In Costa Rica They Saved An Old Boeing 727 From Going To The Scrapheap And Turned It Into A Luxury Resort...

The Costa Verde Resort on the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica's rain forest saved an old 1965 Boeing 727 aircraft destined for the scrapyard and turned it into a beautiful luxury resort.
So if you're partial to a bit of flying while keeping your feet on the ground, this could be an ideal holiday location for you.
You won't need to stress about takeoffs and landings, there's no need to wait till the seat-belt sign goes off before you can go exploring and there's a complete absence of turbulance.
Now, coffee, tea or something a bit stronger...

Just Eight Days On The Road. This Family Has A Lifetime Of Memories Waiting To Happen...

Chrissy, Richard and eighteen month old Emma.
The world's newest Gypsies.
I met them a couple of days ago, Freedom Camping at Ohope, a beautiful place to be in New Zealand's Bay Of Plenty.
They'd been on the road just eight days on their way to a new lifestyle in their grand old lady, a 1965 SB3 Bedford. They're planning a lifetime of memories that are yet to happen.
Chrissy was a property manager, Richard's a plumber and Emma, well, she was a bit shy and didn't tell me what she'd been up to all her life.
But Chrissy and Richard know only too well that it's a rat race out there and they wanted more quality time as a family and to give their daughter the opportunities of a lifetime.
They're not prepared to sit around waiting for them to happen, they're making them happen...

I Can't Believe That Happened...

This delightful image shot by New Zealand Herald photographer Richard Robinson shows six year old Chantelle Vossen-Chong from Hillsborough Primary School in shocked disbelief as she realises she's in checkmate at the Auckland Girl's Chess Championships...

Here's A Gorgeous Little Gypsy Camper Called Buddy...

The builder of this gorgeous little 70sq ft Gypsy camper who's name I don't know, so I'll call him Nomame, has been making furniture for over fifteen years, became unfulfilled, you know, how one does, needed to try his hand at something different and lo and behold created this wonderfully simple and very gorgeous little Gypsy camper called Buddy.
Buddy sits on the deck of a 1960 4x4 Dodge Power Wagon with just the right amount of faded paintwork and a few dings and dents.
Together with Miss Noname his fiancee, and inspired by their own wonderful effort they've put Buddy up for sale here and are looking forward to turning more simple dreams into reality.
They obviously know the saying, if you can dream it you can do it...

Introducing The Sada. The Spokeless Hubless Bicycle That Folds To The Size Of An Umbrella...

The evolution of the bicycle continues to be exciting to watch. Now there's Gianluca Sada and his spokeless, hubless bicycle with standard twenty six inch wheels that folds down to the size of an umbrella.
Or a small backpack.
Soon I suppose someone will design a bikeless bicycle that fits in your pocket but perhaps
I'm just being silly. Again.
There's more about the Sada here and Gianluca is looking for funding, who isn't, to develop his working prototype even further...

Eight Year Old CJ Takes On New Zealand's Tauranga Mayor And City Councilors...

The bureaucrats at New Zealand's Tauranga City Council got read the riot act from eight year old CJ Greenway when, for cost cutting reasons, they decided to close the popular mobile library.
Unfair he said at the rostrum that was many sizes too big for him, and went on to tell the mayor and the councilors just how and why the library bus was an important part of his life.
With help from his Bethlehem Primary School classmates the articulate young man presented a petition to Mayor Stuart Grosly to back up his impressive speech.
Reading is knowledge said CJ and
knowledge is power.
It would take a brave and stupid council to not heed the words of this youngster.
From the mouths of babes...

If You Want To Spend A Penny, These Public Toilets Have Been Voted The Best In The World...

The design professionals from Design Corial waded their way through thousands of entries from all over the world in their quest to find the best designed public toilets.
Perhaps the most bizarre of the winners at number three are these weird and wonderful Kumuoto toilets on New Zealand's
Wellington waterfront.
The rustic roadside facility, my favourite, in Lofoten, Norway was fourth and second was the round weathered roofed Graviculture M Toilet
in Miki City, Japan.
And the bright yellow structure resembling a block of cheese, another in the top ten is situated in Japan's Hiroshima Park.
You're probably busting to go by now but just hang on a bit before you make your choice.
The all that glitters isn't always gold toilets at Wembly were in the honours list despite not being able to see the game from in there.
The Restroom, in Texas,looking like some sort of sculpture was also in the top ten and the oh so boring public toilets in Sydney Australia's Centennial Park somehow took top honours.
Ok, you can go now...