Amanda and Matt - Oct 2010

Guess which one works indoors and has just arrived?

Amanda and Matt’s Time

Next to arrive, with a couple of days overlap, were Amanda and Matt. A few factors determined that the boat would stay in port for their visit. The first was that they were not staying as long as the others had. Plus it was getting pretty late in the season and the weather forecast wasn’t looking that good. Thirdly, our dear daughter Amanda is extremely motion sensitive and lastly my Mum’s health had taken a sudden downward spiral and was in hospital so I didn’t want to be too far from an airport.

After a busy year and Malaysia being totally new to them meant Amanda and Matt were very content to holiday in the local vicinity. It started in the traditional way with time at Sutera harbour. Not again you may say ..... but do we tire of this luxurious way of life....never....pina coladas on the boat, pina cladas at happy hour, discounted meals at the Yacht Club restaurant. The only thing suffering is our waistline!!!

Daryl with his two girls.............................................Amanda and Matt with pina coladas on the boat


Goodbye and welcome lunch..................................Happy hour, cheers

Another zoo trip was undertaken and as for me, just give me a camera and a zoo and I’m quite content, no matter how many times I’ve already been. And in fact I think the same now goes for Daryl!! The Chinese Sunday Market was also a hit, as much for the cultural experience as the shopping. I was impressed with the time the two tired jetlagged travellers could make it out the door to get there.

Morning markets..................................................Braver than me


Choices, choices......


Another favourite haunt, the fish restaurant........Matt choosing his fish



Sweet potato anyone?..........................................Meer cat


The elusive mousedeer


A casawori............................................Two bear cats having a tiff





Coloured rice picture, what patience!!

Two new activities they added to the Cool Bananas itinerary were a trip to the Shangri La Hotel to an orangutan sanctuary they have there and a river cruise on the Klias River, about an hour south of Kota Kinabalu. The evening river cruise lived up to its promise of many proboscis monkey sightings, a sumptuous meal and the lights of hundreds of fireflies after dark.

By the time Amanda and Matt's holiday was nearing an end I was also ready to wing my way back to NZ to see my Mum. But don't despair, Daryl has not been left high and dry. Dave and Anne who crewed for us last year are coming up for a few weeks. They will help/holiday with Daryl, getting the boat down to Miri, where we will leave her for a few months while we have Christmas in NZ.

Kelly's Visit - Oct 2010

Next to arrive is our daughter Kelly with two of her NZ friends Tash and Jordan. Although three weeks is a long holiday in their terms, in cruising term it isn’t, so we decide that we’ll format their holiday on a similar one to our previous guests. The vote is to spend the first few days enjoying the resort and its surroundings. We have taken over a little hire car from ‘China Grove’ (small being the operative word) so we had the wheels to get to the zoo, restaurants and of course the shops. And what visit would be complete without a dinner of crispy duck at the nearby Chinese restaurant. Always a kind option for 'newly arrived's' as it is air conditioned!!. (Thanks Ian for that introduction).

Dinner at Sutera Harbour..............................................All aboard

The inevitable zoo shots

We found the otters entertaining



The snake charmer

Daryl and I opted out of the clubbing experience but the young ones, with advice from Max at the bar, had a great Saturday night on the town in Kota Kinabalu. They were so pleased they had because they felt they got a cultural experience like they’d never had and different to what they would ever get with their parents!!! It was interesting listening to their observation on differences within the social etiquette etc that they noticed. Within a few days the wallets are a little lighter and we are ready to break the lines and get moving.


Cocktail happy hour.....

Views of Sutera Harbour

Chinese Sunday Market....................but who's entertaining who?

Jordan is thrown in the deep end as crew when he is given a quick lesson in raising the anchor before we depart the marina. He passes the test and is promoted to deck hand for the duration of his stay. We spend a couple of nights at Tiga Island and then on down to Labuan. It certainly is refreshing travelling with young adults and you do get a different perspective on things. They couldn’t get over the cheapness of the alcohol and cigarettes on Labuan. Jordan bought a carton of cigarettes (yes, 10 packets) for NZ$3.50. Kelly found a 3 litre bottle of vodka that was unavailable in NZ – this became a ‘must have’ to help celebrate her graduation as a beauty therapist once she got home. We left them to explore the island on motor scooters while we caught up on some boat jobs.

Exploring Tiga Island....from above and below

Duty free spree on Labuan Island........................Exploring the Island

Next we sailed on to Brunei for a few days. Daryl made contact with a friend, Ngamoko, who lives in Brunei teaching and who he hadn’t seen since they were at school together. As coincidence would have it he lived not far down the road from where we were anchored so they were able to have a few sessions catching up before we left. It was great to hear about Brunei life from a Kiwi perspective. Advice -if you are an avid beer drinker Brunei would not be the ideal place for you. Ngamoko told us of his half day excursions across the border into Malaysia (customs, immigration, passports and all) just to get his 12 cans (legal limit) of beer.


Daryl and Ngamoko at the Brunei Yacht Club......the two extremes in Brunei

We did a few of the usual tourist sights in Brunei. One thing we have always told our kids is 'don't hitch hike'. Well, that back fired when we needed to get to town and not a bus in sight!!! However, it was a nice young man with an all but empty 4x4 that happened by.....
In Brunei our tour boat operator fancied himself as a speedboat racer (either that or he was trying to impress the girls??) but there was nothing sedate about our tour of the water village and the proboscis monkeys. Watching life in the villages is something I never tire of, so I'd repeat this trip again and again as each time it would be different. We were lucky enough to see the proboscis monkeys as they weren't in their usual haunt. By the time we were on our return journey down the river a dark cloud descended so the driver delighted in showing us his boating skills to get us back before it started pouring-wet but fun.


The passengers with the 'nice young man'..............Experiencing suburbia Brunei style


Spot the proboscis monkey......

or maybe a lizard....


Brunei's water village


At the Sultan's Museum.....................................Jordan in the golden trolley sheltering from the rain

Although there was no new ground in it for us it was lovely to have time with Kelly and her friends and be there as they experience a different country and culture.