Politics
 

So NZ doesn't seem terribly enamored of our recent political choice making. We stayed at the Jugglers Rest in Picton. The dude sleeping in the next room was doing a one man show in the town's funky little theatre. It was hilarious and a little painful.