TravelStream™ news feed for member markc123 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/markc123 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 22 May 2007 22:58:34 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179888780/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179888780/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179888780/tpod.html Tue, 22 May 2007 22:58:34 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Christchurch, New Zealand

More snoring last night! Now I am paying $10 a night to sleep in my car and use the hostel facilities. Hooray for large cars!Had a long look round the Christchurch Museum today which was an interesting place. Still amazed when I see the Moa skeletons - these things were huge!Wandered out to the Riccarton area and the big shopping centre for a look.In the evening I found the Christchurch Slot Racing club who kindly lent me a car and controller for the evening. I do miss racing - this was the first time I had raced in 6 months and I really enjoyed it. Will be coming back to Christchurch for a month or so after the ski season if my plans do not get changed.Spent the rest of the evening in the kitchen chatting away to an aussie girl who is planning on doing the ski season in Queenstown - so it looks like I will know a few skiiers when the snow finally comes.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179802140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179802140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179802140/tpod.html Tue, 22 May 2007 22:53:26 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Christchurch, New Zealand

Had a look round Sumner this morning - nice little place. Decided however I wanted to be closer to the City Centre so I booked into the City Oasis hostel - another Sir Cedrics which have all turned out pretty nice so far. Aside from that I simply wandered around Christchurch for the day and had an early night - feeling a little under the weather and not getting great sleep in hostels due to snoring fools. Finished another book - the final volume of Terry Goodkinds series, which means I now have to wait for him to write another book to resolve the cliffhanger ending. Must have patience!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179629280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179629280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179629280/tpod.html Tue, 22 May 2007 22:49:32 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Queenstown, New Zealand

Randomly decided to go to Christchurch and therefore went looking for people who needed a lift and could offset the fuel cost. Should be back on the road tomorrow!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179702000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179702000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1179702000/tpod.html Tue, 22 May 2007 22:47:32 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Christchurch, New Zealand

After deciding that it would be fun to drive to Christchurch, I found myself a couple of passengers to offset fuel costs and left at 10am. We drove out via Twizel, Lake Tekapo and later Ashburton. The drive was quiet and scenic - often with heavy rain on the southern alps and clear skies to our right hand side - and at least 6 rainbows. Lake Tekapo is quite stunning - so blue! Didnt get the chance to see Mt Cook as the weather was harsh up there - maybe on the way back.I dropped my passengers off at Base, but as they were paying $30 a night for the penthouse I decided to move on. I tried a campsite a little out of the city but it was $16!!!! a night. Seeing as the hostels go from $18, I ended up in Sumner which is a beach side suburb. It was a nice hostel but very quiet.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1178444220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1178444220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1178444220/tpod.html Sat, 19 May 2007 05:40:39 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Dunedin, New Zealand

Met up with Mat and Christina after a night spent sleeping in the car, and booked onto the Speights Brewery tour.The tour was fun, with a good guide. The tour finishes with the chance to sample all the current Speights beers - always fun.Checked into Pennys Backpackers, which is OK but not as good as Elm or Hogwartz.... Went into town for cheap chinese and a few beers, but Sunday put the kybosh on the evening so we wandered back to the hostel.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1178357640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1178357640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1178357640/tpod.html Sat, 19 May 2007 05:36:38 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Dunedin, New Zealand

After a few lazy, jobless days in Queenstown, I found out Matt and Christina were travelling the south island and decided to join them. Hence leaving Queenstown at 1am and driving to Dunedin!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177920720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177920720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177920720/tpod.html Sat, 19 May 2007 05:34:30 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Queenstown, New Zealand

Found a garage in the morning who could fix andy's car that day. Visited the Otago Early Settlers Museum - quite a good place, and its Free!Picked up the car, drove back to Queenstown and went straight out to meet Emma off my flight out here who was in town for a day. Usual circuit of bars round Queenstown - ended the night in the world bar as usual..
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177834140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177834140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177834140/tpod.html Sat, 19 May 2007 04:12:08 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Dunedin, New Zealand

No car and its Sunday so no chance of fixing, so its a free day round Dunedin.Browsed the shops and looked round second places to get some stuff for the flat.Otherwise a chilled day just wandeing around.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177746960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177746960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177746960/tpod.html Sat, 19 May 2007 04:07:01 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Dunedin, New Zealand

Road trip to see the Catlins Coast and then spend the night in Dunedin.After getting the wrong highway out of Invercargill and then getting lost on the shortcut between the two, we left invercargill for the second time on the right highway bound for Fortrose. We elected to follow the coastal route and stopped off at a few places inlcuding slope point (southernmost point of the south island) and curio bay (dolphins and petrified forest). By late afternoon the clutch was showing some signs of passing on, so we just hoped it wouldnt slip too much and get us the rest of the way on this road trip.By the time we were 20 km from Dunedin, this looked like a hopeless quest - the clutch was slipping under power. We just made it to a hostel in town, afte having to look for the least steep way to get to it!. Checked into Elm Lodge (another great hostel, book ahead!) and went out for some food and beers. Found a cheap asian restauant in town, then onwards for beer. Dunedin is a pretty good night out.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177747440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177747440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/markc123/nz-oz-2006/1177747440/tpod.html Sat, 19 May 2007 04:04:47 -0400 Half Way Round the World

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Catlins Coast, New Zealand

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