Month: January 2014

Wikipedia During a Passage?

January 24, 2014

We have an offline copy of Wikipedia on our computer and it’s been very handy.  It’s just a text version – no pictures, but we use it a lot: on passages, in bays with no internet, or when the internet is too slow or expensive to use.  Lots of people ask us how we do this. Here’s the answer…

We use a program called Wiki Taxi that can be found here to unpack and display the Wikipedia data.

You can download the latest English Wikipedia data here.  You want the file with a name like this: enwiki-latest-pages-articles.xml.bz2.

The files are HUGE – about 10GB at present.  It’ll uncompress to about twice that size.  It’s hard to download as the slightest problem will cause the download to abort.  I just found out you can use BitTorrent to download the data file.  This is much easier.  Search google for a torrent with a filename like the above.

After you get the data file, you use the file importer that comes with Wiki Taxi to make the data ready for Wiki Taxi to use.

Here’s a nice, short how-to article.

Here’s what the offline version looks like.

The Wiki Taxi offline version of Wikipedia.
The Wiki Taxi offline version of Wikipedia.

I hope this is helpful.  -Rich

These are a few of our favorite things – Auckland Edition

January, 2014

Here’s a map with some of the special things we’ve found during our stay in and around Auckland.

This is a pretty full-featured Google map.  Click on a marker for a description.  Click on a description to see where it is on the map.  Pan, zoom, switch to map view.  Have fun.

Auckland Skytower and Orbit 360 Restaurant

January 9, 2014

“I’d like to go to the Skytower for my birthday.”

“OK Cyndi, sure, we can do that.” But thinking “This is going to be one big tourist trap, with crowds, waits and a McDonalds quality meal for $200!”

Wrong. Way wrong. Wrong-O-roosky Rich!

The Skytower is a class operation and the restaurant, Orbit 360, was incredible. My steak was probably the best I’ve ever had in my 55 years as a carnivore. The entire meal – appetizer, meals, two drinks and a dessert – only came to $130 NZ. An expensive meal but worth every cent for what we had and the setting we had it in. -Rich

Dinner was at 9:15 - the perfect time to get both sunset and night views of Auckland.
Our dinner was at 9:15 – the perfect time to get both sunset and night views of Auckland.
The obviously volcanic Rangitoto Island in the distance.
The obviously volcanic Rangitoto Island in the distance.
I couldn't get enough of the view before dinner from the observation decks.
I couldn’t get enough of the view before dinner from the observation decks.
Glass panels you can stand on and look down 50 stories - they assure you they are as strong as concrete, but...
Glass panels you can stand on and look down 50 stories – they assure you they are as strong as concrete, but…
My beautiful bride on her birthday at Orbit 360.
My beautiful bride on her birthday at Orbit 360.
Did I mention it's a revolving restaurant. If you don't like the view, wait a minute and it'll change (though it was beautiful from all angles).
Did I mention it’s a revolving restaurant. If you don’t like the view, wait a minute and it’ll change (though it was beautiful from all angles).

While we were up there, we had a chance to do a little surveying.  Here’s a picture that shows the two marinas we’ve stayed in (the Viaduct and now, Bayswater) and one we haven’t – Westhaven is just too huge for us.

The local marina survey from the Skytower observation deck.
The local marina survey from the Skytower observation deck.

Where are those two now?

January 6, 2014

After a grueling 25 minute voyage, we are now at a slip in Bayswater Marina – just across the bay from Auckland, where we’ll most likely remain through January.  Life is good.

Click on the map, zoom, pan, go crazy! -Rich