| 01:13.41 | flypiper | how many miles is it to Melborne from where you live? |
| 01:14.27 | flypiper | Like if I wanted to fly a small airplane across the water..?? |
| 01:14.41 | flypiper | which would not be very smart to do |
| 01:16.40 | mzb | err ... 200km to Launceston (north of the island ... |
| 01:16.46 | mzb | looks on google maps ;) |
| 01:17.15 | flypiper | Im there but I don't see a mileage scale |
| 01:17.39 | flypiper | I found it at the bottom... maybe 200 miles? |
| 01:17.50 | mzb | I'd guess around 300km from Launceston to Melbourne |
| 01:17.54 | mzb | so ~500km total |
| 01:18.41 | mzb | http://www.convertunits.com/distance/from/Melbourne,+Australia/to/Hobart,+Australia |
| 01:18.47 | mzb | ~600 km |
| 01:18.51 | flypiper | so it is possible to fly a small general aviation aircraft there from Melborne |
| 01:19.25 | mzb | I believe so |
| 01:20.11 | mzb | iirc they occasionally do search&rescue for small aircraft in Bass Strait, so I reckon it must be legal/possible ;) |
| 01:21.12 | mzb | I think TasAir (a small company with their own airstrip near the main airport here) have a 12 seater(?) ... that's the smallest I _know_ of |
| 01:21.35 | flypiper | would only be 300 miles (600 km) about 3 hours.. but I would Imagine that the weather could get very bad quickly |
| 01:22.03 | flypiper | ahhh... mine is a 2 seat piper. I was wondering if you have ever seen one like it there? |
| 01:22.29 | flypiper | they are bright yellow and very slow for observation mostly.. and pleasure flights |
| 01:23.16 | mzb | this suggests it's ok: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airlines_of_Tasmania |
| 01:23.51 | mzb | I've flown a Skyhawk II ... saw a couple of 2 seaters there at the same time, iirc |
| 01:24.48 | flypiper | did you take lessons?? |
| 01:24.50 | mzb | Par-Avion share the Cambridge Aerodrome with TasAir, iirc |
| 01:25.11 | flypiper | I saw the 172 Skyhawk in thier fleet |
| 01:25.37 | mzb | we did a school excursion with "Advanced Science", had ~1hr training and then we took turns flying (funny deal between the teacher and TasAir) |
| 01:26.15 | mzb | years later I was working for a radio station and had to record the sound of their aerobatic flight for an ad |
| 01:26.24 | mzb | didn't feel too well after that one ;) |
| 01:26.48 | flypiper | that was fun I bet. I owned a Skyhaw for about 7 years then it was stolen and stripped by a gang... which being a police officer at the time.. I tracked down the thieves in 2 weeks |
| 01:27.09 | mzb | nice work |
| 01:27.16 | mzb | shame about the plane |
| 01:27.26 | flypiper | flying is completly different than earth bound vehicles.. and it takes a while to get used to that |
| 01:27.27 | flypiper | thanks |
| 01:27.50 | flypiper | it's the same crook thought... they will steal anything that is free and sell it |
| 01:28.10 | mzb | yes, it was fun ... I got to fly from above my house (at the time), around the harbour, and then up the river |
| 01:28.28 | mzb | pilot used me to simulate engine stall, so that was cool ;) |
| 01:28.33 | mzb | (idle) |
| 01:28.45 | flypiper | ohhh, I bet that was a fun trip |
| 01:29.09 | mzb | very cool for a 16yo :) |
| 01:30.06 | flypiper | I am rebuilding my airplane for my daughter to use. She can get her pilots liscense at 16 where she will have to wait for 18 for her auto |
| 01:30.43 | flypiper | she is 13 now, and I hope to have it finished this spring. it's been down for 9 years, but I had the cancer thing in the middle |
| 01:30.48 | mzb | http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=howrah+tasmania&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&gl=au&ei=B8HbSt-OApuQ6AP9poSkBg&ved=0CA4Q8gEwAA&hq=&hnear=Howrah+TAS&ll=-42.897975,147.37009&spn=0.08262,0.221958&t=h&z=13 |
| 01:30.59 | flypiper | did you check out my pictures of my plane? |
| 01:31.09 | mzb | yes, looks like a lot of work :) |
| 01:31.16 | mzb | 1953 didn't you say? |
| 01:31.40 | flypiper | 1946 |
| 01:31.57 | flypiper | wow.. that harbor is beautiful |
| 01:31.57 | mzb | ah |
| 01:32.07 | mzb | one of the best natural harbours in the world ;) |
| 01:32.25 | flypiper | yeah, I can tell that.. it's pretty |
| 01:32.45 | mzb | I flew from ~Tranmere (on the right), across the river and anti-clockwise under the mountain (South Hobart / Sandy Bay) and then up the river to about Lutana |
| 01:33.33 | flypiper | Very, Very nice.. I wouldn't want to come back to the airport |
| 01:34.09 | mzb | hehe |
| 01:35.53 | flypiper | Im looking for the airport where you departed. Tranmere? |
| 01:36.03 | mzb | no, Cambridge |
| 01:36.44 | mzb | http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=howrah+tasmania&oe=utf-8&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:unofficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Howrah+TAS&gl=au&ei=B8HbSt-OApuQ6AP9poSkBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CA4Q8gEwAA |
| 01:37.04 | flypiper | looking at the housing around the bay... I bet that is high cost area |
| 01:37.39 | mzb | still cheap in international terms, but yes ... Sandy Bay and Tranmere are more expensive |
| 01:38.02 | mzb | Tranmere (where I grew up) has lowest crime rate (lot's of police living there;)) |
| 01:38.21 | mzb | Sandy Bay is the "private school" district (and older) by comparison |
| 01:38.35 | flypiper | Interesting |
| 01:38.44 | mzb | make that _Upper_ Sandy Bay, and _Lower_ Sandy Bay ;) |
| 01:38.46 | mzb | heh |
| 01:39.04 | mzb | great views over the harbour in "Upper" |
| 01:39.10 | flypiper | I have always wanted to go to austrailia to visit.. but will prolly never get there |
| 01:39.29 | mzb | Dad's mate owns the top of the hill right in the middle ... spectacular views |
| 01:40.18 | flypiper | They say that the High country is where the money is at !! |
| 01:41.35 | mzb | heh ... yeah |
| 01:41.37 | mzb | http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=howrah+tasmania&oe=utf-8&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:unofficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Howrah+TAS&gl=au&ei=B8HbSt-OApuQ6AP9poSkBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CA4Q8gEwAA |
| 01:42.28 | flypiper | Howrah the high country? |
| 01:43.07 | mzb | no ... the "Eastern Shore" is relatively new (50 yrs?) |
| 01:43.40 | mzb | although much nicer area to live imo |
| 01:44.03 | flypiper | I bet there are great seafood places to eat there |
| 01:44.11 | mzb | totally :) |
| 01:44.44 | mzb | Muirs Upperdeck is pretty well known, but there are heaps of nice fishy restaurants down near the docks |
| 01:45.18 | flypiper | I live in the central part of the US, but my mother lived in Florida for years and that is on the south coast west of Miami. We have to go there for beach /seafood |
| 01:45.22 | mzb | http://www.muresupperdeck.com.au/ |
| 01:45.46 | flypiper | we only have beef and pork to eat here in the midwest.. BBQ |
| 01:46.39 | mzb | hehe :) |
| 01:46.44 | flypiper | your making me hungry |
| 01:46.54 | mzb | here's my favourite: http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&q=hobart&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl |
| 01:47.02 | mzb | "The Drunken Admiral" ;) |
| 01:47.03 | flypiper | Florida is abut 2,000 km from here |
| 01:48.04 | mzb | that's a fair way ;) |
| 01:48.08 | flypiper | I bet they only serve fresh seafood |
| 01:48.25 | mzb | I don't think they'd get away with anything else |
| 01:48.45 | flypiper | well california would be 4,000 km or so |
| 01:48.58 | mzb | after Christmas we go down to Alicia's Uncle's shack (a Tasmanian phenomenon;) at Port Arthur |
| 01:49.30 | flypiper | hehe, your talking my language now.. food |
| 01:49.45 | mzb | her family are Aboriginal descendants, so they all have "Indigenous Fishing Licences" which allows them to each have a cray pot |
| 01:50.06 | mzb | ie: it's crayfish all day every day ... cooked *fresh* out of the water |
| 01:50.33 | flypiper | Balley-hoo's in Tampa has the best Gator tail.. But you prolly have that there |
| 01:50.41 | mzb | iirc, these crays fetch something like $80-$200/kg elsewhere |
| 01:51.03 | flypiper | yummmmy....we only get crayfish in the very south around Lousiana |
| 01:52.18 | flypiper | My Uncle has a seafood shop in Chicago...and he takes his Skyhaw and goes down to Lousiana and picks up fresh fish every week. That is the only way we get anything fresh here |
| 01:52.52 | mzb | ah |
| 01:53.19 | flypiper | only on the coast you get the good fresh stuff |
| 01:53.38 | flypiper | but here we have very good BBQ beef and pork |
| 01:53.40 | mzb | the best way to try everything at once is "The Taste of Tasmania" ... a large shed on the docks becomes a restaurant for two weeks(?) over Christmas |
| 01:53.57 | flypiper | mostly farms here that grow cattle and pork |
| 01:54.09 | mzb | we generally catch a bus in and taxi home |
| 01:54.25 | flypiper | that sounds like a real feast |
| 01:55.49 | mzb | dozens of stalls with food & drink ... usually close to standing room only ;) |
| 01:56.13 | mzb | Alicia and I often end the night with some Oyster Shooters ;) ... yum |
| 01:56.36 | flypiper | http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=howrah+tasmania&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&gl=au&ei=B8HbSt-OApuQ6AP9poSkBg&ved=0CA4Q8gEwAA&hq=&hnear=Howrah+TAS&ll=-42.897975%2c147.37009&spn=0.08262%2c0.221958&t=h&z=13 |
| 01:56.50 | flypiper | oyster shooters.. yummmmy |
| 01:56.50 | mzb | we tend to go with my parents & take turns to guard our seats ;) |
| 01:57.20 | flypiper | zoom that map out and you will see that Tampa is on the Gulf of Mexico side of the tip of florida |
| 01:57.54 | mzb | wrong link? |
| 01:58.01 | mzb | this is the "shed" http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=howrah+tasmania&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&gl=au&ei=B8HbSt-OApuQ6AP9poSkBg&ved=0CA4Q8gEwAA&hq=&hnear=Howrah+TAS&ll=-42.897975%2c147.37009&spn=0.08262%2c0.221958&t=h&z=13 |
| 01:58.20 | mzb | err: http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=howrah+tasmania&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&gl=au&ei=B8HbSt-OApuQ6AP9poSkBg&ved=0CA4Q8gEwAA&t=h&hq=&hnear=Howrah+TAS&ll=-42.886035,147.333591&spn=0.005408,0.013872&z=17 |
| 02:00.48 | flypiper | im having trouble getting the link outa google maps |
| 02:01.55 | mzb | right click "link" on top right |
| 02:02.42 | flypiper | http://maps.google.com./maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ballyhoo+Tampa+Florida&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=48.822589,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=ballyhoo&hnear=Tampa,+FL&ll=28.07501,-82.514191&spn=0.214167,0.308647&z=12&iwloc=B |
| 02:02.57 | flypiper | zoom that out and you will see the tip of Florida |
| 02:05.25 | flypiper | if you zoom out enough you will see where Indianpolis is located.. I live just south of there |
| 02:05.40 | mzb | *big* ;) |
| 02:06.05 | flypiper | from my house it's about 18 hours by car to Tampa |
| 02:06.42 | flypiper | I have to go this week to Virginia Beach (Langley Air Force Base) to install one of my Dog Tag Machines.. long drive |
| 02:07.01 | flypiper | yea, US is big |
| 02:08.25 | flypiper | you will have come over here and visit. |
| 02:08.37 | flypiper | if you ever do, please let me know. |
| 02:11.38 | mzb | I'd like to someday |
| 02:11.41 | mzb | will do |
| 02:11.46 | mzb | likewise |
| 02:17.22 | flypiper | sure... I am going to look and see what airline tickets would cost just to Melborne |
| 02:17.40 | flypiper | I would like to visit Italy someday also |
| 02:21.58 | flypiper | WoW, $2,295.00 with change aircraft in Dallas Texas and Los Angeles, 26 hours flight time |
| 02:22.07 | flypiper | they go up from there |
| 02:22.42 | mzb | gee |
| 02:23.50 | flypiper | a non stop ticket with 38 hours is only $9,100.00 |
| 02:24.19 | flypiper | but that is one way... lemme see what the cost is after a month there |
| 02:25.24 | mzb | looks like ~au$3500 return from here |
| 02:25.37 | flypiper | wrong that is the round trip cost.. $2295 isn't too awful bad. How much are hotels there? |
| 02:25.55 | flypiper | yep.. so $6500 for airfair |
| 02:26.30 | mzb | ~$200/night during peak? |
| 02:26.59 | flypiper | about double what it is here |
| 02:27.16 | mzb | ie: Christmas -> New Years is the end of the Syndey/Hobart yacht race ... |
| 02:27.25 | flypiper | I stayed on South Beach in Miami for $100/nite around Christmas |
| 02:27.36 | flypiper | ahhh |
| 02:27.58 | flypiper | do they allow people to live out of shopping carts there? |
| 02:28.06 | flypiper | maybe I could do that for a week or so |
| 02:28.17 | mzb | http://book.hotel.com.au |
| 02:29.12 | mzb | so around the 27th of December is the *hardest* time to get *anything* at all ... usually booked out 1yr in advance for those few days ;) |
| 02:29.54 | mzb | that being said, Alicia works as a housekeeper at a hotel on the docks ... she can arrange "Mates Rates" which are _really_ cheap |
| 02:30.19 | mzb | eg: iirc, something like au$120/night for a single with spa (or something like that;) |
| 02:31.16 | flypiper | not bad.. $884 in Melborne for a week |
| 02:31.23 | flypiper | wow.. that is a good deal |
| 02:32.17 | flypiper | I will keep that in mind and maybe save my money. I have a cousin that spent a month in Austrailia and she loved it, I looked at her pictures for a long time.. they were great |
| 02:32.23 | mzb | the cheapest in Melbourne that I know of is Flinders Backpackers (they have _one_ double room with ensuite;) |
| 02:33.10 | mzb | train, tram and bus right outside the front door ;) |
| 02:33.20 | flypiper | Cheapest isn't usually where I stay in the US. I believe you pay for what you get, and $24/nite here is usually in the high crime district |
| 02:33.48 | flypiper | you might go out in the morning and not have wheels on your car |
| 02:34.01 | mzb | :) |
| 02:34.04 | mzb | http://www.flindersbackpackers.com.au/ |
| 02:34.30 | mzb | I've stayed there twice now (once to track down a *cough* small problem they had with their network) |
| 02:35.18 | mzb | (son of the manager had installed trojans on the public-access machines ... I think for stealing credit card numbers) |
| 02:35.44 | mzb | I was told to "get out of there" by my business partner when I told him what I'd found :| |
| 02:36.02 | mzb | was on a plane back to Hobart in <1hr ! |
| 02:36.15 | mzb | *sigh* ... another lost opportunity |
| 02:36.30 | flypiper | Fast exit.. that looks like a decient hotel |
| 02:37.13 | mzb | they have single rooms too ... but only one double |
| 02:37.28 | mzb | (apart from all the shared accommodation) |
| 02:37.53 | mzb | lots of interesting people there ... the bar isn't bad |
| 02:38.09 | mzb | supermarket across the road, bottle shop on ground floor |
| 02:38.20 | flypiper | yea, it looks like it's in a good location |
| 02:38.51 | mzb | Flinders Station is probably the easiest to get to/from in the whole of Melbourne |
| 02:39.19 | mzb | (south side of the "City Loop") |
| 02:39.53 | flypiper | I can see right now that you will have to meet me there to show me around |
| 02:40.07 | flypiper | I would be too green, without a guide |
| 02:41.47 | mzb | hehe |
| 02:42.04 | mzb | I only lived in Melbourne for a couple of years :| |
| 02:42.19 | flypiper | so, I have never been there before |
| 02:42.29 | mzb | showed how little I actually knew about the place when Alicia and I went there for a Linux Conference ;) |
| 02:42.32 | mzb | true |
| 02:44.38 | mzb | I worked in an electronics shop on the north side of the city loop (and in the two other stores in outer suburbs) ... didn't spend a lot of time getting around ;) |
| 02:44.46 | mzb | (other than going to/from work) |
| 02:45.26 | flypiper | Ahhh... well Im going to have to save my money.. I would like to go there before I die |
| 02:45.41 | flypiper | just for a short vacation, and to see Austrailia |
| 02:46.00 | mzb | ditto re USA for me |
| 02:46.33 | mzb | don't forget two things: |
| 02:46.41 | mzb | 1. the seasons are "reversed" |
| 02:46.47 | flypiper | Well, your welcome to stay here, but you will want to see the big cities |
| 02:46.53 | flypiper | LOL.. your right they are |
| 02:46.57 | mzb | 2. water goes down the plughole the opposite way ;) |
| 02:46.59 | mzb | heh |
| 02:48.15 | mzb | oh, and fyi, Tasmania has the freshest air in the world (longest stretch of water before wind hits land ... or something like that) |
| 02:48.25 | mzb | this of course means that we have the best water |
| 02:48.31 | mzb | hence the best beer! ;)) |
| 02:49.42 | flypiper | I noticed the beautiful blue water in the sat pictures |
| 02:50.04 | flypiper | I dunno about the best beer.. we have some pretty good stuff from germany here |
| 02:50.59 | mzb | lol |
| 02:51.02 | mzb | meh! |
| 02:52.10 | flypiper | I thought you would get a laugh outa that :-) |
| 02:52.33 | mzb | :) |
| 02:53.00 | mzb | http://www.cascadebrewery.com.au/ |
| 02:58.41 | flypiper | http://www.budwiser.com |
| 02:59.52 | flypiper | have you swilled US Beer? |
| 02:59.59 | flypiper | http://www.coors.com |
| 03:00.14 | mzb | I've had buds before |
| 03:00.44 | flypiper | beer is one thing we aren't short on |
| 03:01.03 | mzb | :) |
| 03:06.30 | flypiper | you still want to find work here and move to the US? |
| 03:07.12 | mzb | could be tempted ... I can always brew my own beer ;) |
| 03:07.45 | mzb | I think I'd have to have a job to go to (etc) ... which makes it a little difficult |
| 03:08.34 | mzb | ideally, I'd prefer to get work online, prove myself and *then* go over for short stints (ie. up to 6 mths at a time) ... but I'm not sure if dreams like that ever come true ;) |
| 03:13.17 | mzb | iirc, there are some slightly funny rules with .au<=>.us ... something reciprocal arrangements that avoid a normal "Green Card" ... or something like that |
| 03:13.26 | mzb | s/some |
| 03:24.00 | flypiper | hmmm last time I was in Philly, there were 3 guys in the computer lab checking on their airline tickets home. I talked to them a little and they were here working for a week for a large company and were heading back home |
| 03:24.21 | flypiper | and "YES" dreams do come true.. |
| 03:26.12 | mzb | :) ... I'll keep dreaming & learning then :) |
| 03:32.22 | flypiper | There is that posative attitude.. kool |
| 03:37.20 | mzb | haven't got much choice in the matter :) |
| 03:38.08 | flypiper | that isn't the posative attitude I was seeing... |
| 03:39.09 | flypiper | it's gonna happen.. you just don't know when |
| 03:39.32 | flypiper | if you don't have much coice in the matter... why think about it. |
| 03:40.30 | flypiper | you gotta shake off all of that negative stuff. It would just take one phone call or meeting someone and you would be suprised |
| 03:40.36 | mzb | true |
| 03:40.55 | mzb | I mean I don't have a choice about how/when it will happen |
| 03:41.07 | flypiper | for me its as easy as one e-mail |
| 03:41.21 | flypiper | true you don't, but you have to believe it will happen. |
| 03:41.46 | mzb | and there's no point _not_ having a positive attitude, as I can't see a lot of alternatives as far as what I want to happen |
| 03:42.07 | mzb | "visualising goals" comes to mind ;) |
| 03:42.40 | flypiper | I got an e-mail last week from a guy who wanted his machine repaired. (it was the competition's machine) Ended up by the end of the day I had an order for one of my new units....and I thought it was going to be a boring monday |
| 03:43.12 | mzb | heh |
| 03:43.57 | flypiper | yep.. see.. think posative and it might just happen...they say the mind is a powerful thing |
| 03:44.36 | flypiper | I gotta go to bed my friend.. 6am comes way too soon. Have a great day |
| 03:45.40 | mzb | ok, you too |