http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Sandiz/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Sandiz en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:44:01 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:44:01 +0000 Saturday the 21st of September was the official opening of the Whangamata Marina on the Coromandel Peninsular.We travelled down from Auckland in the morning to meet Gavin and Pat Smith for lunch in Whangamata.We also met up with the rest of the Total Marine Team as they were down for the opening as well.Graham designed the floating structures in the Marina. The fingers had the new design whereby t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/blog-457335.html It is a while since I have had time to look at and add to my blog.It is Springtime in New Zealand and we are having weather to go with Spring.We have had the coldest October in 65 years. I t was as cold as the middle of winter. Heaters were once again put on etc.We are now into November and it is still quite cold and very windy.The Passchendale Exhibition came out to New Zealand from Belgium. The http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/blog-451264.html It has been quite a while since I have posted a blog.We have been very busy with renovations around the house etc and our daughter Chelle has just arrived back home from all her travels through India and Europe.We have also just emerged from an extremely long and cold winter it started very early we had no Autumn. June was the coldest on record July was just down right miserable August was the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/blog-439773.html My goodness we are having a very long cold winter this year in New Zealand.I have not seen so many frosts here at Eastern Beach for many a long year.We do not do winter here very well we much prefer Summertime.I spent a lovely day with my friends Gaylene and Lynn at Devonport. We caught the Ferry from Half Moon Bay up to Auckland then we transferred across to the Devonport Ferry.Devonport is on t http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/blog-416336.html A couple of photos dear to my heart. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Bucklands-Beach/blog-402129.html Graham has a great group of golfing buddies.Every so often we all go out to dinner and the last dinner was at the Windross restaurant in Cockle Bay Howick.We had a wonderful evening full of laughter and fun. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-402127.html This day was my actual birthdayWe spent this day at Russell and Bland Bay. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Russell/blog-402124.html As part of my birthday celebrations we went up to Paihia in the Bay of Islands with very dear friends of ours.We had a very busy weekend and crammed in a lot of activities.Graham was very pleased that I had reached this very grand birthdate. To anyone who would listen he told them how old I was wasWe picked up Carrie and Trevor off the Waiheke Ferry at Downtown Auckland. We travelled up to Pu http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-402122.html I am going to display this blog through photographs.May has been a special month this year as I have had a birthday that can only be described as a biggyI am still coming to terms with the number I have reached it seems very big to me.Thankyou everyone who has been part of my month long celebrations.It has been a lot of fun. I have had DinnersLunches High Tea a weekend away at Paihia with http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Bucklands-Beach/blog-402114.html My lovely vase has finally arrived home to our house in New Zealand.We bought it on the 12th December 2008 and it arrived in New Zealand at the end of January 2009.Unfortuneately it was damaged when it arrived at our house. Graham thought that he would fix it with a little glue.So off I went to our local shopping centre 'Howick' to buy some glue. On my way to the hardware shop I decided to visit http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Jordan/West/Madaba/blog-384803.html While on her daily travels our beautiful dog Fletcher stuck her nosey nose somewhere that it should not have been.She came up with a nasty allergic rash along the side of her snout. This rash was extremely itchy and so she attacked it with her sharp toenails.When we became aware that there was a problem madam was in quite a state.So along to the Vet Graham went with her109 later he arrived home http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Bucklands-Beach/blog-383484.html Graham was down at the Whangamata Marina Construction Site last week to check up on the progress of the job.All appears to be moving along very well and the floatation systems are now being installed.Graham had another birthday yesterday. These birthday's seem to come around very quickly now days but who is countingWe shared the day with our dear friends Carrie Trevor Pam and Tony.We all h http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Coromandel/Whangamata/blog-377945.html On Friday the 13th February we travelled down to Omokoroa North of Tauranga to visit friends who have just finished building a lovely new house.We spent a lovely couple of hours catching up on all the news.We continued onto Whakatane and across to Ohope Beach where we stayed at the Surf Beach Motel.We had dinner with Bill . It was lovely to see how well and happy he was.He certainly leads a ver http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Plenty/Whakatane/blog-374462.html We are having an amazing summer here in New Zealand and particularly Auckland where we are sweltering in the heat.Graham and I decided to travel by Ferry from Bucklands Beach over to Waiheke Island to visit friends for the day and go on the Sculpture Walk.We had a delightful day and the Sculpture walk was extremely interesting. I must say it held our interest for the two hour walk.We were intrigu http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-371337.html Day 45 46We were up bright and early to get to the airport in Phuket.We had been told in Dubai to be at the airport at least two and half hours before take off.Our driver in Phuket told us no we only needed to be there one and a half hours before take off. We figured that our driver would know what he was talking about so went along with what he said.We arrived at the airport at about 7 orsquo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/Bugis-Village/blog-362290.html Day 44Graham was up very early this morning. There was quite a strong wind blowing and he wanted to see how the wind was troubling the floating structures at the Marina.We had a restless night last night as the air conditioner made one heck of a racket. We ended up trying to sleep without it. My goodness were we hotIt takes me back to when we lived in Singapore. I really found the humid heat http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Phuket/blog-361716.html Day 43We left Dubai last night at 8pm and flew to Singapore arriving at 7am Singapore time. We transferred to a Silk Air flight to Phuket arriving in Phuket at 10am Phuket time.As I write this my body has no idea what time it is as I didnrsquot sleep on the flight to Singapore.I would imagine I will be exhausted by the end of today.We have done a fair bit of travelling on this trip and been in http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Phuket/blog-361378.html Day 42 We left Hatta this morning relatively early so that we could return the rental car to lsquoThriftyrsquo by 11.30am. The drop off point was Chellersquos house at the Ranches. It was a little beyond our capabilities trying to find the Thrifty depot in Dubai.We couldnrsquot help but notice the closer we got to Dubai the murkier the sky became with all the dust smog etc. In the mounta http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates/Dubai/blog-360965.html Day 41 This is our last day in Hatta. We have had a lovely decadent time here in Hatta. We really needed the rest as the trip has been extremely busy.Last night a lovely man arrived at our door with our nightly chocolates plus a small posy of flowers for me. How nice that was.We awoke very late for us this morning and didnrsquot arrive to breakfast until after 9am. We were seated beside a Dutc http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates/Dubai/blog-360669.html Day 40 Dubai HattaWe have decided that the Hatta Fort Hotel is the nicest hotel we have stayed in on this trip.It has a four star rating but from our experience of many hotels on this trip it would be five star plus.Our room is just lovely with everything we need or want. We get chocolates at night fruit during the day fresh bottled water each day etc.The staff are unfailingly polite and http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates/Dubai/blog-360328.html