Fiji Trip Status Update (20 Feb 2007)

[BT Humble]

As you've no doubt heard, there was a coup in Fiji a few months ago. ;-)

Rich Hagen and myself found ourselves in the awkward position of having already paid for airline tickets, so we decided to wait and see how things worked out, making a decision nearer to the original scheduled dates.

After spending a bit of time reading the Fiji newspapers and talking to a few people actually on the ground over there, we've decided to go ahead with the trip as originally planned.  Since there will be just the two of us, we've also cut down a little on the task list.

Poor old Rich is arriving in Sydney on March 17 after a whopping 19 hours in the air.  After a few days seeing the sights of Sydney I'll be arriving from Canberra, and we'll depart for Fiji on March 20.

After a bit of sightseeing and visiting, we'll be off to Vanuabalavu on March 25, returning April 1.  Back to Australia on April 3, then spend a week showing Rich what bits of non-Sydney Australia we can get to in a week (things are a long way apart down here!)

Bruce S has kindly donated some laptop computers to the cause, which should be arriving on my desk here in a couple of days.  I'll be spending the next 4 weeks winding coils, soldering circuits, installing software and talking to various people in Fiji.

Roll on March 20!

BTH

[richhagen]

I'm still trying to get equipment together and everyting ready for the trip.  I have a bunch of small electronic components on the way and have aquired 4 small solar panels.  I have yet to get the special gravity boots that keep me from falling off of the bottom of the World though :-)  As of late I've had to deal with frozen broken pipes, and lots of ice.  Although it is warming up here, it will be nice to get somewhere warm for a bit.   I just hope I do a good job on Fiji.  Rich

[BT Humble]

I'm still trying to get equipment together and everyting ready for the trip.  I have a bunch of small electronic components on the way and have aquired 4 small solar panels.  I have yet to get the special gravity boots that keep me from falling off of the bottom of the World though :-)

Make sure you do a "plughole test" to see which way the water swirls before you leave - I've always wanted to check that out! ;-)



As of late I've had to deal with frozen broken pipes, and lots of ice.  Although it is warming up here, it will be nice to get somewhere warm for a bit.  

Warm?  Goulburn is the town nearest to my farmlet, and here's what the weather is like (temperatures in Celcius, of course):

http://www.abc.net.au/news/canberra/weather/#Goulburn

I just hope I do a good job on Fiji.

With the amopunt of preparation you've been doing, I'd say that there's very little chance of your being sent home in disgrace. ;-)

BTH

[nothing to lose]

I was wondering about the trip, hadn't seen anything for awhile about it. Last I read you were questioning if it was a good time to go, that was a few months ago I geuss.

Glad things are looking better.

Good luck guys and have fun.

 Wish I was going too but I dought I have anything to offer to really benifit the projects. Maybe next trip?