Marc's Public Blog - Trips to other locations


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This is a collection of my blog entries related to short or long trips I went on.
I have some master pages for some specific locations/trips:

paris over many years | UK over many years | Belgium over many years | Holland over many years | Vegas over many years | Australia over many years | Canada over many years | Japan over multiple trips | Italy in 2011 | France in 2013 | Indonesia in 2013 | Japan in 2013 | Japan in 2014 | Taiwan in 2014 | Indonesia in 2014 | New Zealand in 2015 | Japan in 2015 | Costa Rica in 2015 | Singapore in 2016 | South Korea in 2016 | Japan in 2016 | Germany in 2016 | Tasmania 2017 | Japan in winter 2017 | Great Britain in 2017 | Australia Flying Safari 2017 | Philippines 2018 | Spain in 2018 | Alaska in 2019 | England in 2021 | UAE in 2021 | Poland in 2023 | Portugal in 2023 | Thailand in 2023 | Japan Snow 2024 |

Table of Content for trips:

More pages: December 2023 June 2023 April 2023 December 2022 December 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 June 2018 May 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 June 2012 April 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 September 2010 August 2010 May 2010 January 2010 September 2009 August 2009 June 2009 January 2009 December 2008 August 2008 February 2008 January 2008 October 2007 July 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 August 2006 July 2006 April 2006 March 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 April 2005 December 2004 October 2004 July 2004 June 2004 January 2004 January 2003 January 2001 August 1997



2019/01/28 Christchurch's Antarctic Center
π 2019-01-28 01:01 in Museums, Ntrips, Trips
Across the street from RNZAF's and USAF's Antarctic launch bases in Christchurch is the Antarctic Center. I did'nt have super high hopes for it, but it was better than I thought and worth a good 3-4H in the end.




NZ is indeed not that far from the antarctic:



You could get a ride in Hagglung, the all terrain carriers they use there. They can handle quite rough terrain








Of course, they had penguins:




Another room was the cold/wind chill room:


brr...
brr...

Other misc stuff, including movies:



two kinds of planes to get there, 5 to 8H trip due to the lack of real jet runway on the ice
two kinds of planes to get there, 5 to 8H trip due to the lack of real jet runway on the ice


See more images for Christchurch's Antarctic Center
2019/01/26 Taking the NZ Tranzalpine Train Coast to Coast from Christchurch to Greymouth and Back
π 2019-01-26 01:01 in Ntrips, Trips
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It's a nice train inside:



Soon after leaving Christchurh, we started getting alpine views:










There was a longer stop at Arthur's Pass:






there is a long tunnel to cross the continental divide
there is a long tunnel to cross the continental divide


Eventually we arrived in Greymouth where we had a 1H stop:









Their highlight was the brewry which had interesting sliders/burgers as well as nice ciders:








Then was time for the trip back:




Locals at Arthur's pass were protesting use of a poison designed to kill the mammals that don't belong and that have been killing all the birds:









2019/01/22 Christchurch's Canterbury Museum
π 2019-01-22 01:01 in Museums, Ntrips, Trips
Christchurch's Canterbury Museum has a very good central museum with multiple sections all worth seeing.

The section on Mauri started with their early lives:

sadly they hunted the Moa to extinction
sadly they hunted the Moa to extinction



They had a very nice section on their sacred stone, the Kura Pounamu:







One corner had a nice section on a house filled with pretty shells:





Another section showed the old streets:



The 2nd floor talked about the antarctic expeditions that have been launched from NZ's Christchurch:





Other random sections:






the Kakapo, the world's biggest parrot, is quite cute
the Kakapo, the world's biggest parrot, is quite cute



All it all, it was worth a good 4H, and was well worth a good donation (entrance is free)

See more images for Christchurch's Canterbury Museum
2019/01/20 A Week in Christchurch
π 2019-01-20 01:01 in Ntrips, Trips
This year's linux.conf.au was in Christchurch, so we went there and had a few extra days to look around. -

I started with Christchurch's Air Force Museum of New Zealand which was actually quite good:


After that, we went to Quake City which gives a good overview and explanation of the big earthquake they had more recently, but it was just one in a list of many over the centuries:


many quakes
many quakes




stone buildings did not fare well, the church was heavily damaged
stone buildings did not fare well, the church was heavily damaged


They have a nice river going across the city and botanical gardens, the avon:


Other city pictures:


8 years later, many buildings are still being fixed
8 years later, many buildings are still being fixed
















They had a nice botanical garden next to the Christchurch's Canterbury Museum











After the botanical garden we had a good visit of the Christchurch's Canterbury Museum


Given that the cathedral was destroyed by the recent earthquake, the transitional cathedral is interesting:






Downtown is otherwise slowly being rebuilt:





A highlight was Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, lots of eager and hungry animals :)



this one got lost
this one got lost











the Keas are quite curious and hungry too if you have food :)
the Keas are quite curious and hungry too if you have food :)



They then had a Maori show, was came from the heart but was not up to the same level than some nicer ones we've seen elsewhere, but it was still nice:







Various dances and demos they did for us:

Jennifer tried their dance, had a few issues with it :)

I'm not sure if I did better, I hope I did :)

And that was it for Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and Ko Tane Maori show and dinner.

During our time in Christchurch, we picked a day with nice weather, and took the Tranzalpine train coast to coast

We then had a nice dinner at Chillingworth Road Fine Dining Restaurant:

The next morning, we went to the Antarctic Center:


They also had an Art Gallery in a nice building:







A local attraction is the Christchurch Gondola, which wasn't bad, but it's a 30mn bus/shuttle ride away: it gives you an elevated view and the option of what looked like a not so stellar hike in high sun, so we ended up skipping that and only spent 1H to get the next shuttle back:




They have a back in time tunnel ride which was ok-ish:



We then had a bit of time left to go through a half hidden science museum: Rutherford's Den in the old university. It was actually quite good and I wish it had been easier to find so we would have scheduled more time for it.












And then, it was time to fly back. I ended up in an AirNZ flight after my United flight was cancelled due to engine trouble before takeoff:




[rigimg:1024:702*|got a "free" stop in LAX, which I usually try to avoid :)]

United Polaris Lounge
United Polaris Lounge

See more images for A Week in Christchurch
2019/01/18 Day Flight From Queenstown to Mt Cook, and Glacier Heli Hike
π 2019-01-18 01:01 in Flying, Nflying, Ntrips, Trips
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We were supposed to fly to Franz Joseph Glacier, but we ended up with bad weather there, so we redirected to Mt Cool instead (took a lot of advance planning to make that happen, but I had spent days looking up both locations, had all the phone numbers on hand, and the cell phones to call for go/no go decisions).
True South Flights confirmed with us that weather would allow them to pick us up again later that day, and they flew us to Mt Cook as the clouds were lifting:








Mt Cook airport
Mt Cook airport


We then got some basic gear and transfered to the heli hike:




hard to tell that this is all a glacier with the dirt on top
hard to tell that this is all a glacier with the dirt on top

but it looks like this
but it looks like this




we got nice crampons to walk on the ice
we got nice crampons to walk on the ice


nice cave
nice cave







And after a good time on the ice, it was time to fly back off the glacier. I got a front seat for the flight back, so I got better pictures:





this is the edge of the glacier that melts into a lake, with a few visible icebergs
this is the edge of the glacier that melts into a lake, with a few visible icebergs




We had a bit of time before our glacier explorer (boat tour on the ice lake), so we went to the visitor center, which was quite good:


nice picture of the glacier
nice picture of the glacier



Next, we took the our tour bus for the glacier explorer to go look at the melting glacier in the lake it created:







I tried to take a souvenir home, but somehow it didn't quite make it
I tried to take a souvenir home, but somehow it didn't quite make it

that's what the glacier actually looks like at the point it breaks into icebergs
that's what the glacier actually looks like at the point it breaks into icebergs



We then spent a bit of time in the lodge museum while waiting for the plane:





Last, but not least, a few pictures of the plane trip back:





back in queenstown airport
back in queenstown airport

This was a good day, not cheap with the plane ride, but awesome visit of the glacier.

2019/01/10 Second trip to Quenstown
π 2019-01-10 01:01 in Ntrips, Trips
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We got a nice flight direct to Auckland with connection to Queenstown. Nice United plane, and AirNZ lounge:





Views of Queenstown on the way in:





Jennifer was very tired the first day, so I went out to check out a few attractions and went for a walk, while she rested:







The next morning, we left for our trip to the Routeburn Track with Ultimate Hikes

After that, we moved hotels and I went up the Gondola for views and luge:




After kicking some poor tourists' ass at luge, I came back down to visit the Kiwi Birdlife Park with Jennifer:

















After that, I took a bus to Te Anau to do the Kepler Track, and when I came back, Jennifer got some yummy lamb for us:


The next morning, we started with a nice jetboat tour of the Dart River, up north. Very scenic:



these backgrounds were used for many movies
these backgrounds were used for many movies

to kill invasive possums, they have this resetable kill traps
to kill invasive possums, they have this resetable kill traps

then we got on a 90kph jetboat
then we got on a 90kph jetboat







We then got back to Queenstown for a 4WD jeep tour:








another place used for movies
another place used for movies



mhee
mhee


panning for gold
panning for gold

yet another movie location
yet another movie location



We then went to check an underwater fish viewing window:




even the ducks went diving
even the ducks went diving





The next day, we flew to Queenstown to Mt Cook, and Glacier Heli Hike

After that, we were supposed to see another glacier, but due to bad weather, we changed our plans. We took the shotover jet:






Next, I went to try a new flyboard/jetpack:



wee
wee



On the way back, found some ducklings:


I picked out a furry one
I picked out a furry one


Next, we went for wine tasting for Jennifer:



By then, it was raining hard, so we went to the escape room again:

And went to get an unobtanium burger that had stupid long lines:



nice view from our hotel patio
nice view from our hotel patio

The last day, the weather wasn't great (too windy), so what we were hoping to do, was cancelled. We ended up chilling at the hotel and airport lounge for our flight to Christchurch:




Not the best weather in Queenstown, but that's on par for the course. At least we got to see some things we hadn't yet :)

See more images for Second trip to Quenstown

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