Lensography of Kiwisoutback

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 27 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #278 in Me, #43,324 overall

Who is Kiwisoutback?

I'm a lensmaster here on Squidoo, a Giant Squid Mentor, Top 100 Giant, I have a few CafePress stores, a few Zazzle stores, I'm an artist, and I love to travel. I've received lens of the day for my road trip lens. I used to sell a lot on eBay (I still sell there once in a while), so I've decided to share what I have learned through my lenses. There's also my store on CafePress selling unique kiwi clothing and merchandise. I also an avid photographer (at least I think) a pretty good cook. Browse some of my lenses below to start reading!
Left: The New Zealand Kiwi

Welcome! 

Lensmaster kiwisoutback has been a member since October 22 2007, has rated 3,122 lenses, favorited 601, and has created 257 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Planning a US Road Trip: The Southern Route". See all my lenses

My Bio

I'm Kiwisoutback, and here's some of what I write about here on Squidoo:
Road Trips | National Parks | USA Travel Destinations | All Things Italian | Ebay Tutorials | Free Web Photos
My Twitter profile

Kiwisoutback: Cool, Unique Shirts, Clothing and Gifts for Kiwis and Kiwi Lovers

The Road Trip Lenses 

Learn from our own road travels!

I've written a number of useful lenses on US road trips that will help you plan, pack, budget and enjoy your trip across the 48 continental states.

Take a Road Trip! 

How did these road trip lenses come about?

Road trip lens after road trip lens...just how did I amass this knowledge in road trips?

Once you've been bitten by the travel bug, you'll always have the desire to travel at every opportunity. It was a dream of mine to drive across the country, and in 2002, my girlfriend and I (now my wife) decided to fulfill that dream. We didn't have much time, only 3 1/2 weeks off at the most before we had to be back at work. Before we changed our mind, we decided to go for it. We planned our entire trip, researched the best room rates, and mapped out how long it would take to travel from place to place.

We Started by Heading South...
The trip started in Massachusetts, heading south to Maryland. Our real first destination was Virginia Beach, then Myrtle Beach. From there, we headed to New Orleans (it was pre-Katrina), then we decided to skip Texas as best we could. A long, boring drive through the entire state of Lousiana and through the majority of Texas, we stayed one night exhausted and decided to keep moving the next for a 17 hour drive. That day was one to remember...17 hours of driving and two time zone changes! We arrived in Palm Springs, California late that night, one of our favorite places to visit.

Finally, in California
We zig-zagged across the state from San Diego to L.A., Santa Barbara to Big Sur, and finally to San Francisco, our northernmost destination on the west coast due to time constraints. Next was the beauty of Yosemite National Park and back down inland California towards the Grand Canyon.

The National Parks
The next few days we crammed in Bryce Canyon National Park, Arches National Park, Sedona (a day trip from the Grand Canyon), and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Heading back north
Before we knew it, the trip had nearly come to an end. We had to head back to the east coast, crossing Nebraska, Iowa, and stopping in Chicago for the day. Our last major stop was Niagara Falls. Everyone recommended we see the Canadian side of the Falls, so we travelled through Detroit and north of Lake Erie/Ontario to arrive on the Canadian/U.S. border near Buffalo. One last stop in Albany, NY, and we had to head home to Boston.

All in all, it was an unforgettable trip. So much so that we decided to do it again in 2005 when we were married as our honeymoon vacation, this time taking 6 long weeks to scour the country!



me reading road map

Me reading a road map on our biggest road trip in 2005.

Planning a Road Trip?

Just about everything you can think of. Places. What to bring. What to see. What not to bring. How to pack. The best routes. The best national parks. Money saving tips. Fuel saving tips. Where to stay. Where not to stay. Before you leave for the open road, check out my lenses for some of these tips!

Planning a U.S. Road Trip: The Southern Route, #1 in Travel in April, 2009!

The Latest Posts from my Squidoo Travel Blog, ExSquidition 

Featuring other lensmasters excellent travel themed lenses

This is my blog featuring great travel lenses on Squidoo. If you have an excellent travel lens that you think should be featured, tell me about it!

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Road Trip Information 

Prepare for your road trip and see what's out there!

More Road Trip Themed Lenses: 

So...You're From New Zealand? 

map of massachusetts



It may come as a surprise, but no, I'm not from New Zealand...which you maybe a few hints were given as I've written lens after lens of U.S. road trip themed lenses. The origin of the name "Kiwisoutback" came from my eBay store that I had (my wife and I ran it together). We were looking for a mascot for the store, and decided the kiwi was as good as any. It was an animal you never heard much about in the U.S., and we thought it would be the perfect image to brand our store. Looking back, it doesn't seem the right fit.. a clothing and accessory ebay store with a kiwi, from a U.S. based store..how does it relate? Still, people liked and trusted "the kiwi."

Later on, I got to put the kiwisoutback name to good use on CafePress. I decided that's where I'd give the kiwi it's fair shake. I had already created plenty of variations of the logo, so I had those on hand. A New Zealand and kiwi themed store seemed appropriate. I had already opened the "kiwisoutback" Squidoo account to promote my eBay store, so it came natural to promote my CafePress items there, too.

200 lenses later, the name has stuck!

Pick your Favorite! 

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I'm a Squidoo Angel! 

I'm happy to be a Squid Angel!

Giant 100 Club Member 

January, 2009

Giant 100 club memberI was lucky enough to become one of the Giant Squid 100 club members in January of 2009. Are you a Giant Squid and have 100 great lenses of your own? Find out how to become one yourself on this lens. First, you must become a Giant Squid before a Top 100 Giant Squid. Stop by the Giant Squid Community Showcase to see who has been featured there recently, and what tips you can learn from other lensmasters!

Giant Squid Mentor 

For aspiring Giant Squids!

If you have 50 or more awesome lenses that you're really proud of, you might be eligible to become a Giant Squid. I'm here to help you through the process if you need any advice!

Bird Lenses 

From Piping Plovers to the American Kestrel (and of course the kiwi), I have a number of bird lenses. Check them out!

Business Lenses 

 

Just About Squidoo... 

Recycling & Conservation 

Animal Lenses 

Animals are always interesting to write about. Squidoo provides an easy way to talk about them, as well as display photos, links and interaction, a truly unique combination.

 

Born and raised in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is my home, with California being my home away from home, since I vacation there so much. One place I visit a often is Palm Springs.

Landscape and Seascape Oil Painter 

Scenery of Cape Cod and New England

me on the Oregon Coast

Me on the Oregon Coast in '05.


Solstice Slither, Marsh Scene in Massachusetts Blackfish Creek, Cape Cod


Sankaty Head Lighthouse Painting Gooseberry Cove by William Nihill


I'm also a landscape and seascape oil painter in Massachusetts. You can see examples of my work below.

Lenses Featuring my Artwork 

Oil Home portraits, seascapes, landscapes

Lenses on Search Engine Optimization & Web Surfing 

Everyone could use a little SEO for their lens or site. Here are some tips to get you started...

Are you using my free photos on your lenses?

Why not, they're free! Just link back to the lens and you can use them anywhere you'd like (except to resell). Have fun!

Royalty Free Photo Lenses 

These photos are totally free to use, just link back to the lens! There will be more royalty free photo lenses coming down the line.

eBay: Whether you're Selling your Old Camera or Want to Start a Business...

eBay is an great place to start a business, if you're willing to work. I've sold over 3,000 items there and know the ins and outs of selling most anything there. Learn from what I've learned already by reading these eBay tutorials!

eBay Lenses 

Sell on eBay? You've come to the right spot. We've sold on eBay for years and know it quite well. In these lenses you'll find some of our best tips for starting an eBay business, or tips on how to make it better.

 

 

I was featured at the Giant Squid Community Showcase

on March 2, 2009 in two parts: here and part two here.

Endangered Species  

This lens is one of our favorites.

Thanksgiving Themed Lenses 

Food! 

These are recipes I've tested out and made personally. Go ahead, give them a try! They're good, honest, I wouldn't lie to you.

More Mouth Watering Recipes! 

Wake Up! Coffee Lenses 

If I didn't have caffeine, I would never have been able to create 170+ lenses. Praise be to coffee.

What Does a Kiwi Look Like? 

In case you were wondering...

Kiwi Encounter (Rainbow Gardens) by miss_rogue

Although these are shots of model kiwis, we actually got to see real kiwis, whic...

Kiwi Sign by Mrs. Gemstone

Picture of a Kiwi warning sign. We never did see any. I saw some Wekas walk over...

Stuffed Kiwi by sheffnermarc

Auckland museum

A kiwi statue? by WorldIslandInfo.com

2001-12-02 01-03 Neuseeland 375 by Allie_Caulfield

curated content from Flickr

The Top Five Lenses by Kiwisoutback According to Lensrank Right Now... 

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Did you know...

that kiwis mate for life? It's true!

Where else can you find Kiwisoutback? 

You'll find us all over the web! Here are a few places you'll find us.
www.kiwisoutback.com
Be sure to check out the cool kiwi swag here!
Kiwi on Digg
My Digg profile.
Kiwi on Twitter
My Twitter profile.
Kiwi on HubPages
Gasp! The competition!
Kiwisoutback on Zazzle
Kiwi and New Zealand themed merchandise on Zazzle!

Just for the Newbies... 

Hey Monkeybrain! 

Squidcasts from Kiwisoutback 

The latest Squidcasts I've created, see what's new!

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I Love to Travel!

I'm an avid traveler, so I can give you some great advice on what to see in the U.S.A. I've been to almost every state in the country.

Travel Lenses 

More Travel Lenses... 

A Lensography of All of my Travel Lenses: 

Featuring Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley: 

Lenses featuring California's desert communities

More California Towns Near Palm Springs 

National Parks 

Products I Like 

Items that I've reviewed and recommend

Lenses by TheGreenerMe 

Go green with these helpful tips!

Why am I linking to TheGreenerMe? That's my wife! TheGreenerMe signed up on Squidoo and is now a Giant Squid! Stop by and say hello!

Some of TheGreenerMe's Top Lenses... 

Switch to Reusable Bags! 

A joint venture into going green!

EcoGreenBags is a joint venture TheGreenerMe and Kiwisoutback are involved in to promote the use of reusable bags.

EcoGreenBags: 

The Latest Green Living Tips from our Blog: 

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Kiwisoutback Store Lenses 

Kiwi t-shirts, New Zealand themed apparel and merchandise

Kiwisoutback Fan Page

A Few Items Available from my Stores... 

Here I've chosen one item from each of my CafePress stores. Enjoy!

Powered by CafePress

Italian Themed T-Shirts and Gifts 

Gifts for Italians and travelers to Italy

Featured on the Thank You Lensmaster Blog:


Read the interview I gave there!

Drop a Line Here! 

Kiwisoutback: Cool, Unique Kiwi Shirts, Gifts and Clothing for Kiwis and Kiwi Lovers!

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Hi! I'm Kiwisoutback! I love Squidoo and have made plenty of lenses here. I also have a store on CafePress, I'm a Squidoo Angel, Giant Squid Mentor, a...

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