Chirstmas Trees

We have have some bizarre Christmas trees over the years. Last year it was candles with red beads, the year before lollies on sticks, before that the rubber tree plant was decorated. This year.... golden chocolate fruits??

Back at Home for Christmas Lunch...

.... or eating Skippie.

Christmas Day at Avalon Airport

Regan had to work. She couldn't come over for the Chrissie presents opening, so we decided we would take our party to her. Here we are in the car park at Avalon Airport having a car boot pressie opening. Oh, and 'shhhh', - champers for the toasts.

Work Xmas Party at Silks and a Night at the Windsor

Great evening with all from work at Silks. Decided the travel back home would be too much so ticked off another item on the bucket list by staying at the Windsor Hotel in Spring St. Great rate of $150 from Wotif.com. The Windsor is regarded as the last of Melbourne's 'grand hotels'.

Vic's Birthday

It was Vic's birthday last week. John had a surprise for her - a well kept secret trip to the Mayal Lakes which incorporated all the things she likes - surfing, horse riding, bicycling and walks on the beach. Still awaiting some photos. I think the surf towels arrived too late for the trip.

Temporarily Out of Action

Had a great sail last week end, but paid the price. Red and Pat were down early - like 9:00am, they were getting some good sailing in on a 18knot N'Wester. By the time I rigged and hit the water, it had faded to 12 knots with the occasional planing gust. I apologised for ruining the day for them. As it turns out my apology was a bit early. The wind increased to a stead 20 k with gusts to 30. It was on one of the 30k gusts, still on the 7.5 and Hyper, that I stepped off, hitting the fin with my shin and taking a very nice 6 inch strip of skin of the front of my shin. This injury is not unlike the one I sustained at Coco Beach a few years ago, so I am a little reticent in getting it wet before it is fully healed. I could post a photo, but I think it better left off.

New Zealand for a Couple of Days

Returning to Auckland along Highway No 2 between Wahi and Paeroa, you travel through a significant gorge rich in history of gold mining. As you walk up the gorge you can see where the Welsh miners had dug exploratory shafts into the mountain side. Other tunnels are very deep and obviously returned gold for all their digging efforts.

Historic Gorge on the way back to Auckland

Hot pools in the distance down on the beach on the East Coast of the Coromandle Peninsula

Bruce Bignall's railway. Bruce is a potter and built the railway so he could retrieve clay and large trees to fure the kilns. The railway has become a tourist attraction and revenues from tourists go towards rejuvinating the property to bring it back to pristine condition after severe destruction from farming and logging in the past.

A very large Kari Tree. There are not too many left because it is such a great timber for everything from houses to boat building.

One of the boats on display at the maritime Museum.

View from our room at the Copthorne Hotel in Auckland.

A Couple of Pics for Meredith

Hey Meredith here are the pics you wanted from last Saturday night. Click on them to enlarge and then 'right click' and select 'save as'.

Vic n John at Home

Steve Has a Birthday

Looks like Steve has adopted Vic n John's practice of week long birthday celebrations. Pics here are from a get together at home during the week and later on Saturday night when Sue and Meredith joined Gaye, Regan and me at the Plaza in Torquay for a great birthday dinner with Steve. Presies included beach towels and spitfire history.

Red Drop Wattle Bird

Great to see these guys getting urbanised.

More from Sandy Point

On the tandem with Daffy and me doing 32 knots down the speed strip at Sandy Point.

No Speedweek, but....

The SHQ Melbourne Cup weekend was still on. Attracted over 60 windsurfers. The wind was light for the first couple of days and filled in on the Monday to classic Sandy conditions with a 20 knot (strengthening to 30) Sou Wester coinciding with the low tide.

Andrew invited me out for a sail on the tandem. This was great fun. Managed to keep upright and no embarrassing moments.

Panorama Pic courtesy of Paul Davies

No More Coffee

I think coffee is he culprit. For the past couple of months I have been experiencing tight muscles in my back. Really came to a head on Friday evening when the tightness prevented me form sleeping. It's Sunday now and the ropey muscles are almost gone.

Investing in Our Fitness

We have been putting off purchasing more gym equipment for some time now. Kept discussing it but just couldn't commit the dollars to the purchase. So this weekend we bit the bullet and got a good deal on a Life Fitness F3 Treadmill form DeGrandi. No more excuses now.

Lake Connewarre Cactus...

... for the moment. An 18 knot Southerly is usually pretty good on the lake. But not today. The weed has fully taken over. The view is taken from the end of Brinsmeads Lane.

Big Plans for the Weekend - Updated

Great weekend coming up. It's Sue's birthday plus Vic and John will be down from Sydney. If we can tie Steve and Regan in - we got a party.

So, we had a great line up. Vic, John, Sue, Regan, Steve, Jeff (Jill was having her hair done for a wedding, so couldn't make it, and Gaye and me. Jeff brought a ham sandwich, the consensus was bringing a ham sandwich to a BBQ was like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

The weather couldn't have been better. 30 deg, light northerly to take the combs of the tops of the waves, so after a great BBQ at the rotunda behind the surf club a Vic and I went for a first swim of the season. Water temp was an invigorating 13 maybe 14 degree. Sue joined us in the surf. Not sure if she was encouraged by us having a great time or the influence of a little champagne. Check the pic and you be the judge. I think it was a near break even weekend for Sue, She lost her i-pod and sunnies, but got a great electric wok from Steve and Regan for her birthday present.

Another Update: thankfully Sue's i-Pod has turned up safely. Phew - thats $600 saved.

It's Sue's Birthday Today

I will have to figure out how to play a happy birthday tune each time this blog entry is accessed. Hee Hee. Missed taking a pic of the chinese teapot and cups, and the woc from Regan and Steve, but got the necklace.