The trouble with God's Own being nothing more than a blip on the South Pacific radar screen is that to get anywhere else it generally takes a lot of time, effort and not the least money.

But if you're in politics that doesn't seem to be too much of a problem. Take this week for example, we've got at least half a dozen MPs heading off shore, the bulk of them with the Speaker on his annual globe trot around the international cocktail circuit.

In this age of virtual reality, thanks to the technological times we live in, you'd think travel could be curbed but no, it seems.

On Wednesday The Speaker will take his entourage to the hellholes of Ireland, for Guiness, Northern Ireland, for light and bitter, France, for wine, Poland for vodka and Germany for beer.

David Carter says they're going to exchange views on the significant economic, political and security challenges in the European Union and its near neighbourhood, which of course is nowhere near us.

And really, does he expect New Zealand First's Fletcher Tabuteau and Labour's Adrian Rurawhe to have formed those lofty views, considering they only came into Parliament six months ago? Still their travelling companions the Tory's Chester Borrows and the Kermit's drone Kennedy Graham will no doubt take them under their wings.

Also travelling this week is the Tory's Northland by election campaign manager Steven Joyce who's obviously in need of putting a bit of distance between the electorate and himself. He's heading off to Shanghai and the China International Boat Show! Why, well that's a difficult one to get an answer to? Perhaps now that they're not likely to fund a Team New Zealand challenge in the Americas Cup, the Government itself is thinking about putting in an entry!

The only travel Luigi Peters did over the holiday weekend was heading up to his Northland bach and probably honing up on his tree climbing skills. Yes, Luigi says if they threaten to take the chainsaw to one of the ancient kauri at the Darby and Joan Bridge they've promised to widen, then he'd climb up it to prevent the felling.

It's almost impossible to envisage the double breasted pinstripe high up in the branches with a portaloo. But then, stranger things have happened recently in that electorate!