In San Francisco

Hello there to all. Yes we have arrived in the good ol USA and having a lovely time in our Hotel in San Francisco. Yesterday arrived in the early afternoon and came to our Hotel. Got all organised and rested up and then called Susanne our Finnish family. Paulina's sister who just got married to Tom last month in Finland. Tom is an American and they have a home together now in the City of San Francisco. They invited us to Dinner and we met up at the Fishermans Wharf and they took us to their home. We had a wonderful BBQ with them and their lovely neighbours who were very interested in N.Z. We had an absolutely wonderful night with them and even looked at some of their Wedding photos. Oh so beautiful and the scenery of Finland was just lovely too. They drove us back to our accommodation and here we have had a lovley lie in and caught up on some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs before heading off tomorrow for our big adventure in Florida. Really looking forward to that. Leave here at noon tomorrow for the Airport and fly out at 3 o'clock. Arrive there at 11pm their time and straight to our hotel. Certainly will be a busy day but we are all ready for it now. Well hope all is good back home will try and catch up again when I can on this Blog. Love to all, Nina and Peter xxxxxxx

Holiday and Friends

We are off our our holidays on Sunday and really looking forward to having a nice trip to the USA. Going to do some sightseeing and enjoy some quality time together as well as a little relaxing but best of all we are going to catch up with some dear friends from Canada. That will be the highlight of our trip. Mike and Lauri and our newer friends Andy and Lucy will sure be a fun group to be with. We had a marvelous time together in N.Z with them earlier in the year and over in Australia for a short visit as well. The Kiwis and the Canadians will be in fulltime good time mode!!!!! Yes indeed. Let the Good times Roll!!!!!!

Raising the Flag on the Island

On the weekend Jordan and Kesia came to stay and the adventure for the weekend was to erect a flag Pole on the Island. The first attempt on Saturday was not successful as it only stayed up for a short while so back we all went on Sunday for another attempt with all the tools of the trade to make a better effort. Needless to say this attempt was successful and is still flying several days later. Hoorah for Jordan and Kesia with their Pops help. A grand effort and fitting it was erected using the bamboo growing on the Island. A nice afternoon tea picnic of corn chips was enjoyed by all and of course the photographer was there to take the pictures as you can see.

Share some Love

Forever Friends

Guess what this is???????

This is a cool circle picture of
A. Bird
B. Cat
C. Chicken
D. Peacock
Make your choice!!!!!!!

School Holiday Trip

We had a lovely trip away with our daughter from Finland, Laura and her friend also from Finland, Meri. We went to Waihi and stayed a night with friends there. It was a rainy wet day so we enjoyed the home cooked meal and good company and got set for the next 3 days. Next morning visited the wonderful Water falls near Waihi and went to look at the Gold Mine. Awesome sight and to think they are still getting millions of dollars of gold from it too!!! Wow what a big hole it is!!! Next it was off to the Beach and a lovely lookout looking all along the Waihi Beach and out to Matakana Island. Awesome view! Next stop was the murals at Katikati and interesting they were too!!! Great artists to paint such a colourful picture of days gone by and how it was to be living in New Zealand back in the early days. Off on to Tauranga and our Motel for the night. Had our lunch there in our lovely Accommodation and next thing our friends from Whakatane arrive to share the day with us. Off to look at Tauranga shopping area and then later Dinner at Pizza Hut. Yummy Dinner and we all had a big meal. Had to go and work it all off at theTen Pin Bowling Alley. Meri was the champion, followed by our friend from Whakatane Des and then Laura with Myself, Peter and Doris lagging behind. Great game and enjoyed by all. Have to practise more to beat those finnish girls though!!!

Next day it was the Mount and boy what a wonderful sunny Day we had!!! Just like summertime with wonderful blue skies. Walked all around the Mount to the Harbour side and around the shops back to the beach. Lovely exercise in the sunshine and the scenery as always was stunning. Got some lovely photographs of our time there and then set off to show the girls Te Puke and the Big Kiwifruit. Not the season for picking and packing so a look around the gift shop and at the kiwifruit vines before heading back to Tauranga for our last evening.

Next day off across the ranges to Cambridge and Hamilton. Visited the information centre in Hamilton and the shopping Centre. Had Lunch at Subway and then off to drop off the girls at their Finnish friends host family for their 3 days stay. Great 4 days and very enjoyable. Set off for home and had a good drive back to Whangarei. Fun time away and pleased to be able to show Laura a bit more of our country together with her friend Meri.