Christchurch Earthquake

There is far more damage throughout the garden city than we could ever imagine. It looks like a bomb was dropped on the city- the devastation is really widespread.The mayor Bob Parker is talking at least 5 times greater damage than the September earthquake - the infrastructure shattered!

The attached is a clip from Ali's nephew's friend who took the video while riding around Christchurch streets a few days after the quake - quite telling and very real!

Christchurch Quake..soon after [HQ]

I received a message on Saturday morning from a friend who lives out in the suburbs - they had just got power back on but had no water or sewerage and their house was sort of livable but with large cracks, broken windows and liquification to boot. Add to that there is a large cliff close by and they are not sure how stable this is so they may have to move out for a while whilst things get sorted but they are alive. They went to great lengths to say how lucky they were and they were alive - as we now know some were not that lucky and you can replace houses and buildings. Looking at the NZ Herald page 3 today there is a shot of Redcliffs and you can really see what they mean about the cliff looking unstable
For more information on how to find Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/map.html

Waihi Beach Guests

It is amazing who we get to come and stay as guests - recently we have had mountain rangers, tourism promoters, accountants, financiers, pharmacists, marine technical sales people, gold mine technical folk, managing directors, nurses, spooks and wifes of spooks- nudge nudge wink wink - and an engineer who worked on a nuclear reactor on various submarines chasing Russians all over the oceans for 3 months at a time, as well as insurance claims advisers - the whole gambit - that is without covering off lawyers, policeman  and normal everyday roles.etc

This is what turned up earlier this week at our place - $175,000 and it will all be yours.

For more info on waht you can do at Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

Christchurch Earthquake touches people at Waihi Beach

Today's earthquake in Christchurch is a real tragedy not only for the people of the city itself but also their families and friends all over New Zealand. We feel it and are with them in spirit but from far away we are helpless for the time being.We take forgranted being able to drink water, shower, use the toilet, turn on our lights, watch TV and cook our diiner - some of these folk can not do any of this at this time.

At Waihi Beach there are people with family, friends and business partners all tied up in the devastated city - people who have survived and are ok - but spare a thought for those who are still trapped and waiting to be found.We can not imagine their frustration and hope or the feelings theya re going through.

Also our thoughts and prayers go to those families who are displaced - yes they are alive & thats a bonus but being displaced can't be a great feeling. Offices & schools that can't open - sewerage systems and power that does work or can't be reconnected and roads with water coming up out of them.
Also our thoughts and prayers go to those families who are waiting to hear from their loved ones who are still to be accounted for - desparately awaiting the call from the authorities who may or may not have good news.

As a foot note there are at least a couple of locals from here at Waihi Beach on standby to go down to Christchurch to help in the civil defence effort.

Kia kaha to the people of Christchurch.

For more info on how to get to Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/map.html

Waihi Beach - 9kms of Beach

                                             

It is amazing when you talk to guests from overseas about Wiahi Beach and its size - 9kms in length. Guests from Europe especially are used to only having towel space and not being able to spread out and relax - the opposite of here in New Zealand and especially at Waihi Beach.

Over the Xmas holiday period when the population here at the beach swells from 3,000 to somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 we say to guests that the beach is busy - our guests come back from the beach and say to us " where are all the people - there is still so much room!'

They marvel at its natural beauty, surf and white sand - and think we are living in paradise and we are.

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

Blues supporters at Waihi Beach

Tonight was a great night to be a Blues supporter at Waihi Beach. We are surrounded by Chiefs supporters here at the beach so we cop plenty from one and all but the Chiefs to date haven't won anything so we are a few (3 ) up on them. I am one of a few Blues supporters here at the beach- Dave Lemon is another and there may be others and we have been left wondering what could have been over the last few seasons but tonight the Blues fronted and actually delivered and showed some metal, some backbone and belief - lets hope it continues as its a long season.

For more information on how to find Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/map.html

Waihi Beach Signs

We have just had the OK from the Hauraki District Council to go ahead and get the sign coming from Waihi to Waihi Beach errrected - there is a green light after all as Transit Waikato reviewed their original decision and we can promote Waihi Beach. This whole process to get 2 signs up has taken approx 2 years and they say Tourism is our biggest earner - the process is layered with beaureuacy and needs to be far more expedient

Its a pity the sign can not be the same size as the one coming from Katikati to Waihi Beach but this is a start and hopefully the hidden jewel of Waihi Beach will gradually become more well known.The new sign will be approx 1/4 of the sign  coming from Katikati to Waihi Beach.

For more information on how to find Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/map.html

70's style car here at Waihi Beach

We had the priviledge of seeing up close a 350 GTI car over the weekend and it was in mint condition. For their owners it was their pride and joy and their kids thought it was pretty cool too. Looking under the bonnet was something else - I have never seen an engine that pristine looking.

These cars were the kings of Bathurst in the 70's and 80's so have real history with petrol heads. For a non petrol head I just admire the way the cars look -all the chrome & mags sparkling and the car looking cool with the thud thud of the engine - just great !

We advised the owners about the pre Beach Hop day up in Waihi in mid March so may be they will get to show it off there - it sounded great and looked a picture.

For more info on how to get to Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/map.html

Kiwis achieving in Sport

It was great watching the Hallberg awards tonight - it made me proud to be a Kiwi. For a little nation we punch above our weight and perform really well on the world stage it seems in what ever sport we have a crack at.
Doesn't matter wether its paraolympic skiing or snow boarding, cycling, netball, softball, hockey, rowing, rugby and rugby league, swimming, mountainbiking, athletics, yachting, basketball - the list goes on and who would forget the All Whites at this years world cup in Africa - unbelievable for such a rugby mad  and tiny nation. It seems not a month goes by when reading the paper we read about yet another kiwi doing well somewhere on the world stage

Kia Kaha to all the sports people - you make us New Zealanders all proud. Watching the awards tonight really drives home how successful we are as a country and what a great environment we have for sports people in New Zealand.

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

Tourists - treat them as customers

In recent days we have had guests that have had appalling treatment from hotels and rental car companies when they have arrived in Auckland.

In one instance a hotel had guests in a room above a night club  and there was only 1 window that opened into what turned out to be the hotel gym. When the guests were woken @ 2.30am with the noise from the night club after much protesting they were shifted  many floors away  to a room where they could not hear the noise and had regulation windows. My question is why they were ever put into the room as it was right above a the night club and was always going to be a problem when they could easily have been put into the room the ended up in and no hassles - our guests do not have nice things to say about the hotel.

In another instance our guests arrived at the rental car company at the international airport in Auckland- a nationwide company - and asked for a map only to be told they had run out. A similar answer  was given when asked if they could hire a GPS - we've run out - people arriving in a country where they don't know their way round and they are offerred no help. The rental car company did not even accompany the guests to their car for the initial inspection- just very poor customer service all round.

Sometimes companies forget who their customers are!

For more information on Waihi Beach and how to get here www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/map.html 

Torpedo fishing

Put the torpedo out last Thursday for the first time in about 6 weeks to try to get some fresh fish. Went with our neighbours and had fish n chips for dinner and then had a few quite ones while we waited for the fish to do their thing.

Long story short - there was a little sea lettuce, quite a bit of bait taken and nothing in the first lot of traces and 3 keepers on the last few hooks - snapper. We had put out the line for 20 minutes and hoped for the best.The fish tasted great and it is even better that we caught it our selves. Not the largest fish we have ever caught - just pannies but good to eat just the same!

There have been several others down on the beach at various times and they all seem to have been doing ok so the fish are around.

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

Waihi Beach cones

You would think the Waihi Leader would be up to speed on things happening in our piece of paradise here at Waihi Beach. It took them all of January to mention the cones & publish a photo - they had been up nearly a month and may I say they are still up - having survived two storms they are still there in the sky line.

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

Fishing - Waihi Beach

Great to see that Brian Harrison of Waihi Beach Charters is doing ok I have seen his boat Chalky 1 go past several times in the last week or so therefore I am asuming he's doing ok - great for Waihi Beach

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

                                         

Waihi Beach- top efforts by visiting guests

Had a couple of guests recently who did their bit in an emergency by helping two old guys who had trouble getting down the last bit of the walk back to the north end of the beach from Orakawa. One guy was a little delerious and the other a little frail and one of them fell on to rocks and the other fell on top of them - quite a scene.

Our florence nighingale and her hubby were on the scene as they were in behind them on the walk and helped them by arranging for an ambulance and helping hold bandages in place until the medics arrived.

They were very animated when they got back to our place reliving their efforts - pleased they had been able to help.

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