EDKiwi

I definitely prefer the PC for these types of games, Battlefield, Flashpoint, etc, and personally nothing beats a mouse/keyboard combo, and I fell that generally the console versions are a cut down edition of the PC versions but lack of a decent gaming rig or the space to set it up means I'll just have to stick to the Xbox for now, which is not a bad second. I do miss the multiplayer flexibility though, it is nice to brows servers and stick to ones with the same group of people and/or avoid servers full of noddys.

Managed to get myself a copy from Sainsburys yesterday afternoon, none on the shelves but I asked and they had a stash behind the counter, still can't believe it's only 26 quid but I'm a happy chappy. Now I just need to find some time to play it....

We went a few years ago and stumbled across the Free Belin Tour, a free walking tour run by students, offically 3-4 hours but ours lasted close to 6 and was great. We actually had an american fella how was studying in Berlin but really knew his stuff, saw all the main sites and found out a lot of history which you may not nessecarily find out about otherwise, including the thoughts and meaning behind various monuments and mermorials that are dotted around the city. The tours are free, they just ask for a donation at the end if you feel the tour was worth it. New Berlin Tours (They now do similar tours in various other european cities).

Fish and chips in NZ are generally pretty good, popular takeaway so usually cheap and almost always cooked to order (we tend not to do the pre-cooked, sitting under a heat lamp thing). Definetly worth a go.

tog_in_sox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > If you've just a week in North island then I > wouldn't hang about in Aukland as it's mostly > urban sprawl (one of the largest in the World I > was told but that could've been local boasting) Sounds like local boasting to me, biggest city in NZ with 1.5million people, but not much by world standards.....being a biased south islander I would say there's not much to see there either :)

I was in Sainsburys at 4:30pm, all sold out, didn't realise they were selling it so cheap....madness I tells ya, madness.

Yeah it's the dust/fibres that are the problem, if it's not disturbed it's ok but if you are knocking or drilling holes in it and releasing dust and fibres it can get into your lungs and cause cancer. My dad used to tell me about how at work before they knew about the dangers they used to throw it around like snowballs at one pint during renovations, sadly a number of his former workmates have since died from cancer.

Yeah it's the dust/fibres that are the problem, if it's not disturbed it's ok but if you are knocking or drilling holes in it and releasing dust and fibres it can get into your lungs and cause cancer. My dad used to tell me about how at work before they knew about the dangers they used to throw it around like snowballs at one pint during renovations, sadly a number of his former workmates have since died from cancer.

Yeah I think ferry is the best bet if you're driving, it's not that far between the islands anyway and you'll end up in the Marlborough sounds (if you're heading south) or Wellington (heading north) which are both good areas to check out. As for the north island, I ashamedly haven't been up that way very much but the Coromandel and Bay of Islands are both very nice.

Oh yeah, Wanaka, Queenstown (bit touristy and pricey tho) and around the lakes down south is very nice. My cousin married an English fella and they went to Wanaka for a holiday and ended up moving there. Forgot to mention Milford Sound or more generally Fiordland,(right at the bottom west coast of the South Island) well worth it if you can get down there. A boat trip out onto the sounds is well worth it, amazing scenery if you can put up with the bugs or the rain (seem to get one or the other down there).

Hanmer Springs in the South Island is a nice spot, about an hours drive north of Christchurch (where I'm from), small town in the middle of the Southern Alps based around the thermal pools that are a natural feature but have been developed into a nice thermal pool/spa complex. Also various other things to do such as mountain biking, horse riding, bungy jumping, jet boating, etc, etc, or just wandering around the forest and hills around the town. If you're interested in whale watching, Kiakoura is a good spot for organised trips (again north of Christchurch, but on the coast). If you have any questions, feel free to PM me, will try to help if I can.

ah it's back up and running, is that why there's less people wandering the streets...

I'm half expecting to wander into the CPT and find labels on the tables stating different topics and forumites wandering between them making comments in turn, and ???? lurking in the background dashing from table to table shouting '100' at the appropriate moment.

I saw a couple of Royal Mail branded people delivering arm loads of parcels yesterday, guess they're trying to get through the backlog.

He's a guaranteed laugh, I quite often find myself stalking the zero punctuations site every Wednesday waiting for his latest review. I thought his Batman review was great.

I think that one is pretty safe somehow...

Wot, ee's speaking the queens english, innit.

Daily Mash: Postman Pat on strike

Agent fees are a rip off, as others have already said they charge the landlord to find tenants, take a commission from the rent and they also try and charge the tenants to move in. Our last agent also tried to charge us a 'checkout' fee to leave the property. We told them where to go, especially as they had advertised the property as having gas central heating when it didn't (we had noticed that when we looked at the place though) but even after we informed them that they were once again advertising it with GCH they didn't change their ads. I just hope the poor buggers who moved in noticed it as it was heading into winter when we left.

Surely only if it's a big white fluffy cat tho?

I've heard that the glut of all these DIY type programs on TV making it look all too easy and quick to renovate, decorate or whatever your house has lead to a huge increase in botched up houses with people who don't know any better expecting to knock down a wall, install a new bathroom, add an extension and paint the house in a weekend (ok maybe slightly exaggerated) but instead ending up with a big mess instead. On a similar note, in NZ they have a show each year where they get 2 old houses next to each other and 2 couples are given one each to renovate, one room each week, and at the end the people who have done the best job get to keep the house. Again they make it look far to easy and they each have a small army of helpers, but what I think is the worst part is they have a 'budget' each week but then get masses of donated products from companies wanted free advertising which they don't account for, so they claim for example that the kitchen only cost x dollars to renovate and fully fit out but never actually mention it cost x dollars plus xxxx dollars of donated (usually high quality) products and then say they did it under budget.

I noticed today they're playing ads on the radio at the moment telling students that if they watch TV on their laptops via the internet they still need a license and trying to convince them to pay for one. Seems a bit over the top to me, I guess they've closed the loop hole where it was only if you received a transmitted signal (not visa the internet) you had to cough up. I don't see how they would police it though, unless you get very big brotherish and monitor what everyone is up to on the internet.

aw rumbled by a lously snitch. Welcome to the part Mick Mac, we've been expecting you.

hehehe 'sub titles'...in a sub.

Oh there is another child in the hospital who will probably be in future episodes, but again only a small part so far.