The Blues win ugly

                                        
                                            

Great to have the Blues winning in the sudden death game against the Warratahs last night but in true knock out rugby they won ugly. The forwards did well and in the second half starved the Warraths of the ball and any territory. The backs looked like they had never met beore let alone trained together and the performance was the same. The first half flattered the Blues due to poor tackling and they dodged several bullets.

Lets hope they can get their stuff together before next week. My pick is this is as far as they will go as both the Reds and the Stormers are better disciplined as are the Crusaders.

For the next week though the few Blues supporters at the beach can savour a season when their team has delivered results much better than in the last few years and more often.

Waihi Beach Community Centre

                                                 Image courtesy of Mike Hill photography

It is great to see the Waihi Beach Community Centre being put to good use with benefits to the wider community.

Recently the Arty Bras show and the Waihi Beach Art & Craft fair were held there each raising funds for charity - Arty Bras for Waihi Plunket and The Art & Craft Fair for the Fred Hollows Foundation.

The upcoming Op Shop Ball will also be at the Waihi Beach Community Centre with the proceeds going to the Christchurch Earthquake relief fund. Not sure yet which fund specifically as we are asking for direction from the mayors office in Christchurch.We want to funds to go where they are needed the most and not lost tied up in administration costs.

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

The Hauraki Cycle Trail & Waihi Beach

                                          

It is great to see that the Hauraki Cycle Trail is finally underway as it will benefit the surrounding community in may ways.

• It will create jobs in the construction of the cycle way
• It will create  opportunities for local businesses
• It will show case the area to the many visitors
• It will bring additional $ into the surrounding areas from tourists using the cycle trail
• It will add to the shoulder seasons for tourist operators

Part of it will be completed by the start of the RWC 2011 when we will have many new visitors to our piece of paradise here in the Southern Coromandel.
I hope the folk in the Waihi Beach to Omokoroa area take note and see what is happening and what opportunities that will be evident. It is my understanding the Bay of Plenty Cycle Trail is only going to be viable initially from Omokora to Tauranga and further north the various land owners where the cycle trail was proposed have supported the cycle trail in principle but " just not on my land". Hopefully  the wise will intervene and  change the cycle route as it will benefit many - just look what's happened in Central Otago

For more information on activities in and around Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html

The Blues / The Chiefs and Waihi Beach

I have to say to the local Chiefs supporters well done for the win over the Blues last week in Auckland. My team the Blues really have not fired a shot in the last month and while they have accumulated points enough to be at the top of the NZ pool they do not look anything like a team who could win the competition.

Ther next few weeks will be interesting as there are some local derby's that will determine finishing places in the final wash up for each pool.Fingers crossed that the Blues deliver against the Crusaders

The few Blues supporters at Waihi Beach will be hoping that actions match the talk coming out of the Blues camp and the team delivers on the park for 80 minutes and not  for just 20 or 40

To the Chiefs good luck with your game against the Hurricanes - my have they had their problems this week and not all kept in house.

Contrasting sunrises at Waihi Beach

Just a couple of sunrises a day a part to show the contrast of sky views early in the morning.

To find Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/map.html

Waihi Beach and it stunning beauty

                                                               



Sergio the Italian photographer made a very nice comment when we were down on the beach torpedo fishing -" you are very rich living here- what more would you want waking up to this everyday"

We probably take it for granted as it's on our doorstep and out our front windows but he is right. We had a stunning morning on the beach and the sea had hardly a ripple and there was hardly anyone on the beach.

He was able to make the comment as he has been to places recently that are war torn , Libya, Afganistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and the list goes on.He has seen beautiful places turned into rubble with no end in sight to the on going destruction.

To find out more about Waihi Beach www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/specials.html

Waihi Beach & RWC 2011

                                   


We had the opportunity to host a visiting Italian photographer Sergio Ramazzotti covering off stories for Tourism New Zealand yesterday and this morning. He has done 3 stories - The Whaka carver up in Doubtless Bay, Art Deco in Hawkes Bay and the Black Ferns.

He was here at Waihi Beach to shoot some more images for the Black Ferns story by showing images of kiwis playing rugby at grass roots level and so off we went to watch Waihi Athletic train last night up in Waihi. He snapped his shots from almost anywhere and after an hour or so he was done saying he had what he needed.

His last shot was of a young guy leaving training in his bare feet with his training bag over his shoulder heading home - he thought that was priceless. I had to explain to him about kiwi kids growing up always being in bare feet more so in summer and when it rains

This morning around 7 ish we went torpedo fishing off the beach and luckily we were able to have fresh fish for a late breakfast as a kawhai took one for the team and became our only success.

For more on RWC 2011 and Waihi Beach Lodge www.waihibeachlodge.co.nz/activities.html