A week in the US before heading to Mexico, 24th - 31st March 2011

The freaks you see at Walmart!! First stop, Surfboard repair. Second stop, Walmart of course!!.....

See some awesome wheels on the freeway.....

And the ever present smog over LA.......

Leslie takes us to a new boutique beer house called The Congregation. Matty in absolute heaven with 32 boutique beers on tap plus numerous bottles. Conveniently located in an old church building. Converted and communion taken!!.......

Then we hit the road bound for Las Vegas........

And discover that when you need something from the chemist, you can have a quick frolic on the Pokies while there.....

Head to Stratosphere Casino.........

Not for the casino, but for the views..........

Including views of "The Strip"..........

And some hair raising rides (108 floors up!!).......

Then hit the strip itself......

And have to get a photo in front of the Beatles "Love" banner for Cirque De Soleil at Mirage Casino......

Before hitting New York New York Casino..........

To see Cirque de Soleil's adults only show, Zumanity. Awesome. Should be more circuses like it.........

Before we make our way back towards LA, via the mountains........

Desert one minute, snow the next, so have the obligatory snow fight.......

And visit the town of Twin Peaks to try to find out who killed Laura Palmer........

Then hightail it back to Long Beach where we get to hang with Devine Miss Fine and her awesome
pad in Long Beach for a few days before heading off.......

Next stop..............Mexico!!

Work - Chatham Islands, NZ. 21st February - 24th March 2011

Not off to a good start. That's OK, didn't want kids anyway..........

Get to Chatham Islands to discover my board is damaged (somewhere between LAX and Chatham Island) and
board bag zip cut by TSA. Not happy......

The house (walls and ceiling made out of cool room panels) located at Waitangi.........

The view from the verandah...........

Part of the $22,000 of food brought over from the mainland. It included two chest freezers FULL of meat.........

Get myself acquainted with the price of fuel......

Get myself oriented and do some work on the little boat Elaine..........

Here she is being launched on the beach at Owenga.........

and me in the "office" on board Elaine (yes I make it look easy!)..........

Do some work on land. Here's me at Cape Fournier at the South end of Chatham Island (a 3 hour hike).........

And me at Point Durham Light (SW corner of Chatham Island)........

Me posing on the edge of the cliffs on the South end of Chatham Island
(Its only about 140m to the bottom).......

And me at Point Weeding light. It's blowing about 50 knots and freezing. So much for summer......

I also get to take in some nice views like this one from a telecom tower overlooking Waitangi..........

 I get to meet some interesting people in my travels. This is Tommy Solomon, the last full blood Moriori to
survive. He died in 1933.........

And go in search of fossilised shark teeth at Te Wenga, a shallow lake where hundred sof sharks were stranded and died many moons ago, with Richie and his mate Larry who owns this fine piece of typical Chatham Islands motoring luxury........

And come across other peaceful and apparently harmless friends........

Spend a few days working at Kaingaroa.........

Which is celebrated as the site of the first meeting between the Moriori and the whities.....

And then discover another memorial commemorating Torotoro, a Moriori who was shot while
defending his fishing gear from said whites (makes me so proud to be white)..........

Spend about 2 weeks all up on Tranquil Image............

a 23m ex-cray boat, now scientific vessel............

conducting surveys from the Tranquil Image office that looks like this........

Yes, we make it look easy I know (Bill and Richie hard at work)......

Ditto (our "Salty Sea Dog" Skipper hard at work).........

The boat has all the luxuries a Surveyor could expect including our very own chef (Nikki)........

But most importantly, a bed for when the work gets really tough........

On Tranquil Image we get to see the land from a different perspective (here, the cliffs on the south end of Chatham Island).......

Or the wild coastline of Pitt Island.........

And get to see some fantastic sunsets.......

Visit an old jail carved into the rock at Flower Pot (on Pitt Island).........

From which the view is nice but living conditions not so nice.......

Finally get the wetsuit wet for all the wrong reasons i.e. work (installing a tide gauge) rather than
play (checking out some surf spots).......

So try my hand at collecting Paua while I am there. I fail miserably......

But with a Maori Mate on board, Paua is sure to make the dinner table........

And I get to sample the raw creamy part of the Paua, somewhat a fine delicacy for the Maori (although
considering what the Maori have been known to eat, I am not so sure). Mmmmm yum........

Of course the crew must be fed, so Blue Cod is had for lunch.........

Not to mention Hapuka (caught by Jin with the greatest of ease).......

And get to anchor in some beautiful spots (this one on the East side of Pitt Island).......

Back on land, see some interesting trees (guess the direction of the prevailing winds!).......

and then head to see some more (feel like I am in Lord of the Rings!)......

This time with Moriori carvings.....

Ditto........

A striking resemblance I think..........

Before hopping on my ride out of the Chathams (bound for Wellington). Only about 50 years old......

Visit the Te Papa Museum in Wellington to discover someone has invented a "Semen hat". The bird seemed to like mating
with peoples heads rather than saving his species from extinction. What to do? Invent a helmet that he will copulate with.
Turns out he didn't like the helmet as much. A nice end to a wonderful trip I think....

Next Stop.............  LA