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guide

Travel Auckland

by Jessica King on March 4, 2010

Dominated by water, Auckland – the city of sails – has an array of attractions available for any visitor. Despite being easily the largest city in New Zealand, public transport options can be scarce, so to get around the large metropolitan area with a minimum of fuss make sure that you carry a good Auckland city guide. It will definitely help you make the most of your time in this city of around 1.4 million people.

Take a walk from Karangahape Road to Waitemata harbour down Queen St, the main road in the Auckland central business district. Highlights include the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere (Sky Tower, 328m), the eating and drinking destinations of Viaduct Basin and the open air festivals and markets of Aotea Square.

Prominent landmarks to check out while following your Auckland city guide include the large Auckland Domain, the dormant volcano Mount Eden with panoramic views over the surrounding area and One Tree Hill, a culturally significant site for Aucklanders made famous by U2 in the song of the same name.

If sport is your preference you won’t be disappointed in Auckland. Rugby union and cricket are the two most important sports, with national and international matches of both sports being played at Eden Park. Netball, tennis and rugby league are all also popular, with major facilities largely dedicated to each sport. Try to catch a game if you are in town.

The Auckland Art Gallery is the city’s major public gallery space, with a large collection of national and international works. Significant museums include the War Memorial Museum located in the Domain, and the National Maritime Museum, among several others.

There are large numbers of quality beaches that should make an appearance in any Auckland city guide, ranging from the wild surf beaches of Piha and Muriwai to the popular swimming spots of Takapuna, Mission Bay and Devonport on Waitemata Harbour. Jump on the ferry to Waiheke Island for a day or longer to enjoy the wineries and beaches of this popular holiday destination.

Check out the Auckland city guide at Indie Travel Podcast for even more information on what to see and do in Auckland, Zealand.

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Start The Day By Going Chesapeake Bay Rock Fishing

by Mike Cassidy on February 26, 2010

Chesapeake bay rock fishingfrom a rock ledge will give you a better shot at catching that prize fish as they are most likely lurking beneath the sea in search of food. However, fishing in Chesapeake Bay Rock Fishing is not for the faint at heart, with crashing waves and slippery moss covering them you have to be on your guard.

Stock up that tackle box with all the goodies you’ll need to catch the variety of fish you are likely to encounter on this type of fishing excursion. Bring your rod, reel and pick up some live bait on the way or catch you own and save a few dollars. Or you might dig up some worms in your garden for a tasty fish treat. Perhaps you prefer to use lures and depending on your target fish you have a variety to choose from. Sounds like you have everything you need to catch the big one for dinner.

Never turn your back to the sea, a rogue wave could sneak up on you and crash over your head. The shear weight of the water can knock you to your knees and on the slippery rock you could lose your footing and fall in. It’s a good idea to take along friends for this reason as well as to share your picnic with.

Depending on where you are fishing you might consider wearing a pair of waders to keep your clothing and shoes dry. Dress in layers to assure that you can peel them off easily should to need to and never underestimate the damaging rays of the sun even if it’s overcast. Bring your fishing hat for protection and as a place to keep your lures.

The best time to go out is right before sunrise with a thermos of hot coffee and breakfast on the beach. It just tastes better in the salt air as it cleanses all of your senses.

It’s a good idea to check out the area you’ll fish in during low tide if possible so that you can understand where the fish might congregate when the tide is high in search of food and shelter. Stay away from the kelp as it is sure to snap off that new lure you just bought.

And most importantly have the right equipment. Usually rock fishing is done with an 8 to 12 foot rod and 15 to 30 pound test line. This varies based on whether you surf fish or fishing from a boat. Whether you use lures, live bait or plastic you’re sure to pull in something wonderful to cook for dinner, or so that is the plan, and most of all have a fun day of fishing.

Looking to find the most complete information on chesapeake bay rock fishing?

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Deer Tracking Tips

by Ethan O. Tanner on February 15, 2010

Mark your shot. Watch for reaction from the animal after you shoot for signs of a hit. Watch until the animal is out of sight. Then listen for further movements. Identify any landmarks to help in marking the trail. Notice the direction of the wounded animal?s movement.

Different theories exist on waiting for extended periods of time or begin trailing right away. Waiting an hour before trailing will allow animal to lie down without being disturbed. Immediate tracking will ensure the animal’s wounds do not have time to coagulate allowing for a more steady blood trail.

Use biodegradable paper to mark the blood trail. The start of the trail should be marked and each area of blood found should also be marked. Keep in mind, blood can be found on the ground and on nearby grasses, bushes and trees up to 3 feet off the ground.

Tracks and stride length in addition to blood trail can aide in finding your downed game. Use a stick to measure the animals stride length. Or you can use a piece of biodegradable paper to measure the track of the animal. In addition to blood, these clues can help you find your buck.

Blood tells a story. The type, color and quantity of blood can help tell you how good of a hit you made on the animal. For more information on blood in tracking visit us at The Deer Shack.

Sometimes the blood trail is lost due to the animal doubling back. Walk concentric circles around your last marker until the trail can be reestablished or the animal is found. Many times mortally wounded deer will not follow a common trail but will crash aimlessly through their surroundings. Often they will run down hill or towards water rather than follow established trails.

Modern archers have arrow tracking plans that connect a string to the loosed arrow. Earlier versions of these devices were less dependable, but with advances in design these devices can help you hunt wet settings and find downed game. One other thing archers can do to help ensure tracking success in finding their game is to shoot brightly colored arrows. This gives better visibility of your hit. In recent times arrow nocks have been made to blink after being released from the bow aiding in finding the start of the blood trail.

Author Ethan O. Tanner explains the different types of trailing deer the decisive factors in tracking tips for hunting.

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Why travel to Vienna?

by Jonathan Asher on January 15, 2010

One of Europe’s most intriguing and historically rich cities, Vienna, sits in a central position that gives travelers easy access to Eastern and Western Europe. It is home to some truly awesome architectural design such as the gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the modern Haas House. Vienna and its surrounds have enough for you to do and see to occupy you for a few days or a few weeks.

Vienna may be somewhat confusing to navigate around due to changing street names, however ring roads with multiple names are often close to main attractions. Mariahilfer Strasse heads west up to the main train station, the Westbahnhof which is central to a lot of eateries and hostels. From there you can make your way to the Rathaus, the Museumsquartier, the Opera and a variety of parks and squares.

What would travel be without trying the local fare – Wiener schnitzel, Sachertorte, strudel, sausages and kebabs are just some of the foods that Vienna has to offer. Vienna also has a strong coffee and caf culture where guests are welcome to stay as long as they like and read the paper.

There is so much to see in Vienna, that you will want to do your research before you go. Should you spend your time at the Schnbrunn Palace, The Vienna Opera House, Vienna’s MUMOK or St. Stephen’s Cathedral. If time permits, hopefully you will see them all, however a travel guide will give you insight into these locations and hopefully give you an idea if they fit your style or not.

Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides) is a well-used travel guide but for a guide that goes into more depth take a look at The Rough Guide to Vienna – it’s the newest, and most popular Vienna guide book. The Moleskine Vienna Notebook is a pocket-sized travel guide that is also very well-liked.

For more information about Vienna check out the Vienna travel guide first and then take a look at the travelling Europe guide.

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Epoxy Garage Floor Coating And Percentage Of Solids

by Eden Crowley on December 25, 2009

Not every epoxy garage floor coating is the same and with garage flooring, like many other things in life, you don’t always get what you think. When learning about something new, such as garage floors, it’s not hard to skip some features which may be important to you, especially if you didn’t even know they existed. For example, let’s examine a lesser known epoxy garage floor paint specification. Let’s take a look at the idea of an epoxy garage floor coating’s percentage of solids.

Percentage Of Solids? What Does That Mean?

Every epoxy garage floor coating obviously begins its life in liquid form. There’d be no way to get it on your concrete garage floor if it was solid in the can. The important, but rarely spoken of “percentage of solids” pertains to how much of the mixture will end up as a solid. Consider epoxy adhesives, if you need help understanding. There’s no evaporation when an epoxy adhesive dries; it’s totally solid. With an epoxy garage floor coating, this might not be so.

How Do I Know The Percentage Of Solids?

Like most companies, the manufacturers of epoxy garage floor coatings tend to leave out any specifications that their product does not excel in. This makes it harder for the consumer to know if he is getting the appropriate product. In general, those epoxy garage floor coatings that are not 100% solid won’t tell you in so many words. Instead, they will be referred to as water, or acrylic based. Of course, any epoxy garage floor paint that is 100% solids will generally advertise it quite proudly.

Deciding If You Need A 100% Solid Epoxy Garage Floor Coating

Probably not. Most consumers will probably be perfectly satisfied with water or acrylic based garage floor finishes, and never really know the difference, especially if they use some sort of garage floor covering where they work. However, when you start comparing prices of those coatings that are 100% solids against those that are not, you’ll notice that you really don’t save a lot of money by purchasing the thinner paint. In fact, sometimes you can find a 100% solids epoxy garage floor coating that costs less than a water based mixture. I suppose you have to ask yourself: are you okay with spending the same amount of money for a watered down product?

The Reasons All Epoxy Garage Floor Coatings Are Not 100% Solid

I’m assuming that the main reason has to do with their profit margins. Most successful companies get there by maintaining a good reputation while making a product that costs as little as possible, and selling it for far more than it took to make it. So, in this case, they water the product down just enough to save money, but not enough to sacrifice their reputation. Should we all boycott acrylic and water based paints? You have to make a personal choice on this one. Do you buy based off of reputation, or the promise of a better product? I guess you just have to, when shopping for epoxy garage floor coatings, decide which type of consumer you’d rather be.

Check out Sweet Garage Flooring for more information to help you choose or your epoxy garage floor coating.

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Reasons You May Think About A Garage Floor Covering With A Ribbed Design

by Christina Gallardo on December 25, 2009

So, you have decided on your garage floor covering. Now it’s time to decide what pattern you need to use, as if choosing the garage flooring wasn’t difficult enough. Bet you wouldn’t have ever thought this could be so complicated. We’ll focus on mainly garage floor mats since, with garage floor tiles, most of the options have more to do with their installation and what they’re made of. Let us first take a look at ribbed garage floor covering. This info will be fairly generic, for the most part, although I’m sure some odd manufacturers exist that do their own thing.

The Advantages Of Every Garage Floor Covering

Before we get to the particulars about the ribbed flavors, though, let’s examine those advantages that you can get from just about all garage floor protectors. They’ll keep stains off a concrete garage floor, for one. They’ll also prevent cracking by helping retain heat. For those that have damaged garage floors already, they’ll help hide stains and cracks. And, to the majority of folks, a covering of any kind, be it garage floor tile or just a mat, looks nicer than plain concrete.

Chemical Spills And Ribbed Garage Floor Coverings

Because ribbed garage floor coverings only have ridges that go in straight lines, spills will always go one particular way. For this reason, ribbed coverings are probably the best option when it comes to working on vehicles. You can either lay the mat so that the ridges are horizontal, which will help contain a spill, or you can lay it vertically, which will direct any spill out of your garage. Beware directing things like oil and coolant onto the ground outside of your garage, however. This is not only illegal, but also very irresponsible.

Ribbed Garage Floor Coverings And Cleaning

Cleaning is usually easy since just about every garage floor mat resists both staining and liquid spills. A water hose to spray it down is usually all you need to clean a garage floor covering. Yet again, be very mindful of contamination. Check all your local regulations and laws, and always consider any nearby rivers, lakes, or even groundwater. No one wants to drink your used anti-freeze, but that’s what will happen if you spill it on ground with a high water table.

The Price Of Ribbed Garage Floor Coverings

This particular design is usually pretty reasonable in price. Those that make garage floor coverings typically price these just above their bottom of the line, least expensive option. These mats are usually considered a very good value because of this. Not only are they cheap, but they’ll do everything you would need or want from a garage floor protector. Looks are the main reason why one would pay more. Ribbed garage floor coverings, though, probably look great to any car guy that will actually work in his garage.

Check out Sweet Garage Flooring for more information to help you choose or yourgarage floor coverings.

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Excellent Reasons That You Might Want To Think About Garage Floor Mats

by Jenny McCallister on December 25, 2009

If you are particularly picky about what the final product looks like, you might want to take a look at garage floor tile or epoxy garage floor paint, but if the main priority is to get things done without staining the concrete, you should consider garage floor mats. Although, keep in mind, this may not be your best option for the long term. Here is a bit of information to help you understand why some people decide on garage floor mats as opposed to paint or tiles, to help you choose the best garage flooring for you.

Garage Floor Mats Can Be Cheap

Your cheapest option could very well be a garage floor mat. But only a compartment mat. Compartment mats are useful when you want to protect a small area of your concrete garage floor and prevent stains and damage. There are also parking mats, as well as complete garage mats, but neither of those are exactly inexpensive. Even compartment mats can start climbing price wise if you go for an expensive one with a lot of features, such as liquid absorption and the tall concrete edges. However, when it comes down to it, mats are really the only way you can protect garage floors for less than $60 without a ton of install time, like with an epoxy garage floor coating.

Installation Is As Easy As It Gets

This is kind of obvious, but it’s amazing how many people really don’t consider how long it will take, or how difficult it will be to install the more complicated options such as an epoxy garage floor coating. Once they get the kits in their hands and read the instructions, many will be tempted to pay a contractor to install it for them, which takes that cheap epoxy paint kit and multiplies the total price by ten or more. Ordering a garage floor mat is done and done. You’ll probably spend more time deciding which one to buy than you will installing it.

Garage Floor Mats Can Cover Extremely Damaged Concrete

You might not always have a choice; an extremely messed up concrete garage floor can make it not feasible to use either epoxy or even peel and stick garage floor tiles. There’s really only two options in this case: snap-together tiles, or garage floor mat. Interlocking tiles are pretty expensive. Even a small set, which really compares better to a compartment mat, will cost you $300 or more. Unless there is a specific look you are going for, I just don’t see how it’s worth that price.

Garage Floor Mats Make Cleanup A Breeze

Some mats will actually absorb any liquid, either oils or thinner stuff, like water, which is great since you can just take it and wring it out later. It’s an especially green solution as well since you can basically pick up your spilled chemicals and deposit them in a safe place. Even if it doesn’t absorb liquids, if it has raised edges, you can still do this to some degree. Being able to literally relocate your mess is great. Will that actually matter in your case? Well, how often do you make messes?

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for more information to help you choose yourgarage floor mat.

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Like It Or Not, A Garage Floor Finish Is All-Important If You Want Your Concrete To Not Be All Cracked And Gross

by Gabriella Foster on December 25, 2009

If you want to make sure that the floor in your garage will resist grease, acid, and oil, you’ll need to use a good finishing compound. This is what you would call garage floor finishes that help maintain your concrete garage floor for years, sometimes decades. The purpose of these compounds is to protect your floor from any and all liquids that will hit it over the years. Without some sort of finish applied early in its life, your concrete will definitely end up stained and unattractive.

Epoxy Garage Floor Paint: The Most Popular Finish

Epoxy garage floor paint is probably the most used compound for these purposes. Your garage flooring will look great for a long time with an epoxy garage floor coating. Although there are other garage floor finishes on the market, you will probably want to go with one of the epoxy garage floor coatings if you’re wanting the best protection.

Not All Garage Floor Finishes Are Easy To Install

Unfortunately, epoxy is one of the more difficult garage floor finishes to apply. Just mixing it is no small job, and getting it evenly brushed on larger garage floors is a definite chore. There are many tricks that professionals use to make such installs go smoothly, preventing problems from showing up in the future. Sometimes it really does make sense to consider professionals when it comes to applying a finish, especially with epoxy coatings.

Modern Garage Floor Finishes Are Easier To Install Previous Ones

It has become much simpler for the average homeowner to to apply garage floor finishes to their own garage in more recent years. Applications of these compounds have become easier and simpler due to the newer compounds which were created specifically for homeowners to install with no help. Although technological advancement certainly has played a part, increased competition from garage floor coverings like tiles and mats, which are simpler to apply, have also spurred innovation.

No Matter What, It’s Still A Lot Of Work

All of that being considered, it’s still not the easiest job to do. There are still time constraints, and the floor must be very clean before you even start. Etching is always a good idea before applying any concrete coating, so be sure to investigate that option as well. Some epoxy garage floor paint kits even come with etching fluid, as well as instructions on how to use it. Some of these etching fluids even clean the concrete at the same time.

Check out my site, Sweet Garage Flooring, for more information on garage floor finishes of all kinds, including paints, stains, and sealers.

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Should You Think About Purchasing Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile?

by Christine Tiesto on December 23, 2009

Just about every garage floor tile is either the peel and stick, or self adhesive type, or they are the interlocking type. Since many manufacturers and resellers of garage floor tiles do not make this clear, people can sometimes get confused. Let’s go over peel and stick tile, and give you a better understanding of whether or not it’s right for your garage floors.

Is Installing Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile Difficult?

The installation for peel and stick garage floor tiles is as straightforward as it is obvious. You peel the backing off, then you stick them too the concrete garage floor. Of course, before you even begin the floor must be thoroughly cleaned. After all, you wouldn’t want your new tiles sticking to something other than the concrete like, say, dust. In fact, with the exception of an epoxy garage floor coating, no other solution takes as much cleaning to get right. One advantage over epoxy garage floor coatings, though, is that you can take as long as you like to complete the install, as long as you re-clean the floor before you begin sticking things to it again. Of course, as always, follow the directions with your particular product.

Buying Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile

Although there are many places that you can buy this garage floor covering, peel and stick tile seems to be a bit sparse when it comes to the more traditional places to purchase flooring or home improvement supplies, such as hardware stores. They exist, but they can sometimes be hard to find, and selection may be limited. As such, prices are all over the place, and it seems there’s not particular size of garage that a set will cover. I’ve found everything from 40 square foot to 66 square foot, and prices ranging from $112 to well over $300. Be careful, before you buy, that your kit will include enough garage floor tile to at least cover your garage.

Durability Of Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tile

Tile is probably the strongest of garage floor coverings. As they actually adhere to concrete, peel and stick tiles are even more rigid than many other coverings. Unlike some other options, they can’t move, so they’re not as susceptible to damage by rubbing against the concrete, like garage floor mats. When shopping, though, remember that a lot of the strength of garage floor tiles depend on their makeup, so be sure to think about what you’re planning to do with your garage when choosing.

Why Peel And Stick Garage Floor Tiles May Not Be Your Best Option

Obviously, considering the “stick” part, peel and stick tiles can’t be expected to move. This means that, should you need to move your covering, you would need something like a garage floor mat. If the goal is only to cover a portion of the garage, you might want to consider something that can be moved if needed. You will end up saving money, and you might end up saving your concrete by being able to cover what needs to be covered, when it needs to be covered. As a bonus, once you do something with the whole garage floor, you’ll have a nice compartment mat to help protect the garage flooring!

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for more information to help you choose or repair yourgarage floor tile.

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Pointers For Mending A Chipped Or Cracked Epoxy Garage Floor Coating

by Genevieve Forrester on December 22, 2009

To be as certain as you possibly could that your concrete garage floor would be protected, you took the time and effort to apply epoxy garage floor paint. It looks great, and you feel a sense of accomplishment just stepping in to your garage. Who knew that garage flooring could be so pretty? But then the unthinkable happens. The epoxy garage floor coating itself becomes damaged. Luckily, it’s not terribly difficult to repair a chip or crack on epoxy garage floors.

Preparing An Epoxy Garage Floor Coating To Be Repaired

Just like when you first applied the epoxy, you need to make sure that the affected area is very clean. You must make sure the area around the scar is clear of dirt, oil, and grease, even if you’ve never worked on your car in the garage. Cars have a way of leaving a mark, even those that are brand new. Tires, if nothing else, will track stuff all over a garage floor coating. Fortunately, as epoxy is made for resisting damage caused by chemicals, it’s easy to clean, too. There are many cleaners available that are designed for painted flooring, but a good dish soap will do the job just as well, and your hands will thank you. Don’t limit your cleaning to just the damaged area. Make sure that you clean a fairly large section of the flooring near the damage as well.

And Now It’s Time To Amputate…

If you were to simply fill in the scar, scratch, crack, or whatever it is we’re repairing, it would be fairly obvious. Epoxy, like all paints, sort of change color over time, even if it’s not readily apparent, and simply “touching it up” would leave you with discoloration. With cars, you can fix this by using a scratch remover or clay bar and mixing the new paint with the old. However, epoxy paint’s resistance to damage sort of works against you in this case as it will also resist repairing scratches in this way. To address this, you’ll want to cut a square around the affected area, so that the area with the new paint is large enough that it won’t be so obvious. You can do this using a box cutter or a hobby knife of some sort. Go for about two inches around the scar, but bigger if you’re repairing an extremely obvious area, like the center of your garage floor. Once you’ve made the cut, use a blow dryer to heat the area so until the epoxy softens, then scrape it away with a paint scraper.

Oxygen Is Important

Now that you have an area that is mostly bare, you can repair the epoxy garage floor coating. Use the directions that are included with your epoxy kit, as well as some common sense regarding the fact that you’re working with a small area. Make sure that you also hit the edges where the affected area touches the old paint, bleeding over at least a little bit, to blend the new and old colors. Most importantly, make sure that your garage is ventilated any time that you are using an epoxy garage floor coating. Human lungs don’t care for epoxy fumes.

Preventing The Need For Repairs In The Future

Next time you’re working in your garage, use a garage floor mat! Anything that happens once is likely to happen again. Any garage floor covering will prevent this from happening, and small mats for where you are working aren’t very expensive. The next time you drop a tool, you’ll be very glad that you got some extra protection. Epoxy garage floor coatings look great, and are very durable, but they are definitely not indestructible.

Check out Sweet Garage Floor for even more great garage floor information.

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2009 TravelersCouncil