Hello Hawaii, Farewell USA

Go to Hawaii we said.  Get some R&R before we go home we said.  What a joke that turned out to be.  In all honesty, neither of us would have coped with sitting on the beach for 6 days so we didn’t. 

The views from our hotel room

Spent the first day wandering around Waikiki playing dodge the tourist.  An impossible game but we had fun trying and were rewarded with a gorgeous sunset.

 

The father of surfing, Duke Kahanamoku

Most of the palms have their coconuts removed to protect stupid tourists who like to sit under them

Beautiful Waikiki sunset

Next day saw us heading out to the Big Island – Hawaii – and Kilauea Volcano.  Of course no organised bus tour in Hawaii can go directly to the main event without stopping off along the way at a couple of stores designed to part tourists from their hard earned cash.  Had absolutely no problem with the Macadamia factory and their abundance of free samples – I adore macadamias but the orchid place???  Eating orchids isn’t nearly as enjoyable as eating macadamias.  They were pretty though. 

 

I wish macadamias did come in packs this size

 

Lots of orchids for sale including one with a $20K price tag

The volcano of course, was the star.  No red stuff for us today but lots and lots of steam from various craters and holes in the ground.  Kilauea’s current eruption has been ongoing since 1983.  We visited quite a few sites of previous lava flows as well the crater rim itself. 

Kilauea

Every time I go in a lava tube I am reminded of Maurice Gee's book, Under the Mountain

A'a lava - sharp and jagged

Pahoehoe lava - smooth and ropey

We also stopped off at a Japanese-styled garden and a waterfall which were just lovely so it wasn’t all about consumerism.  All in all, it was well worth the 4am wake up call.

 

Liliuokilani Botanical Garden

Rainbow Falls

Got a sleep in the next morning – a mere 6.30am wake up call.  Today was a trip around Oahu – just to prove there is more to Oahu than Waikiki.  It took a while to clear the suburbs of Honolulu but we then we were in the country and it was just beautiful.  Stopped off at the Halona Blowhole.  The beach just by the blowhole was where the famous kissing scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr was filmed in From Here to Eternity (just change the colour to black and white and you can imagine you are right there).

 

For such a calm day we got quite a good show at the blowhole

Picture this in black and white and you are at the spot from the movie "From Here to Eternity"

Another beautiful place we stopped at was the Byodo-in Temple – a scaled down replica of the 950 year old Byodo-in temple in Japan.  It is in such a tranquil location.  Even the hordes of tourists can’t spoil the serenity.  Then it was on to a teaser before lunch at another macadamia nut factory (I think they give you lots of samples so that you don’t eat too much at the buffet lunch – care factor if that is true = zero).

 

Byodo-in Temple

Jean about to ring the bell before entering the temple

Lunch was held at the idyllic Kualoa Ranch.  Mountains at the back of the ranch, Pacific Ocean to the front.  Entertainment was provided by a couple of hens and their large broods and the food … yep, once again, we ate too much.

 

Mountains to the rear

Pacific Ocean at the front

... and plenty of entertainment

Stopped off on the North Shore to check out the waves.  A few surfers out there but no big waves.   Couldn’t resist a few photos in the water, it was lovely and warm.  Got a bit close methinks.

 

Sue checking out the water - just back up a bit more

Oops ... too far

Just kidding.  The second one is a surfer heading out.

One last stop before heading back to Waikiki.  The old Dole Plantation.  There are still some crops grown here but it is predominantly a tourist attraction – train rides, giant maze, restaurant and (surprise, surprise) a gift store.  Managed to resist all the pineapple-styled gifts on offer but not the pineapple whip.  Yes, even on top of that big lunch.  Waddled back to bus and headed back to Waikiki and a well deserved dip in the water.

Wednesday was Sue’s birthday so we celebrated by attending a luau.  Yay, more food.  More importantly though, several cocktails and lots of nice young men performing on stage.  Okay, there were some young women too but who looks at them when it’s your birthday.

 

What's not to love about being greeted like this

Climbing a coconut tree

A little bit of home in Hawaii

Bring on the dancing boys

Fire dancer from Samoa

Front row seating was a bonus

Cocktails are beginning to take effect

Our last day of playing tourist was spent at Pearl Harbour absorbing some of the history.  Had a wander around the exhibits then took a boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial then continuing on to the USS Missouri.  All of you WWII buffs will know that the Missouri wasn’t in Pearl Harbour at the time of the bombing.  It was the vessel where the Japanese surrender was signed and, after it was decommissioned for the second time, it was decided that Pearl Harbour would be a fitting final resting place.

 

USS Arizona Memorial - all but 3 of the ships bombed were put back into service during WWII

USS Missouri

The 16" guns on the USS Missouri

Dent where a kamikaze plane hit - luckily for the Missouri the bombs didn't explode

We decided to spend our last day relaxing at the spa at the Hawaii Hilton, so relax we did before the long flight back home.  Before we know it we’re back in Napier.  Where on earth did that year go???

Napier arrival - thanks for meeting us in Auckland Angelica & Glenda and for Mum, Dan, Graeme & Wally being there in Napier