Category: Oceania

Descent into Blenheim BHE

Our descent in a de Havilland Dash 8 into Blenheim BHE, at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, took us over part of the Queen Charlotte Track. Tomorrow we start a multi-day tramp along that track.

Boots over New Zealand

Next week we’ll be hiking the Queen Charlotte Track a glorious ridge trail above sea-drowned valleys at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s a comfortable tramp, just 43 miles over four days. Maybe that explains why Rudyard Kipling’s “Boots” was my earworm the other day: We’re foot—slog—slog—slog—sloggin’ over Africa! Foot—foot—foot—foot—sloggin’ over Africa— (Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin’…… Continue reading Boots over New Zealand

Using Social Media to Resolve an Issue with United Airlines

We’re off to New Zealand in December. There are no nonstop flights from hometown Minneapolis (MSP) to New Zealand, but I found one-stop itineraries through Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco, and Houston. These are good cities to connect through in the winter: they don’t get shut down by snow. Everything was fine until United changed…… Continue reading Using Social Media to Resolve an Issue with United Airlines

Poms Don’t Tub

Cab service improved in Minneapolis in the 1990’s. Cabs started to be well-maintained, drivers were clean and respectful, Minnesota Public Radio, rather than loud rock, was playing quietly. The driver may have worked as a physician or a teacher or an engineer in Somalia, but now he was working his way back up. In the…… Continue reading Poms Don’t Tub