the dougie effect

Friday, January 04, 2008

My nephew Atrail.

Happy 2008 New Year!!!!!

Happy new year to each and everyone of you all. I have been real busy since my last post on here and will try to keep this more up to date, when time allows me of course. What a year 2007 was.A year of change and a year of dramas. January was the month that my Nana passed away.It came as a real shock for me and my family too. Dramas with family that hadnt been in the picture for over ten years brought in the lawyers which none of my family had ever experienced before and a new outlook on the legal system. June was my 28th birthday and also the month I moved in to my current residence at Terrace Gardens in Te Aro, Wellington City. October brought my Mum and my sister to visit Wellington which was a special time that I always remember. November was my nephew Atrail's first birthday and brought my family together once again to celebrate a special day for the little man. December brought the year to an end on a great note. Igot to meet David Beckham when he made his flying visit to Wellington.Went to the public training at the Stadium and went crazy over the Phoenix too.Went to alot of parties and didnt get drunk once.....and yet New Years was the night I ended up getting a tad drunk and dancing with lots of hot str8 guys and girls of course.Then ended up going to Scorching Bay with ssome of my work collegues and lighting a bonfire.I thought I'd better go home to sleep when I saw the Interislander sail past. I hope you all had a great New Years and that 2008 brings you success and happiness. Much love and respect.... Dougie

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Finally some real competition in the skies!!

Wellington is the big winner from Pacific Blue's announcement that it will start flying between the main centres from November 15. The budget airline, owned by Virgin Blue of Australia, will restore competition between Wellington and Christchurch, a route abandoned by Qantas in March, and increase trans-Tasman services from the capital. Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey said in Wellington yesterday the additional Tasman services were possible because of Pacific Blue increasing its fleet of 180-seat Boeing 737-800 by three, to seven. All would fly domestic and Tasman services. "What we are looking at doing out of Wellington is something a couple of times a week, and a couple of times a week into another (New Zealand) market." An announcement on destinations would be made about November. Pacific Blue axed its service from Wellington to Sydney, which ran five times a week, in 2005 in favour of more lucrative routes out of Auckland. It still flies three times a week to Brisbane. The airline's long-awaited domestic arrival was welcomed by the tourism and travel sector. Positively Wellington Tourism chief executive Tim Cossar said competition stimulated a market and it was "highly likely we will see inreased domestic travel to Wellington". The airline took the domestic market by storm yesterday, with travellers scooping up more than 30,000 seats at a $39 launch fare. It is understood 70,000 of the fares are available. Pacific Blue's lowest standard fares, starting at $59 between Wellington and Christchurch, undercut Air New Zealand by $20, forcing the national carrier to match them to protect its market share. But whereas Pacific Blue's initial schedule is for a total of 10 return flights a day between the three cities, Air New Zealand operates 56 daily flights on the same routes. Pacific Blue would not try to match Air New Zealand's network or flight frequency, Mr Godfrey said, but would expand the market by lowering the cost of travel. Virgin Blue Group had A$700 million (NZ$800 million) in the bank, which would allow it to fly 139 days without income. House of Travel retail director Brent Thomas said the plans were aggressive and showed Pacific Blue was serious about competing long term. Air New Zealand's group general manager of short-haul airlines, Norm Thompson, said the national carrier would defend its position in New Zealand, where it had grown the domestic market by 40 per cent since introducing a lower fare model in 2002. Air New Zealand will announce changes to its services on Tuesday.

I'm back...it seems like ages....

It has been a long time since I last wrote something on this site...so I thought it was high time that I did something about it.

While I was " away", I visited my family in Auckland for a few days and had a memorial function for my Nana who passed in January this year.We decided to celebrate what would've been Nana's 67th birthday with her friends as well as remembering what a great person she was.We miss you lots Nan..

While I was in Auckland, Wellington was having a great time without me.Sir Ian McKellan made a grand appearance at the St James Theatre in the Royal Shakesphere Society's King Lear and also in The Seagull

Wellington also had Proud 07, the annual pride week celebration which included the " High School Prom" at the James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel and The Pajama Party hosted by the

Glamazons at Imerst.The Pajama Party closed this year's Proud 07 and I hear from some reliable sources that it was a blast and that I missed out on an amazing party.Bring on next year I say!!!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Winter is now truly here...and it aint going anywhere fast!!

Hey everyone.I'm back online once again after being away for what seems like an eternity.I have moved in to a pretty sweet place with 6 others and am loving it.Have my own room and my own stuff back. My mum came down from Auckland and I showed her some of the best parts of Wellington as well as taking her to see Shrek at my work. Havent been doing much else apart from working way too much and spending time with my family. Missed out on going to the Winter Festival in Queenstown this year due to the weather,but am definately planning on making up for it next year. www.winterfestival.co.nz Anyway...hope you are all keeping warm during the cold weather and snuggling up with either your boyfriend,partner,girlfriend,cat,dog....whatever it is you have. Catch up real soon. xx

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

I'm bringing Dougie back!!! once again.....

Hey everyone.It's been a little while since I last did a post on here where I've actually written something.So I'm back and I am going to write something.Funny that eh!!

Hope you've all been doing great and the winter cold snap aint getting you down.

I have moved out of the backpackers and have found a flat near the Terrace with 6 other people.It is pretty cool.I officially move in next weekend and I will finally have my own bed back as well as my own tv.It seems like such a long time since I last slept in my own bed.Bring it on already!!!