tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45259874023864122592012-02-03T18:36:24.214+13:00The Flying TortoiseA selection of musings. Philosophy. on a Gypsy lifestyle. the journey. The joy of Living Simply in Small spaces. Solar Power. Off-Grid and Self Sufficiency. New Zealand. The World. opinions. snippets. ideas. people. humour and photo images...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.comBlogger8371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-86602663830959781432012-02-03T08:30:00.004+13:002012-02-03T10:23:05.619+13:00Hello Operator. My Cucumber's Faulty...I met Ainzlee in the supermarket yesterday.
She was going through all the telegraph cucumbers and none of them would connect.
She was having trouble even getting through to the operator.
I suggested she take the shrink wrap off.
When I saw her later,
she was happily chatting away.
To her shrink perhaps...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-3374698640628123642012-02-02T07:59:00.001+13:002012-02-03T08:13:20.289+13:00Vicky Brings Betsy The Bedford Home...For those of you waiting for news about Betsy,
Vicky flew way down to Oamaru in New Zealand's South Island to bring Betsy home.
Vicky told me before she left home, that she'd grown her fingernails especially for the trip which she anticipated would be a nail biting experience.
A few days home and her knuckles are still white and her arm muscles still ache as she recounts the 1100 kilometre The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-45278848573429006042012-02-01T08:12:00.002+13:002012-02-01T09:05:36.213+13:00Tiny Houseboat On Wheels...ME AND ER is a very gorgeous little 'Retreat' houseboat drawn in 1947 by the famous American marine architect, William Atkin.
He also drew the lines for my 'Thistle' yacht Sofia in 1934 but that's another story.
Paul and Jenny built the eighteen foot, seven inch draft Meander for cruising their favourite sheltered waters wherever that may be.
Yesterday it was Parua Bay, not far from where they The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-9993326952245578112012-02-01T07:51:00.001+13:002012-02-01T10:06:36.848+13:00Another Beautiful Sunrise...Some days are better than others.
Some sunrises are too.
Today's at Whangarei's Parua Bay
was worth getting up early for...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-35207638817520535422012-01-31T08:07:00.003+13:002012-01-31T18:13:04.023+13:00A Caravan Shaped To Suit Your Style...Glen Croule's an artist.
His medium is aluminium.
He's made all the wonderful aluminium pieces
on The Flying Tortoise.
The guy's a genius with the genre.
He's also a Hot-Rod enthusiast and has just made this retro caravan called the Slikstream, shaped in the style of his '56 Chevy.
He'll be making bespoke caravans, custom built and unique for anyone who wants
something different and special.
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-15698070846304190512012-01-31T07:53:00.000+13:002012-01-31T10:56:32.441+13:00A Caravan Shaped To Suit Your Style...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-9926157915465471702012-01-30T08:15:00.000+13:002012-01-30T12:01:40.234+13:00Haha, I Was Joking...Haha, I was joking, you're not really adopted...
Image from Daily Picks and Flicks
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-85865492781098290752012-01-30T07:30:00.000+13:002012-01-30T08:04:21.811+13:00Really Banal And Boring...Last November the Prime Minister of New Zealand John Key, sat down with wannabe MP John Banks, at an Auckland cafe to have a cuppa and a chat about how they would play in their sandpit together after the election, and who would have what toys.
Their boring and utterly banal conversation was inadvertently recorded by a media person and caused more than a storm in the proverbial teacup.
The PM The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-55705294034101710102012-01-29T08:33:00.000+13:002012-01-29T09:23:02.826+13:00How To Easily Make A Simple Little Woodstove...This is another variation on a very successful little cooker that you might use camping, during a power failure or in an emergency
like the end of the world.
Just remember to have these few tools and cans with you. You'll probably be so impressed with this little gadget that you'll carry all the bits to make it around with you hoping you need it or just to impress your friends.
Some people use The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-38470575663645515092012-01-28T07:26:00.000+13:002012-01-28T07:45:09.853+13:00All Dressed Up For Ollie...Mike, Joel and Des from Whangarei's Classic Hits Northland radio station dressed up and went on the town yesterday to raise money for little Oliver Lodewyk, a gorgeous little boy who has Morquio Syndrome, a very rare degenerative metabolic condition that's now confined nine year old Ollie to a wheelchair.
The radio guys went to great lengths to do it for Ollie even having their legs waxed to The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-33576970159633648422012-01-27T21:50:00.000+13:002012-01-28T07:12:05.667+13:00Postcard From Whangarei...Just a few minutes ago.
An after dinner stroll along
Whangarei's Town Basin Marina on this balmy summers evening.
Yachts from many foreign ports calling this beautiful place home for as long as the fancy takes them.
Sometimes the fancy lasts forever...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-6046518056806781082012-01-27T07:31:00.000+13:002012-01-27T16:13:27.788+13:00The Fun Police Strike Again...It seems to be the same whatever place you go these days and my friends Rod and Sandra go to lots of places.
Often they'll just take off on a whim to Australia for the weekend.
They came home last week bitterly disappointed and distraught. Totally dejected and in dire need of counselling.
All they wanted was a bit of fun and took their tent with them especially instead of staying at the Hilton asThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-36354494291129977082012-01-26T08:14:00.000+13:002012-01-26T12:54:45.208+13:00Tiny Colourful Cliffside Homes In Italy...Manarola is a cute and colourful cliffside fishing town in the province of La Spezia in Ligura, Northern Italy.
I found it the other day over at Amusing Planet.
Dating back to 1338, it's the oldest little town in the region.
It seems the fishermen take their boats home with them after their day at the office.
The simple life with wonderful wines and walking trails. Doesn't it look gorgeous.
You The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-70853708511439067182012-01-25T07:09:00.000+13:002012-01-25T07:45:04.572+13:00One Man's Junk Is Another Man's Castle...Victor Moore built his junk castle back in the late 60's when the Whitman County didn't require anyone building a structure costing less than $500 to obtain a building permit.
The Build was part of his thesis for a Masters degree in Fine Arts from Washington State University.
The castles bright colours, its turrets and spires are straight out of Disneyworld but it's all made of junk including The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-48570328252533566072012-01-24T20:48:00.000+13:002012-01-30T15:50:29.033+13:00Northern Lights Shine Over UK...Due to some strange solar activity happening at the moment, including the sun reaching the peak of it's twelve year cycle, the Aurora Borealis, rarely seen in the UK, was putting on an impressive display a night or two ago.
It wasn't visible like this to the naked eye but specialist photographer Reed Ingram Weir knew the signs and managed to get this really long exposure from Amwick near The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-1028656478304293992012-01-24T08:23:00.000+13:002012-01-24T10:31:21.028+13:00Oh Mama. They've Taken Our Kodachrome Away!"They gave us those nice bright colours.
They gave us the greens of summer.
Makes you think all the world's a sunny place
oh yeah.
I got a Nikon camera.
I love to take a photograph.
So Mama don't take my Kodachrome away..."
So sang Paul Simon in the '70's on his famous hit song Kodachrome.
Now after seventy four years, Eastman Kodak have ceased production of the wonderful film that showed us thatThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-28956243008354267112012-01-23T09:00:00.000+13:002012-01-25T07:18:06.469+13:00London Says Smaller Is Smarter...London's new bus using green electric diesel hybrid technology and collocqually known as 'Boris Bus' is smaller, smarter and more manouvarable than it's recent passenger perambulators.
Mostly using its electric motor, the diesel motor only runs when the battery needs charging.
You mightn't hear them but you'll see one at a bus stop soon...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-45798425773478390362012-01-23T08:16:00.000+13:002012-01-24T09:24:41.503+13:00China Says Bigger Is Better...While some of us are downsizing,
China has it says, made a momentous step forward for public transportation by unveiling the world's longest or largest bus, capable of carrying three hundred passengers.
A fleet of these 82 foot monsters, each made up of two ribbed sections which enables it to turn as easily as a regular city bus, will make up the Bus Rapid Transit Service in Beijing and Hangzhou.The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-52561982648687833682012-01-22T08:26:00.000+13:002012-01-22T15:43:58.189+13:00Very Cute Tiny Green Pea Car...Created evidently in 2005
for a Birds Eye Peas TV commercial,
this delightful little car was custom made by Asylum Models and Effects in the UK.
It's chassis's from a go-cart, the headlights from a VW Beetle, the indicators are Lancia,
the engine is Honda.
The rest is bespoke.
And this sweet little pea looks as fresh and tempting as the day it was shelled..
Here's a tasty looking pod of them.
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-87052970034052523672012-01-21T07:26:00.000+13:002012-01-21T10:41:33.310+13:00You'll Want One Of These...I've been making my way very slowly through Lloyd Kahn's new Tiny Homes book and was thinking that there's nothing else that's going to 'rock my boat' or 'spin my wheels' and then,
I was over at Steven's Tiny House Listings and found this very gorgeous little Fishing Camp Wagon on wheels.
It's seriously cute isn't it and what about the outdoor shower...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-55003520215691384652012-01-20T21:35:00.000+13:002012-01-20T22:13:44.992+13:00White Motorhomes. A Song From The Hart...Jimi Hart, well known New Zealand troubadour, housetrucker, entertainer and sticker upper of sacred cows to the establishment has penned his latest irreverent offering based on the popular song 'Little Boxes'.
He's put it on YouTube for all to see, listen to
and well, who knows, for all those who can laugh at themselves, enjoy...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-2984951644269608912012-01-20T07:19:00.000+13:002012-01-20T07:22:51.844+13:00China's Beautiful Hanging Temples...Built over fifteen hundred years ago, the amazing temple at Mount Hengshan is located in a canyon at the foot of Mountain Heng in China's Shanxi Province.
This Hanging Temple is a rare piece of architecture, built into the cliffs about seventy five metres above ground and is interconnected by hidden corridors, tunnels and pathways.
Great if you're not scared of heights...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-81569036660904136762012-01-19T08:18:00.000+13:002012-01-30T08:46:52.531+13:00Lloyd Kahn's Inspirational Tiny Homes Book...I'm delighted, humbled and privilaged that
The Flying Tortoise was selected to appear in this latest inspirational book from Lloyd Kahn
and Shelter Productions.
This book, will I'm sure, become an instant iconic and authoritive reference point for all those wishing to live large in small spaces with inexpensive, creative freedom and individual style.
If you're only going to buy one book this yearThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-87030617257805865492012-01-18T07:44:00.000+13:002012-01-18T07:52:38.270+13:00The Simple Delights Of A French Country Shack...When Jerome and Isobel bought their tiny country shack thirty five miles outside Paris, it had no electricity, no plumbing and the toilet was flushed using buckets of water pumped from the local river.
Nothing's changed. They love the simple pleasures of their lifestyle retreat, far from the maddening crowd.
The little shack is cute but for me the piece de resistance is the outdoor ablution The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-77480474004245689772012-01-17T09:04:00.000+13:002012-01-17T10:14:14.314+13:00Sol Duc. A Tiny Cabin On Stilts...It's not the most beautiful
little cabin in the wilderness I've ever seen,
but it certainly does have merit.
When the owner of this 350 sq foot
Olsen Kundig designed cabin's not using it he can simply shutter it up competely against the elements.
The cabin's raw and robust materials fit in with the surrounding wilderness even though, as the great Austrian architect Hundertwasser said, "there are The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-46098676994890125492012-01-16T08:37:00.000+13:002012-01-16T09:26:39.660+13:00Moving House?
If you're moving house sometime,
you might like to try this simple and possibly inexpensive solution.
Depending on how far you're moving
and how many friends you have...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-76735011158192416852012-01-16T08:31:00.000+13:002012-01-16T08:42:50.204+13:00Looks Can Be Deceiving...This is the friendly face of the
newly appointed Supreme Commander
of North Korea, Kum Jong Un.
Looking at him, you'd imagine wouldn't you, that his priorities would be world peace and the happiness and civil liberties of his people...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-47232470902065994132012-01-15T08:21:00.000+13:002012-01-15T11:24:43.958+13:00Tiny Pedal Powered Floating Escargot...Paul Thiel, a ninety one year old naval architect who lives in Seattle has created human powered boats since his teenage years.
The 18 foot 6 inch by 6 foot Escargot can do three to four knots on calm water at a reasonably easy pedaling rate.
Mr Thiel hasn't driven a car more than twice in his entire life but I'm sure that's another story.
You can see more of this one here...
The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-54247845736646086042012-01-15T08:00:00.000+13:002012-01-15T08:00:46.923+13:00Mmmm. Good Enough To Eat...There's nothing quite like a pizza or twoor three or more, straight out of your home-madepizza oven.Last night's pizzas from Kim and Sally's wereparticularly scrumptious.Good enough to eat really...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-73441681220896574442012-01-14T08:19:00.004+13:002012-01-14T08:30:54.362+13:00A Perfect Fit...Utilising the derelict remainsof an old industrial building as a shell, Haworth Tomkins recently designed and built this stunningly simple and beautiful,Dovecote Artist Studio in Suffolk, England.Made to measure and delivered...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-90740697045194289472012-01-13T08:39:00.006+13:002012-01-13T20:14:50.203+13:00The Decoliner Motorhome Revisited... I posted Randy's wonderful Art Deco bus in October last year.What was originally a 1973 GMC chassis has been transformed by Randy into a very distinctive 'Flash Gordon Spaceship' with a flying bridge and fun for five aboard.The project is now complete and who knows, perhaps it's for sale so the man can get on with other creative projects.You can look here for the story of the build in pictures...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-11907564102063619902012-01-12T08:20:00.005+13:002012-01-12T08:40:04.989+13:00Living Life The Right Way...Fredrich Nietzsche summed it up wellwhen he said "You have your way. I have mine.As for the right way,the correct way and the only way,it does not exist!"The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-50624791441893362082012-01-11T07:41:00.013+13:002012-01-11T08:05:46.542+13:00The Beautiful Housetrucks Of Robert Scott...I'm delighted to share with you the first in a series of these wonderful 'studiotrucks'.A follower of Thoreau, Robert, his wife Colita and children Madelaine, Arthur and Hailey live the 'simple life' on their beautiful organic, one hundred and fifty year old Hollyburton Park in Victoria, Australia.You can visit them there.Rob started building these trucks because he loved the idea of them, thereThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-86886497166066827902012-01-11T07:23:00.001+13:002012-01-11T07:54:35.289+13:00The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-14298362782476020182012-01-10T08:04:00.006+13:002012-01-10T13:12:49.594+13:00Off The Beaten Track...Somewhere on the road to some other place,not far from one of my favourite places,is this tiny, abandoned, alone and forgotten, gorgeous, old shack on a lean.It's not that I don't want to tell you where it is.Don't take it personally.It's just that Harvey asked me to keep its location a secret.And you know what Harvey's like...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-63456207967847780552012-01-09T08:15:00.002+13:002012-01-09T08:46:40.584+13:00The World's Longest Sushi Roll...This Russian Sushi Roll is more than one and a half miles or 2.5 kilometres long.It's ingredients are Nori, Sushi rice and cucumber.Made at a Sushi Restaurant in Yekaterinburg by sixty chefs, it consists of one and a half tons of rice, 500 kilograms of cucumbers, fourteen thousand pieces of Nori and 25 kilograms of Sesame.It's just what the world needs...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-39430658520510273282012-01-09T07:55:00.000+13:002012-01-09T07:55:35.464+13:00Always Read The Instructions...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-43680678006716172672012-01-08T10:33:00.004+13:002012-01-08T20:55:57.072+13:00Take Your Tiny House For A Walk...Deek Diedricksen over at Relaxshacksis a fun person, a wonderful artist, designer and a passionate advocate for simple living in tiny spaces.He posted this micro plywood cabin on his blog the other day.If you'd like to know more about it, have a wander over there and check out his newly published book too.It's highly caffeinated...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-82197348372064713392012-01-08T08:21:00.001+13:002012-01-08T08:25:19.067+13:00Tiny Living On The Beer Moth...The Beer Moth, a play on the word Behemoth meaning huge or gigantic is just that, a very large, once upon a time, old fire truck.It's now used as holiday rental accommodation.Steven featured it recently on Tiny House Listings.Have a look, it's located in Inverness-shire in Scotland.A simple conversion really, all you need is a big flatbed truck and a heavy duty canvas top.And fine weather...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-76292198558584034262012-01-07T21:08:00.002+13:002012-01-07T21:15:25.687+13:00Jeffrey Bale's World Of Gardens...Jeffrey Bale invites you to his blog.As a builder of fine gardens and mosaics, it's a window to his world of beautiful things that inspire him as he travels the globe.I find myself often wandering into his world for a time and sometimes I'll even linger longer...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-43247052745927839702012-01-07T08:18:00.002+13:002012-01-07T08:46:51.806+13:00Tiny Mud Village In Tunisia...Located high on a hilltop by the Berbers to prevent raiders plundering the village's food supply in the fifteenth century, the Ksar Ouled Soltaire is a popular tourist attraction in Tunisia's Southern Tataouine Province.Ksar is a Berber term given to a small village consisting of attached houses combining bathing facilities, a bakery and shops among the Oasis populations of North Africa.Gorgeous The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-45559218126751965082012-01-06T17:32:00.012+13:002012-01-06T21:51:27.296+13:00Mount Etna Erupts As Rob Carey Sketches It..."We were woken up at 6.45am by Guiseppe knocking at our door yelling for us to get up and look at the volcano. He told me to draw a picture of it while it was erupting so here's the result.Truly one of my greatest memories of my life!"It's wonderful you were there Rob and ableto record this amazing event in your own unique style. Thankyou for sharing...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-13107319258804836262012-01-06T10:16:00.004+13:002012-01-06T12:05:14.479+13:00When Tiny Really Is Small...And oh so cute!Free to a good home onDaily Picks and Flicks...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-43395402812541190002012-01-06T08:21:00.006+13:002012-01-06T08:38:37.752+13:00Traffic Jam In Moscow...Winter causes more than the usual chaos for Moscow's three million cars that attempt the city streets daily according to a story on Amusing Planet.Chistoprudov Dimitry recently photographed this typical traffic jam in the city.Their jams last an average of two and a half hours.The only jam I likeis the one I spread on my toast...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-90575427721266271532012-01-05T07:16:00.003+13:002012-01-05T16:27:49.821+13:00Young Girl Defies Local Council Bylaws And Risks Prosecution...Young Samantha, happily building sand castles on Tokerau Beach yesterday has no idea of the trouble she's in with the local council as she flouts their bylaws and regulations.She doesn't have a building permit and nor has she applied for one.She didn't submit any plans or drawings for council approval.She doesn't have resource consent.She isn't trade qualified.She doesn't have permission from theThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-81009088468494396832012-01-04T10:58:00.010+13:002012-01-04T19:49:33.765+13:00Little Cottage With Rustic Charm...Tiny House Listings have recently featured this delightfully rustic little wooden house.I just love natural materials being used for house building whether it's earth, mud, straw or timber.The more Wabi-Sabi, the better.Tiny Texas Houses are building little homes like this 336 sq ft version of The Cowboy Cottage from almost exclusively recycled materials.And you don't have to be a cowboy to live The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-57110581678755131272012-01-04T08:36:00.005+13:002012-01-04T17:14:25.995+13:002012. It's The Year Of Mud...I met up with Ziggy from Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, a community of about fifty people living in rural north eastern Missouri in the US.He tells me 'The Year Of Mud' is hosting two Natural Building Workshops at The Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in June and July this year.There's the Timber Framing Workshop and the Straw Bale Workshop.If you're looking for a great way to spend a couple of weeks The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-81685972479183955452012-01-03T22:16:00.000+13:002012-01-03T22:16:20.727+13:00Maybe Darwin Was Right...This is one very cute monkey but he reminds me of someone...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-17676576654133655722012-01-03T08:33:00.006+13:002012-01-03T12:06:31.849+13:00Jim 007 From New Zealand Calling...Well known around the world, Jim 007 was operating his radio from his tiny camper at Tokerau Beach in New Zealand's Far North yesterday, chatting to his buddies on the West Coast of the US and beyond.Jim deliberately operates in close proximity to the sea as it's reflective and conductive properties really boost his signal.The directional aerial on the back of his 4WD is the biggest erection I'veThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-4449966971863413302012-01-02T08:10:00.001+13:002012-01-02T09:14:57.593+13:00Vicky And A Housetruck Called Betsy...What a way to start the new year!Vicky won the auction for a very rare 1970's twin-cab Bedford horsefloat called Betsy on New Zealand's TradeMe last night.She's going to turn the horsefloat into a gorgeous housetruck for her and children Aurora and Phoenix to live in.We'll be following her progress here over the next few months.These are the 'before' photos.Watch this space...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-35674065509860652362012-01-01T00:01:00.022+13:002012-01-01T12:51:11.782+13:00John Lennon Lives On In Prague...The John Lennon Wall is dedicated to peace and the freedom of speech.Situated in Mala Strana in the Czech Republic's beautiful city of Prague, this once very ordinary wall has, since the 1980's been transformed, painted over and painted again and again by many thousands of people who initially defied the authorities and risked imprisonment to voice their views in their quest for personal The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-74559110121476004832011-12-31T09:32:00.002+13:002011-12-31T10:02:29.915+13:00Ever Been Driven To This...Have you ever been driven to this?Leaving your car in a dumpster because the ashtrays were full, it broke down or ran out of petrol?Or you'd had enough of the grid-lock or, it was the only place left to park...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-10874060903468307502011-12-31T09:21:00.002+13:002011-12-31T09:28:07.766+13:00In The Pursuit Of HappinessIn 2011, in the perceived pursuit of happiness, hapless New Zealanders spent $926 million on Lotto, the national lottery.That figure equates to each and every man woman and child in this county spending two hundred and forty dollars.Many don't have that sort of disposable income and go into debt to fund this weekly gambling habit or use their sickness or other welfare benefit.And the greed drivenThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-68070603586415804752011-12-31T08:40:00.002+13:002011-12-31T08:57:01.839+13:00Samoa. What A Difference A Day Makes...What a difference a day makes is a tune that might be sung in Samoa today as it misses out forever on Friday the 30th of December 2011.The tiny island nation will skip a whole day to align it's date with New Zealand.Now while I might change my diary to arrange a lunch date with Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep or Penelope Cruiz, I'd be a bit annoyed if I lost twenty four hours.I hope Samoa gets some The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-76814842359901921722011-12-31T08:18:00.001+13:002011-12-31T08:23:02.503+13:00Lighting Up Your Life...The ideal way to light up your life and your housebus. Maybe because it's a festive time, to make it easy to find in a crowded camping ground or the supermarket parking lot.Or because you have shares in a LED lighting company...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-31390285599176848772011-12-30T09:16:00.005+13:002012-01-04T19:53:05.295+13:00One Man's Dream...There's a dreamer in all of us andat The House Of Fallen Timbers, David Lottes is a man who lives his dream.He's built this gorgeous little cabin from fallen trees that abound his property at Salt Fork on Illinois' Vermilion River.Beautiful...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-70984913719129934332011-12-30T08:59:00.000+13:002011-12-30T08:59:33.121+13:00Tiny Abandoned Cabin In Iceland...This delightful, seemingly abandoned asymmetrical tiny rustic cabin photographed by Oskar Steinn Omarsson is in Iceland's Straumsvik area.Abandoned but not forgotten perhaps...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-67516296742007894192011-12-29T13:13:00.002+13:002012-01-04T19:58:04.605+13:0044,000 Year Old Tiny Neanderthal House Found In The Ukraine...An interesting post on Michael Janzen's Tiny House Living today tells us that a 44,000 year old Neanderthal bone house has been found near Moldova in Eastern Ukraine.It's 26 feet wide at its widest part and there's good evidence that these Neanderthals weren't stupid cavemen.They evidently cooked vegetables, buried their dead, crafted their tools, produced jewelry and probably had language.They The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-71140134682179071432011-12-29T08:20:00.001+13:002011-12-29T10:24:26.895+13:00Zane Grey's Log Cabin In The Wilderness...Zane Grey's tiny log cabin in the wilderness is built by the Rogue River in Winkle Bar, Oregon.This prolific author loved travelling and fishing and even ventured to New Zealand's Bay of Islands for some big game fishing.He's said to have fished more than three hundred days a year.And I guess the fish were as tall as his tales...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-72581698927002517302011-12-29T07:57:00.002+13:002011-12-29T10:31:31.465+13:00Christmas At The Field Lab...John Wells over at The Field Lab way out there at his Terlingua Ranch in the Texas desert got all dressed up for Christmas.Thought I'd show you sooner than later because it's only 369 days till next Christmas.How time flies...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-80000439151386366082011-12-28T08:33:00.001+13:002011-12-28T08:35:55.073+13:00Motorhomes From Yesterday...I thought you might like these wonderful old character homes-on-the-road from yesterday. Well, not quite yesterday, perhaps a few days before.Ingenuity has been alive and well since forever.If you can dream it, you can do it...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-6027164076973632612011-12-27T09:02:00.006+13:002011-12-27T13:56:27.472+13:00Living On A Shoestring...A few more images of Shoestring.See the previous post for the story of this little floating home.She was launched amid much celebrations with my then partner Uschi having the well deserved honour of breaking the bottle of bubbly on her bow.If you can dream it, you can do it...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-4938785352006476712011-12-27T08:48:00.007+13:002011-12-27T13:55:19.601+13:00Living On A Shoestring... As you know, necessity is the mother of invention.When Uschi and I abandoned my dis-masted yacht Sofia after we'd rolled 360 degrees in the Pacific in '94 and were returned safely to New Zealand aboard the French Navy's Jacques Cartier, some invention was certainly necessary.Shoestring, the 10 metre junk rigged live-aboard yacht was the result of a lot of dreaming well before the event that The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-85513102190749558962011-12-26T08:11:00.004+13:002011-12-26T17:03:12.233+13:00Anyone For Tennis...German photographer and artist Frank Kunert has a lot of talent and a wonderful sense of humour.I found him over at amusingplanet.com recently.Frank creates incredibly detailed miniature models of everyday situations with a humorous twist that could take weeks or months to complete.Then he photographs these dioramas which lampoon modern society.And as we know, society is ripe for lampooning...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-44156914165751268902011-12-25T08:09:00.003+13:002011-12-25T08:29:47.234+13:00Seasons Greetings...Seasons Greetings my friends.And to the friends I haven't met yet...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-57626088107338968142011-12-24T09:10:00.004+13:002012-01-04T20:18:31.369+13:00Living Simply In A Small Space...It's pretty cute isn't it.It's Diana and Michael's 'Innermost House'.Kent Griswold featured it recently on his Tiny House Blog after he'd been to visit. He was impressed with his new friends delightful solution to getting away from it all.It's only 144 square feet. The living room is 7 feet x 12 feet and is 12 feet high.Don't you love all the natural wood.There 's no electricity and all cooking The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-66959783453728507742011-12-23T07:39:00.003+13:002011-12-23T07:52:02.301+13:00Alone In The Wilderness...Dick Proenneke spent the summer of 1967 in Alaska, exploring the Twin Lakes area and looking for an ideal site to build a cabin.He then set to cutting up logs to be used the next year.It's thought that this gorgeous old cabin, photographed by Emily, a geology student from Canada and featured recently by Kent Griswold on his Tiny House Blog, is the cabin that Dick built.It measures 14 feet x 11 The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-24117761921635803212011-12-23T07:22:00.000+13:002011-12-23T07:22:42.706+13:00Strawberry Fields Forever...Strawberry Fields by Rob Carey.I featured him here a couple of weeks ago.His art is simply delightful...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-30661402061537122082011-12-22T08:30:00.004+13:002011-12-22T17:03:54.629+13:00What Can Happen To Old Airstreams...If they're lucky they go to good homes and people who respect and restore them.If not they could very well end up at Airstream Ranch, another art installation in Texas where they already have the Cadillac Ranch.You can see that and more Airstreams on amusingplanet.comFrank Bates who owns a franchise for Airstream wanted to show the world something, I'm not sure what, but finally after two years The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-76226773040713066482011-12-21T09:54:00.002+13:002012-01-04T21:35:26.516+13:00The Best Little Tree Hut...When Jono Williams was eight, he sourced some used and salvagable materials and built his first tree house.Now the 24 year old engineer/graphic designer has just built his tenth tree house in New Zealand's Palmerston North.The twelve meter square building built high in the trees has a rainwater harvesting system, a hot water heater, a gas heated bath. LED lighting and of course, what most tree The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-3213673534798469132011-12-21T09:11:00.006+13:002011-12-23T06:45:17.123+13:00Such Sorrow At Port Jackson...Many of you have visited the Port Jackson Campsite on New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula.All would have had their stay there greatly enhanced by the friendly and welcoming Bill and Ann who presented their many guests with fresh fish and much helpful advice.Nothing was too much trouble for them.They were the best.They had been camp managers there for many years until early this year when the The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-2999813132400790312011-12-20T05:55:00.001+13:002011-12-20T05:58:53.110+13:00Paleo's Earthbag Domehouse...Paleo fell in love with earthbag structures says Kelly Hart from Earthbag Building Blog, so he decided to create his own 9ft diameter experimental domehouse.He bought a few hundred sandbags on ebay, filled his trailer with red clay from the local quarry and got on with it.He's used glass bottles for windows and couldn't resist using these tree roots that were lying around.If you can dream it, youThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-18808077968208749962011-12-19T09:31:00.004+13:002011-12-19T09:36:14.021+13:00Vaclav Havel 1936-2011...The world lost one of its most influential,well respected, much admired and loved individuals when the last President of Czechoslovakia and the first president of The Czech Republic died today.Vaclav Havel, playwright, essayist, poet, dissident, politician and humanitarian will be missed and mourned by millions...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-50452293239344419342011-12-19T08:55:00.005+13:002012-01-04T21:14:00.416+13:00The House Of Fallen Timbers...The House of Fallen Timbers.is a lovely blog I found the other day.The author finds himself with many acres of fallen trees.His dilemma is what to do with all that timber...Featured recently on his blog is a place called Prophets Town where you'll find some beautiful structures like this tiny log cabin and a traditional native lodge...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-65625564491184437472011-12-19T07:52:00.003+13:002011-12-19T10:05:57.002+13:00Farewell Cesaria Evora...Cesaria Evora, known as the Barefoot Divaand one of the great vocal artists of our time, died yesterday.Her voice was said to have 'filled the auditorium, pierced through the roof and sung to the skies above'. Her most famous song, Solade, was a global hit.She died in her native town of Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicento in Cabo Verde where she was so loved that two days of national mourning The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-33120242312224012512011-12-18T08:33:00.005+13:002011-12-18T13:22:16.602+13:00You Wouldn't... They Did...We've all seen this.Most times we hire a movie.A music composer saw it not so long ago too, when he rented a movie.He recognised the music soundtrack that went with it.He'd composed the music some time ago and had never been paid for it.They'd never paid him any royalties.They'd stolen it from him.They wouldn't?They did!Their lawyers are sorting out a settlement...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-7125667033874547062011-12-17T07:56:00.012+13:002012-01-04T21:23:05.680+13:00Ten Great Reasons To Live Small...I've been chatting recently with Steven over at Tiny House Listings.His is another really good site with lots of interesting little spaces to live in and that are for sale too.I'll be featuring them here from time to time. Check out the site and the blog, you'll find the link to the his blog on the home page.Here are Tiny House Listings ten great reasons to live in a small house.1. Less initial The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-79289449266139122212011-12-16T13:06:00.006+13:002011-12-16T16:30:47.224+13:00This Government Department Can't Spell Its Own Name...I couldn't help laughing.Once again, New Zealand's Department of Conservation has made a bit of a fool of itself.This time by miss-spelling its own name.I wonder how they'll talk their way out of this one...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-81586002845434974432011-12-16T07:41:00.000+13:002011-12-16T07:41:27.812+13:00Tiny Earthbag Dome House In Pakistan...Self educated Munir Khan was born in Pakistan and later became a Canadian citizen, it was there he trained as a civil engineer.Wishing to put something back into his original homeland, and with partial funding from the United Nation's Development Programme, he built this 14 foot diameter Earthbag dome house in one of Pakistan's flood ravaged areas...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-82632354833184829632011-12-15T09:07:00.000+13:002011-12-15T09:07:48.609+13:00The Rock Restaurant Of Zanzibar...Perched on a rock in the middle, well not quite in the middle, of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania, is a tiny seafood restaurant known funnily enough as The Rock Restaurant.Depending on the tides, you either get there by boat, you swim or you walk.The delicious food is, as you'd expect, always fish and always fresh...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-64074778127095447522011-12-14T09:07:00.001+13:002011-12-14T09:10:04.555+13:00Taiwan's Rainbow Village Of Taichung...Tucked away in a corner of the city of Taichung in Taiwan, there's a little village inhabited by 'military dependants'.What was a dull, drab place has been transformed into a vibrant piece of art by 86 year old veteran Huang Yung-fu who first picked up a paintbrush only a couple of years ago.With his simplistic style, he's adorned his little village into a 'must see' tourist attraction with many The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-19002502076718998932011-12-14T08:56:00.008+13:002011-12-14T11:13:53.218+13:00David Shearer. Man Of The Year...In July 2009, after he'd won the bye-election that placed him into New Zealand's parliament, I said that he would be the new leftist Labour Party leader after the 2011 general elections.I said it again here a couple of weeks ago.David Shearer has the X-Factor.He's also a novice politician, freely admitting he's in need of media training to improve his communication skills as well as acknowledgingThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-90209170522914881722011-12-13T08:00:00.006+13:002011-12-13T08:40:35.037+13:00And Bells On Her Toes...I was visiting Vintage Vixen the other day. vintagevixon.blogspot.comVix is a gorgeous, fabulous dresser.She's a second hand junkie, a jumble sale-ing, car-booting, skip-diving, charity-shopping, hedonistic, bohemian, self-styled, hippie chickin love with life.For her, getting dressed every day is an adventure.Not being noticed and blending in with the crowd is her idea of hell!For Vix, a day The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-14612316899852729882011-12-12T08:53:00.007+13:002011-12-12T11:57:35.257+13:00It Was A Dark And Stormy Night...It was a dark and stormy night.The morning isn't much different.There's no sun.The grey of the day's turning yellow with the light.The wind's howling and the rain's lashing, washing the salt laden wind driven sand from the bus.I'm enjoying glorious solitude here at this beautifully desolate place.There's plenty of nothing to be done.So I'll get on and do it...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-84767028142969758942011-12-11T08:38:00.014+13:002011-12-11T18:07:05.666+13:00Living Large In Small Spaces...A Small House Society was formed a while ago in the US by Jay Shafer, Shay Salomon, Nigel Valdez and Gregory Johnson. The aim of the society was to promote 'Better Living through Simplicity'.Gregory lives in one of Jay Shafer's wonderful Tumbleweed tiny mobile homes called 'The Hermitage' seen below.You can be part of the fast growing world-wide living small society by just having the desire to The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-442816400143835062011-12-10T08:42:00.006+13:002011-12-12T15:14:42.455+13:00Could This Be The World's Ugliest Motorhome?Could this be the world's ugliest motorhome? Personally I think so.Touted by the manufacturers as a luxury mansion on wheels, this hideous monstrosity of a mobile Macmansion will probably cause motorway mayhem and multiple pile-ups as astounded motorists gawk as they glimpse this, this offensive, vulgar apparition.The fully automatic pop-up flying bridge lounge towers over two floors of this The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-10825936394004894662011-12-09T08:15:00.002+13:002011-12-09T08:18:02.773+13:00It's Not A Biggie, But It's A Beauty...No, it's not a biggie, even though I tried to make it look massive by holding this 41cm Snapper well out in front of me so it looked bigger.But it's a beauty and more importantly it's the first fish caught using my new thousand metre set line which I can either tow out with my kayak or in this case, it's carried out by an offshore breeze and a very large plastic tube full of air, tied at both The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-3176877429219969622011-12-08T09:11:00.007+13:002011-12-08T15:09:38.008+13:00Psychedelic Living...Katwise is the amazing lady who's the owner of this property and obviously she has a wonderful sense of the outrageous. And good on her.She's lucky there aren't any bylaws prohibiting individual creative statements like hers. Then again perhaps there are and the lady's ignoring them.A technicolor dream. I'm sure the neighbours love it.It's evidently somewhere near Woodstock.I found Katwise's The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-56189966394886639752011-12-07T07:33:00.001+13:002011-12-07T07:39:38.803+13:00A Whale Of A Tale... A really freaky happening as the whale surfaces under the canoeist with it's mouth wide open.The person who does this man's laundry said he'd been VERY VERY scared...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-72673538875582613182011-12-06T21:44:00.000+13:002011-12-06T21:44:46.822+13:00A Great Way To End The Day...A stunning site as the sun sets over the Karikari Peninsula in New Zealand's Far North this evening.I'm glad I was here to see it...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-72030378047943910322011-12-06T07:19:00.011+13:002011-12-06T18:33:32.023+13:00Off Grid Micro House On Wheels...Theatrical set designer Glenn Grassi built his micro 12ft by 7ft house, or is it a piece of art, or both, almost completely out of recycled materials.He's included everything required to live happily and be self contained.Lift up the bed and there's a shower cubicle.There's a simple composting or humanure toilet too as you can see.Just remember to remove the bucket's lid.And as a further act of The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-49810697866399919192011-12-05T08:15:00.015+13:002011-12-10T18:29:14.089+13:00A Simply Beautiful Tiny Wooden Housetruck...Heather and Ivan Morison built this tiny home called Tales of Space and Time on the back of a 1954 Bedford RLHZ 'Green Goddess' Firetruck. Originally built for the military so Kali reliably tells me.I found it on Tiny House Talk, tinyhousetalk.com a site I've just discovered and I'm so glad I have.Wig Worland took these images.This simply beautiful and beautifully simple wooden housetruck seemsThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-45446338813818010502011-12-04T08:18:00.000+13:002011-12-04T08:18:56.990+13:00This Rollercoaster's A Walk In The Park...This is the rollercoaster to go on when you feel like a stroll in the park with a view and you're not scared of heights.The Tiger and Turtle Rollercoaster at Magic Mountain is a walkable sculpture designed by German art duo Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth.The sixty nine foot tall sculpture is at Wanheim Duisburg in Germany.A long way to go for a walk in the park perhaps... The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-77902717713515098102011-12-03T07:40:00.007+13:002011-12-03T20:32:40.478+13:00Architectural Innovation At Burning Man...For the last fourteen years, photographer Philippe Glade has documented the unique architectural structures found at the Burning Man Festival.I was over at laughingsquid.com the other evening checking his images out, you can too at thisisblackrockcity.blogspot.comThere's just so much creative talent out there in our world. Fortunately there are venues like Burning Man where it can be displayed The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-8222997531267368682011-12-02T08:17:00.013+13:002012-01-04T22:59:37.205+13:00Very Funky Tiny Trailer Home...This marvellous little bohemian home on wheels was once an old rail carriage and now it's way out there and wonderful!There's such a feeling of style and space in this transformed interior. Fun for all aboard!Ryan Mitchell featured it recently on The Tiny Life and I just had to share it with you...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-8268969032474045852011-12-01T07:55:00.002+13:002011-12-01T08:59:39.000+13:00The Joy Of Sacks...The joy you can get from some used coffee bean sacks may only limited by a lack of imagination...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-71444613370391966752011-11-30T08:14:00.007+13:002011-12-01T11:43:47.683+13:00Whimsical Houses. Delightful Art...I'm really happy that I metthe very talented Rob Carey recently.He lives and works in Kandern, Germany.Rob has a wonderful sketchblog, you'll find it at kunst-by-rob.blogspot.comHis works of art are just so delightful. A style that refreshes the soul.He posts a new sketch most days, sometimes with a video of the actual subject matter and showing him applying his beautiful sensitive pen The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-71739565786731978762011-11-29T08:04:00.003+13:002011-11-29T10:49:00.787+13:00Antique Roadhome Show...Here's a couple of vintage houses on wheels from way back when.When times were simpler I guess but people had the same dreams as we do today...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-51650598864275454732011-11-28T07:23:00.006+13:002011-11-28T11:47:42.992+13:00Tiny Teardrop Travellers... You'll find them in the most lovely places.Tiny touring takeaways.Trailers to go.Small enough to be transported,like your dreams. Anywhere.Anytime you have a moment...The Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4525987402386412259.post-12873141374594359362011-11-27T07:53:00.004+13:002011-11-27T16:48:54.956+13:00The Little Penguins Go Home...The cargo ship Rena ran aground on the coast of Tauranga some time ago.Among the victims of the worst environmental disaster in New Zealand's history were forty nine very cute but very sick little penguins who washed ashore, blackened by oil and very near death.Wildlife rescuers were on hand to meticulously scrub clean their feathery coats and nurse them back to robust health.A couple of days agoThe Flying Tortoisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09212913610390768373noreply@blogger.com2