I first saw these rigs in Japan and as it turns out they are available in NZ as well. Another small turbo diesel 4×4 with a bed, seating up to 8, portable gas stove, fridge, outdoor table and chairs.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Some Stuff I Learned about New Zealand
-Calling a New Zealander a Kiwi is not derogatory. I thought it might be. Turns out its totally acceptable.
-Bathing suits are also known as togs or costumes-I rented one today, didn’t know you could do that either
-Its early spring here right now, the equivalent of April in the states
Toyota Hilux
New Zealanders have got it figured out as far as trucks are concerned. Check out the Toyota Hilux, a 4WD 2.8 L diesel with a crew cab. Nice rig, real nice rig. Dependable, rugged, old and awesome. This beauty here is a 1990.
What the What!?
3:47 AM Monday morning: Ice flight delayed, storms at McMurdo. Turns out we had a whole day to kill in NZ. Could be worse.
We stopped at a local distillery. Turns out they make some of the worlds finest gin.
Drove north up to Hanmer Springs
Hung Out in the Thermal Pools
And Pretty much had a good time
Never let your guard down. Honey bees are everywhere. I didn’t see any though.
Christchurch, NZ
Since the last post in LA a lot has gone down. I actually missed my first flight from LA to Sydney. So, I stayed in LA while polar travel was re-booking me. I rented a car during the day because I had some time to kill and drove around LA, Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Turns out Southern California is for the birds. Not my kind of place.
I arrived in Christchurch yesterday at 15:00 and was immediately greeted after customs by ASC folks (Antarctic Support) and steered toward the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) to pick up cold weather gear for the season. Bags were packed and good to go for our 5:00 AM Ice Flight to McMurdo. I’ve never seen so much Carhart gear in one room before. This is my kind of place.
LAX
I left Portland today after another day at the beach with Taiga and Becky. I’m waiting to board the flight to Sydney at LAX right now.
Observations about LAX:
-There are a lot of people here
-Most of them probably spent more than 5 minutes in front of the mirror at least once today
-Pretty poor food here in terminal 5
-Lots of shorts, socks and sandals strolling by
-Best carry on bag: a green fuzzy Oscar the Grouch backpack worn by a man I approximated to be 30 years young. He seemed to be surprisingly content despite his grumpy backpack.
Becky and I
This is a picture of Becky and I the night we got engaged back in Holliston, Massachusetts. Becky just recently got a job as a Veterinary Pathologist at Oregon Health Science University. Without her support, I wouldn’t being going to Antarctica and would probably be homeless. She is the best woman in the Milky Way Galaxy. Also pictured is Williamette, a German Short Haired Pointer that may or may not have any bones. She is Taiga’s cousin and lives in Portland, ME.
Seattle’s Finest
Meet Taiga. Becky and I adopted this noble beast from a fantastic rescue organization in Lynnwood, Washington. Taiga is a Swiss Mountain dog mix. I took her to the beach in Gearhart, OR yesterday for rumpus time. She is without a doubt the finest canine in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Antarctica via Nebraska
Its official. Im a blogger. I suppose its better than joining Facebook though. Throughout the next few months Ill be using the site as a portal into my world as a project engineer/hot water driller working at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. My journey to the ice (Antarctica) started in Framingham, Massachusetts where I was working as an engineer. After a few years of trying to get a position working on the ice I finally got the opportunity to work with the Andrill Science Management Office at the University of Nebraska. Each red blob on the map represents a stop along the way to the ice starting with Framingham. After a 4 month stop in Lincoln, NE I drove west to Portland Oregon (where I am writing from) to meet my fiance (Becky) where we now live. This week I am planning and packing for my trip to the ice (I leave October 18th) and will travel to LA, Sydney Australia, Christchurch NZ and finally McMurdo. Here’s what my trip looks like:
Framingham to Portland to LA to Sydney to Christchurch to McMurdo. The plane in the picture is a C-17 Military transport. I couldn’t find any information on who was flying it though.
lemarctica 
