Bikes and bike helmets

Good to see over the holidays the number of people out having a bike ride - they were out enjoying our great beach and the areas round the beach. Ironically though, one thing caught my eye several times - mum or dad teaching little johnny or mary to ride their bike on the road - the kids had helmets but mum or dad did not - "not do as I do but do as I say"

Really whats the point as kids take their guidance from their parents.Do the parents not think accidents can happen to them as well!

For more activities on at the beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Waihi Beach Fresh Produce Market

Great to see the market at Waihi Beach on a Sunday morning going from strength to strength -good for Waihi Beach locals, visitors and the stall holders. Special thanks to the stall holders who have supported us here at the beach through awful wintry days with rain and wind - great sunny days like today go someway to rewarding their support.

Today there was everything from free range eggs to free range pork, whitebait, organic blueberries, all the seasons summer veges from lettuce and herbs through to watermelon and sweetcorn - wood fired pizzas and indian sumosas and smoked fish  and more- what choices to have to make.Then there's freshly baked breads or pull apart loaves with blue cheese or feta & spinich or a nice piece of slice.

For more info on activities at Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Waihi Beach - whats swimming in our waters

The image above is from Whitianga where recently this shark was spotted - we just need to remember this is their domain and show them respect. Recently I noticed that the north end of Wiahi Beach was closed for 3/4 of an hour while a shark was swimming too close for comfort - this is the respect they need to get and they will move on and remember it's their domain

Before Xmas I was out fishing for the day with some friends on Brian Harrisons boat Chalky 1 from Waihi Beach Charters   - out near Mayor Island we saw 3 sharks of various sizes in total - one about the same size as our boat and another we had hooked on a line for a while. They were not interested in us - curious but nothing more and after a little time they swam away.
Foe more info on activities at Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Waihi Beach- tragic deaths of 3 on SH2

The tripple tredgedy that happened last night on SH2 is sad for all of Waihi Beach. Everyone will know someone or know someone who knows someone and the grief will be right across the community.

The tragic thing is the accident was totally avoidable and needn't have happened - 3 immediate families would have been spared their loss, grief and sorrow - this now consumes them and their friends, family and the wider community.

As a dad who has lost a teenage daughter- you never get over it - you just learn to cope. The empty feeling stays with you for ever - you always wonder what might have been.

The whole thing is a waste - of their young lives and the life of a father, husband, brother, friend & mate - all cut short and we'll never know what was to be fulfillment of their futures. Also a waste of emergency services and police time - it was avoidable and need not have happened!

Shapeshifter visitors

At the recent concert at the Waihi Beach Hotel we had a couple of shore boys who arrived in the car above. It was great to see a car like this getting an outing and young guys who really cared about the car and its up keep. The said car will be appearing at the Beach Hop coming up in March.

The cars hydraulics allowed it to pump up and down at the rear and was entirely legal

For more on actvities at Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Cones survive stormy weather

         

The two cones that now adorn the Island view skyline at Waihi Beach have survived the recent stormy weather and are a compliment to the installers of the cones who shall remain nameless.Great to see quality workmanship to compliment the placement of the cones.

For more images of Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/photos.html

Wet days at Waihi Beach

What to do on a wet day when sun and beach are not an option. There is plenty to do in and around Waihi and Waihi Beach

• Mini golf in the village if its not too wet
• Walks in the Karangahake gorge
• Swim and soak at the Athenree hot pools
• Walk on Waihi Beach
• Get a book from the library at Waihi Beach and have a read
• Visit the Art Market in Waihi
• Train ride to Waikino station'
• Visit the Ohinemuri Winery cafe after a walk in the gorge
• Coffee at one of the cafes at Waihi Beach
• Swim with the dolphins in Tauranga
• Kayak through gloworm caves with Waimarino
• Day trip to Hobbiton

For mor info on activities at Waihi  Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Tree Art at Waihi Beach

Great to see the tree art at Waihi Beach. In this case a norfolk pine has been turned into some great art.There are some very clever artists at Waihi Beach and this is just one example of what is possible

For more information on activities at Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Local charter business starting to get support

Had a ring from Brian Harrison from Waihi Beach charters the other day thanking me for a piece I wrote about his new charter venture - taking fishing and scenic charters from Waihi Beach. It seems some keen fishing  guys had seen the blog and followed up with him and booked the charter , went out to the Mayor , caught fish and had a great day.

It is great to see a new operater getting support from the many visitors to Waihi Beach and the surrounding areas and it is up to all of the to tourism busineses at the beach to support their activities. It is the greater good that is important - we need to see the big picture and then as individual busineses we will all get a slice of the larger cake.

It was a little humbling getting the call - I was just doing my bit and supporting an activity that we need to thrive here at the beach - great to hear that Waihi Beach charters is getting doing well.

For more information on activities at Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Activities at Waihi Beach

I am amazed at the list of activities that are taking place/have taken place at the beach over the Xmas/New Year holiday period

• Various bands played at the pub - Jimmy Barnes, Shapeshifter, Fat Freddys Drop, Black seeds etc
• Fun run - Bowentown to the surf club
• Sports Day on New Years day in front of the surf club
• Sand castle building competition
• Waihi Beach Village Fishing competition
• Open Days at Athenree house
• Miss Waihi Beach
• Fresh Produce market every sunday  9am - 12 noonish opposite the Beach Pub
• Spiritual & Hollistsic fair
• Gypsy Fair
• Ukulele lessons
• Thundercats
• Newmont Waihi Gold 4 day golf tournament at the Waihi Golf Club

I may have missed some out but great for Waihi Beach when you consider there are other activities that go on all year round!

• Mini golf
• Gold Mine tours
• Walks to Orakawa & Haumaunga bays
• Fishing charters
• Kayaking to the gloworm caves
• Harley tours
• Swimming with the dolphins
• Train rides to Waikino station
• Indoor and outdoor bowls

 And much more

For more information on activities at Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Waihi Beach Lodge Entrance signs

Some local visitors to Waihi Beach Lodge have trouble finding our front door and door bell.The fact that we have sign up stating "Entrance" with the door bell just underneath just goes over certain peoples heads so that  they just walk into the house or stand in the entrance way or walk up the side of the house. May be they have a blank moment- who would know??

We have had visitors walk up two flights of stairs into the guest lounge and apologise for being there and ask where reception is despite us having well appointed signs at reception and another sign advising that if there was no one at reception please ring the door bell.It's quite baffling as we have tried to make it easy for people especially guests to find their way round. It's not as if our front door is small - its much larger than most front doors.

Guests - most from overseas - actually find the front door and door bell easily ! For more information on Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/photos.

Silly season parking

Was in the village today for a coffee with friends and saw some classic holiday parking - " I'm ok" is the attitude and bugger anyone else. What this image does not show clearly is the sign on the garage saying "No parking at all times - keep clear" The car in question had no one waiting with it or hazzard flashers going - she be right was alive and well!

The other day I was coming into the village and some one had parked their vehicle one out from the kerb , over a drive way and abandoned it with the hazzard flashers going - every one else driving through the village had to drive around the vehicle - more consideration for others would not go astray silly season or not.

For more infiormation on Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/photos.html

Guests - seeing Southern Coromandel

We recently recieved a Xmas card from a couple of guests from the US thanking us for giving them good advice on what to see and do on the way down to Waihi Beach. These guests were arriviing on an early flight and wondered what they could see and do on the way down from the Auckland Int'l airport.

Our advice was to take time out for a leisurely walk in the Karangahake gorge and get some fresh air and enjoy the great scenery thats available in the gorge and follow that with lunch at the Ohinemuri Winery restaurant - we advised them to try the seafood chowder as it was legendry.

When our guests arrived they were eover the moon with our suggestions - they loved the gorge with its natural beauty and gold mining history and they really enjoyed the winery lunch including the seafood chowder. One of the guests has family in the seafood business back in the US and she was able to ring her dad and tell him she had found a restaurant that made better seafood chowder that they could in San Fransisco - "the best ever".

The thanks we received in person and in the Xmas card was quite humbling as we were just doing what we do in making guests aware of Southern Coromandel and what it has to offer.

For more info on cafes in and around Southern Coromandel - www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/links.html

Honest Kiwis at Waihi Beach

A friend of Ali's called in last night to report his torpedo missing. A keen fisherman who regularly fishes at Waihi Beach - put out his torpedo and line but on retreaval all he got back was his line and 8 hooks and his torpedo missing. We advised him to alert the coastguard and the police just in case there was a torpedo handed in.

Great news this morning he called in again to report some one further along Seaforth Rd had found his torpedo washed up on the beach - found his ID inside the torpedo and contacted him - good news all round - there are plenty of honest people about - you don't hear of the often enough.

For more info on torpedo fishing  www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Top Cone at Waihi Beach

This is the best effort seen todate - not sure how or who but a top effort. Better let aircraft traffic control know to warn all low flying aircraft coming in and landing at the Waihi Beach International Airport.
For more information on whats to do at Waihi Beach - www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Cones at Waihi Beach

Top effort over the new year period to the person(s) who achieved this - in the cold light of day not sure it would have been achieved.

For more activities available at Waihi Beach

www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Overseas Guests

Amazing the information you find out from guests and the range of different occupations that they do.

In the last few days we have had a master of wine who also has an MBA and was a qualified accountant but found auditing bvoring so by chance took up with a mate an interest in wine at night school - many years later the rest is history. He has had a masters of wine for sometime and has been travelling to NZ for many years and loves our country and our wine.Ali & I had the pleasure of sharing a pinot noir & a chardonay from his winery in France - just great drinking - we had a special night.

Another guest from the UK was born in NZ but has lived in the Uk for approx 30 years but also had stints in the US, Ireland and Australia - he was in logistics but his dad was in NZ years as a nazi hunter trying to track down nazi's who had fled Germany and were supposedly hiding here  from the authorities. What's more they found quite a few living in NZ - who would have ever believed it.

Also we had a young musician and her partner stay with us for a few nights and she opened for the great

B B King on tour in the US on many occasions.

And we had a kiwi couple turn up on a Harley - they had decided to go for a ride and then saw Waihi Beach, got accommodation with us , bought Fat Freddy's Drop tickets and stayed the night. They were fashion store retailers from Pukekohe. Great to be a kiwi!

For more information on activities at Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html