Hawaiian Explorations

HAWAIIAN EXPLORATIONS

September - October 2010

Honolulu
It was not the attraction of Waikiki sun surf and sand; the lavishly manicured golf courses everywhere in Hawaii; or the charm of Hawaiian Hula dances that persuaded eight of us to have a 20-day break in the Hawaiian Islands. During the first part of the year there had been much consideration of other places to visit and explore. After research on her part, Elizabeth was sadly forced to withdraw through lack of holiday time at work. Joan took on the leadership role and contact with our travel agent Linda, at House of Travel, Parnell. Joan, Adele, Rob & Pat, Sheila Copus, Kathy and I were joined in Honolulu by Anne Wilson who was on her way home from a family trip to USA. She had already put in a wreck dive by the time we arrived.

A soft warm breeze and colourful perfumed lei were part of our welcome at Honolulu after an 8hr 15min flight by Air New Zealand. We were transferred quickly to our overnight accommodation at Ohana Honolulu Airport Hotel. We had lost a day in transit, arriving on Monday 27th after leaving Auckland on Tuesday 28th September! Early tomorrow we would begin our inter-island hopping, where we would have experienced 12 flights in total by the time we returned to Auckland. (Each flight between islands required us to return to Honolulu Airport to fly on, and we indulged in one fixed wing flight to Molokai and two helicopter sight-seeing trips.) Getting bags checked and opened by US authorities was all part of that scene.

The Big Island – Hawaii
After arriving in Kona, it took some time to organise our ‘Dollar Rent a Car’ vehicles as we discovered we needed more third-party insurance cover – thus adding considerably to our paid-up rental agreements on each of the three islands. Joan and Rob eventually turned up outside the office in Chrysler and Dodge people-movers which were modern and comfortable to travel in. The automatic door closing function was a bit of a novelty, with Rob providing door-opening services at a distance from his key pad. Guardedly we found our way into the right-hand-side traffic and thence to a nearby K-Mart where we could get some lunch at the eating place attached to same. We found the famed Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway was easy enough with well controlled four lane traffic and courteous drivers. Making the correct turning off it was not so easy. The girls took the direct route to our accommodation, but we found ourselves at a nearby lookout providing information about the ‘Ohi’a Cave used by ancient Hawaiians which was situated below us. Without trying we had found our first tourist lookout. With much more effort we found where we were supposed to be! Going with the flow was the only way to go!

Keauhou Beach Resort (Outrigger accommodation) was a very pleasant place with large shady trees, spacious grounds to wander through, swimming pools, a nearby beach suitable for swimming and snorkelling with turtles, and lots of historic Hawaiian people’s places sitting in dignified splendour on this shoreline. But we had to pay $7 a day for parking! The Hapaiali’i Heaiau (sacred temple area) was 600 years old and it had taken a year to restore the treasured place, which had been built using local rocks. Having successfully arrived here, it was good to share a late lunch on the verandah bar-restaurant where fish drifted beneath us and turtles sun-bathed on rocks not far away. (Hawaiian native green turtles – honu - have taken to enjoying this activity!) Some tourists were indulging in a mass ukulele session nearby.

Instead of sparrows, we had delightful ever-so-smart, red-headed, Yellow-billed Cardinals (imports from South America) looking to clean up crumbs around us. Out in the grounds there were Spotted and Zebra Doves, beautiful little Saffron Finch families, Java Sparrows hungrily eating from swinging bird feeder stations, and a huge contingent of Common Mynas who fought noisily for a sleeping space in the large monkey-pod and banyan trees each evening. Down at the water’s edge on the black lava I spied a juvenile Pacific Golden-Plover feeding. I quickly realised we would be lucky to actually see many native birds due to them having been pushed back into the hills or having had habitat destroyed. However, it was pretty exciting to see and try to identify some new exotic birds.

On the Big Island we were very much aware of contestants arriving for the Hawaiian Iron-man Contest to be held on 9 October. The long Ali’i Drive provided a good training place as it had wide pedestrian/cycle trails on both sides. Even so we had one guy nearly plunge into our vehicle as he made a circle turn to go back the way he’d come! Overall one could only marvel at their fitness and physique and we met up later with some who were happily successful in their endeavours. Many took advantage of being in Hawaii to have a week’s holiday after their event, carrying their large bagged cycles on and off planes.

Our first call was to visit the local shopping centre for lunch foods (breakfast was provided). We then had a meeting and were soon booking ourselves helicopter flights which left the eastern Hilo airport to fly over the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park area. (The trail to the current lava flow had just been closed to walkers.) In order to get similar time trips four went with Sunshine Helicopters and four of us had a doors-off version (for around $US100 extra). This was to be one of the best highlights of our trip. Our first evening at Keauhou ended with a spectacular sunset where strips of cloud turned the red sun into a striped globe looking a bit like Mars with bands across it. I even got to see a green flash as the red sun disappeared over the horizon!

29 September: There is a favourite quote on the island of Hawaii. “If you don’t like the weather, drive somewhere else!” With eleven of the thirteen weather zones covered, Hawaii has plenty of local micro-climates. It was already hot and sunny as we set off at 8.30am to drive to places on the northern side of Hawaii. Very soon we were traversing country which resembled the ‘savannah lands’ of Australia, although some of this could have represented the native lowland dry forest areas. However, we recognised many eucalypts – some recently fire damaged even. We saw goats, a few cattle on extensive ranches, brown ground with large prickly pear cactus (Panini) and tussocks. Rafts of trees leaned with the prevailing winds. It was with considerable interest then, that we approached the lush green belt and cattle country near Waimea. We started to feel at home. It was coffee time at the Waimea shopping centre where a bold statue of cowboy and bullock stood atop a block of concrete featuring the names of all the grand ranches of that area. We left here to visit the northern peninsula and the girls caught up with us at the saddle lookout (3,500ft). The road wound down to the coast at Hawi where a local guided us to the very end of the road to a lookout covering the rugged northern coastline featuring high lava cliffs and the lush Polohu Valley – a popular tourist stopover with cramped parking. I saw my first butterfly here, but it was too fast to see clearly. (I was to discover butterflies are few and far between on the islands. They have a bright red admiral species and I saw some medium sized orange ones.)

We picnicked at the Mahukona Beach Park where an old wharf spoke of sugarcane production in the past. Further south we called in at the Lakapahi State Historic Park where an historic village had been reconstructed. We reneged on the exposed walk in the heat of the day but fishing tools displayed resembled those of Maori in days gone by. On this rough land fishermen and farmers provided food for families. Some shelter was provided on this leeward side of the island. Native Hawaiians lived here from the 1790s to the 1960s when their river water was pinched by cattle ranches and pineapple plantation owners.

In order to check out a ‘real’ sandy beach we called in at the popular Spencer Beach Park. The dark sandy beach was sheltered but had limited appeal as there appeared to be a strong undertow on one side. For some distance south of here we were intrigued by the white pumice-rock ‘graffiti’ alongside scoria embankments beside the road. This appears to be a harmless form of embellishment. I could say here that we were suitably impressed by the lack of graffiti and rubbish on the islands. A fine of $500 (or in one case, $1000) for littering may be the best deterrent! Back home in Keauhou there was light rain and a huge tourist ship off shore. Tourists would be flooding the cute town of Kona nearby.

30 September: This was another driving day but we now knew the road north. We were headed past Mauna Kea with its many observatories shining in the morning sun. We passed lumpy landscapes of cinder cones reminding us of the countryside near Rotorua. The green belt past Waimea held many valleys and gulches. Minimum and maximum speed limits applied. We were off for our helicopter rides at Hilo. We putter-puttered across the land where macadamia nut and eucalypt plantations spread out in squares below us. Soon the vast lava flows were beneath us and a huge plume of smoky steam rose on the coastline. Smaller puffs followed the lava stream from its source. What an awesome view we all got as the blackened red lava met the sea. What a truly memorable experience to be taken over a huge boiling cauldron of molten red lava! We could even feel the heat as we passed over this, and a distinct wave washed across the surface. Not far away stands the home of a local character, Jack Thompson, who operates a B&B. He built this in the 1980s and the day he finished lava flowed hot and gushing all around it! He thought he was ruined. However, the height of this flow now protects him from any new molten lava advance, and colonising trees have grown so he now has a unique little part of the world, albeit it is quite difficult to drop in on him! To round off this exciting ride we were flown over a set of stunning waterfalls – the first of many we saw on our holiday.

Back on land, we drove off to Hilo Township which was devastated by a tsunami from the Aleutian Islands in 1946. We then chose the best restaurant in Hilo to have lunch – ‘Café Pesto’. Everyone was impressed with the meals and service provided. We also had time to take a quick look at an interesting sea world museum (free). Tropical fish like those we saw when snorkelling were happily engaged in their large tanks. The most impressive (astounding) thing brought to our attention was a mounted albatross and alongside a medium sized bowl full with plastic bits and pieces taken from his stomach! That reinforced the fact that we all need to take more care of what gets into our waterways and thence out to sea.

Our nicety on the way home was an excellent tropical botanic garden where some paid the $12 entry fee and enjoyed the colourful track down to the coast and up again. We others thought it was close to closing time and just looked at the little museum and wandered around the carpark. We were on a scenic detour and sighted four mongooses crossing the road within a few hundred metres! No wonder their birdlife is so depleted! Driving got very bad as we neared home, when we ran into VOG – volcanic smog. We all stared hard, like possums, into the gloom - wishing to help our drivers find important signs. There are no street lights in Hawaii due to lack of electricity. Therefore the lights of resorts and prominent intersections are the only visible clues to where new chums need to go. It was not surprising that only one car made it home without taking a wrong turn.

1st October: We had a leisurely start to a drive south today. First stop was to find ‘the macadamia man’ in Captain Cook Village. This was in itself a unique experience as we strolled into a commercial warehouse amongst boxes and boxes of ‘stuff’ to find a character of a man, of small stature and German extract. He had once owned his own restaurant in Sydney. But he had ‘found’ macadamia nuts and they were his passion. Amidst much laughter and chatter he filled and produced several one pound cellophane bags for us to buy, some to eat, some to take home to family and friends. It was a bit hard to get away from him, but eventually we moved off. Around noon we came upon a famous ‘Painted Church’. Large biblical scenes had been painted on interior walls by a priest in the early 1900s. We photographed this as well as a colourful green gecko on an outside stall. We had difficulty negotiating the roads hereabouts but eventually found our way back to ‘The Coffee Shack’ which had been recommended for lunch. I bought pizza and was given a plastic container to take two-thirds of it home with me. This provided tea for both Kathy and me after an hour of so of relaxation poolside, or, in my case, a long chat with the lady in the gift shop below us. On this journey we had twice seen the cutest little green geckos. They were Gold Dust Day Geckos from Madagascar. Shifty Madagascan chameleons have also been introduced and are now pest lizards preying on smaller species.

Tonight was to be a big one – we headed off early for our Manta Experience. Fortunately the sirens and fire engines had cleared whatever caused their emergency outside our resort. The boat we were to go on was anchored at a nearby wharf. We were given three-quarter type wetsuits and boarded the ‘Hula Kai’ (Dance on Sea). We didn’t have to go far before we came upon an earlier launch with raft astern and mantas tumbling in the wake of their lights. Then it was our turn. We slid into the water, mask and snorkel on, noodle in hand. Our raft was not far out, we lined up as instructed, holding onto a rail with the noodle holding our legs up behind us. There were large numbers of needle fish below us and masses of plankton in the water – but where did the mantas go? Eventually we all got restless. I was unhappily getting cramped thigh muscles, moving just enough to ease them. After about half an hour the call came that the diver had found them way closer to the shore and we would move over there. As we passed the boat I decided to haul out as I figured I wouldn’t make it back to the boat if I cramped up seriously. Kathy was already sitting on the ramp as she was decidedly unwell in the swell that prevailed. However, when she checked they had found the mantas she bravely followed the rope to make the raft again. Those who stayed with the raft did indeed enjoy something super special as four female mantas swerved and tumbled beneath the lighted raft, sometimes lightly touching the people watching. I was back on board, dressed again and enjoying a wonderful cup of hot Mediterranean soup. My evening was not too disappointing though, because I got to see the video the diver showed upon his return. Great gaping mouths passed by getting their plankton soup dinner. I spotted Anne’s pink fins on video. It was almost as though I was there.

What an unusual creature a manta ray is. I found out they were live-bearers and wondered how Mum carried her young with most of that body taken up in mouth space? The largest manta seen that night had around a 9-foot wingspan. The largest in the vicinity was known as Big Bertha and had a 17-foot wingspan! Our group was actually in the water for 1 hour 5 minutes – much longer than is usual for clients on night excursions. Many were very cold when they surfaced. Joan actually had to call for help for Adele, who was cramping up badly on her return. A young athletic man relished the chance to dive in and assist her to the boat. A great night out and a favourite of all the experiences we had.

Unfortunately Joan’s evening had a sting in its tail – she trod on a bee on her balcony as she gathered in washing!

2nd October: There was Vog outside and we couldn’t see Mauna Loa this morning, but we were off around 7.30am to go to the volcanic fields at Kilauea. We stopped at a recommended bread shop in Punalu’u where we indulged in goodies and ice-creams for morning tea. We arrived at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Visitor Centre (4,024ft) around 11am, got instructions for a suitable hike and started the Kilauea Iki Trail around 11.30am. This was great. We walked around the caldera through forest, recognising first Metrosideros polymorpha (ohi’a) – descended from our pohutukawa - in the carpark. There was birdsong around us from time to time, although we didn’t see the birds. Perhaps they were the bright red ‘apapane which love the red blossoms of ohi’a trees? We did get a glimpse of a Hawaiian Hawk cruising above the crater proper and graceful Tropic Birds also flew overhead. We carried a $2 booklet which helped identify volcanic structures we were passing. We were glad it was a cloudy day, as it was quite hot enough out on the crater. We loved the bright berries on the small bush (oheio) - one of the Hawaiian huckleberries colonising the edges near the rainforest. I think it took us an hour and three-quarters to do the trail, to which we added a short walk through an interesting lava tube nearby.

We left the National Park area (although our $10 fee entitled us to venture in again for four days) and headed south along the famed Chain of Craters Road. One of the interesting features we saw were a few lava trees – skeletons overtaken, and then set hard in volcanic material. At the end of the road a strong warm wind was blowing towards the sea. We walked across lava flow above high cliffs to see the sea pounding through a huge arch. I was fascinated with a photo on the information board showing a spectacular red hot lava hose spouting from active lava not so many years ago. This was part of a volatile flow which caused a huge land drop (bench drop) which occurred at the same time. We enjoyed the shiny ropey sections of pahoehoe lava in this vicinity. We returned inland again to get some food at Volcanic Village before visiting the interesting Jaggar Museum and observatory just prior to its closing at 5pm. Here we overlooked the Halema’uma’u Crater which last exploded in March 2008. From this eruption there were exhibits of Pele’s hair (strands of volcanic glass) in the museum. (Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire.) It rained heavily as we descended from the mountain and one part of the road was already flooding when we passed. We had rain and some vog for the last hour home after dark. We had been out twelve hours that day!

3rd October: This was a day full of watery experiences. First we had booked a zodiac snorkel trip. We were taken along the coast as far as Kealakakua Bay. Captain Cook’s Memorial stood tall and gleaming on its little piece of British territory, four canons marking the corners of the concrete pad. This was the bay where our great navigator was killed. However, being on a commercial trip, we were not allowed to land - visitors can reach there by a track. The snorkelling in the bay was very good with large parrot fish and many tangs around. At one stage I saw a tiny ‘forest’ of bright yellow tangs feeding, their bodies rocking from side to side with the tidal movement. I also spied one orange pied tang. Tiny Hawaiian tobies were squabbling about territory, and there were brilliant blue spotted puffer fish. Another highlight was a huge moray eel swimming free before me, while a blown-up porcupine fish settled beneath it. Here, too, the corals were quite good, with pretty lilac coloured clumps and blue rice corals amongst the plainer cauliflower types. We moved on to where Spinner Dolphins usually rest, but they weren’t around. This trip would also take in whales in season. Our last stop at Place of Refuge Bay produced the same sort of fish, the parrot fish particularly grand in flashing iridescent turquoises and pinks. And someone off our boat had seen a turtle near the shore.

Places of Refuge were found on all the islands. These were historic areas, usually surrounded by loose rock walling, set aside where Hawaiians who had gone against a kapu (tapu) order or committed some crime against their tribe, could go and stay and be safe, eventually to be forgiven. Sounds like a good rehabilitative societal idea. However, we were told as we passed a prominent cliff face that this had been used for ali’i (aliki) burials. Young warriors were chosen to descend with the body and place it in a suitable cave. They were then hauled up to be ceremonially pushed over the cliff as a sacrifice having achieved so grand an honour as their last act!

Back in Keauhou late morning, and having already had two snorkels from our zodiac trip, we decided to plunge into the waters at the local beach. We discovered very large fish and turtles swimming with us! One of these honu came right up to look me in the eyes before calmly continuing its feeding route. Three snorkels in one morning – that must be a record! We lazed away the rest of the day, drying and packing our gear for our early flights to Maui the next morning. Some drove the short distance to the nearby Kona village for a meal although a cruise ship was anchored off shore again. I had food to eat on my balcony that night. I walked to the local shopping centre in the hope of buying some stamps for postcards, and then watched a fiery sunset to round off my Big Island experience. We had only touched the surface of all that one could do and see on this great island. There were excellent night sky trips and many other excursions that could have been taken, and the ironman contestants were still hard at work training for their big event in a few days’ time. On Hawaii it was hard to appreciate the real height of Mauna Loa (13,677ft) which spreads over half of the island and is actually higher than Everest when its real height of 32,000ft from sea floor to summit is measured. Mauna Kea (13,796ft) is slightly higher and the current site of volcanic activity. Being shield volcanoes the profiles of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea are rounded but Kilauea is providing more real estate every year as it continues to be active.

4th October: Off at 5am to fly to Maui!
We had to drop our rentals, and were then taken by shuttle to the airport for the two flights which allowed us to arrive on the island of Maui at 9.15am. It was fine with low cloud and a light wind. Our plan was to have something to eat locally, then drive the 56 miles over the infamous Hana Highway for our two-day stop on the eastern side. Sheila was the other driver on this island and fortunately was well used to the windy road down to Whangamata. The landscapes on Maui were quite different again to those we had experienced on Hawaii. Huge areas of exposed red soil where sugarcane crops had been pulled out left these loamy expanses vulnerable to winds sweeping across the island. We enjoyed breaking this journey where something of interest grabbed our attention and parking was available for two vehicles. We stopped at the lookout above Baldwin/Keia Beach Park to watch many surfers catching their waves below us. We came upon a local parrot fancier who was ‘decorating’ a family with his charges, and taking photos of them. One of the six macaws was happy to pose lying across a girl’s hands even. The star spread his colourful wings on command! Nearby some interesting gum trees with peeling bark revealed attractive bright green, orange and red stripes on their trunks. Over the road the parrot family went up a driveway to show their children some cattle. The 12-year old lass went too close, and was chased from that paddock! She came to a terrified screaming halt at the gate – having received a cautionary lesson on wild animal behaviour!

About half-way along the road we stopped overlooking the lush Ke’anae Peninsula. Rice and taro crops were growing and a tethered cow was attended by a couple of bright white cattle egrets. We were mostly travelling through very beautiful scenery, stopping where possible on the narrow road to admire waterfalls and valleys and even one bamboo forest. We arrived in the little village of Hana (once a bustling sugarcane town) around 2.30pm. We were to stop in privately owned managed apartments close to a shingle beach. The only detriment to this accommodation was that the second person in each unit had to sleep on a sofa bed in the lounge. Our host presented us with a large basket of fruit and loaves which we shared for breakfast next day. This evening we went off and shopped at the historic Hasagawa General Store (owned by the same family for over 100 years). We made our way through the cluttered interior and found sufficient good food to make an excellent barbecue shared meal, as well as providing breakfast and lunch stuff for a couple of days. I made an excellent purchase of organic muesli porridge sachets here. These were not too sweet. We found that even the breads were overly sweet in Hawaii.

5th October: After a refreshing morning stroll down to the beach via the road, the day was fast becoming very humid and I decided I was ‘just like a little cloud, dripping a constant supply of moisture’. It was all very nice in the vehicles though as we drove south and around to the Haleakala National Park Eastern Visitor Centre in the Kipahulu district. We had made one stop to admire the beautiful Wailua Falls and chat to a local who was hoping we’d buy some of his woven Pandanas leaf products. Down this way we really became aware of the grandeur of Cook Pines (Araucaria columnaris) planted in groups. We also had to admire the many loose rock walls in the district – some still being constructed. I was told one property commemorated a site from which the ancient Maori voyagers reputedly left from. At the Ohe’o Gulch water drops down from the hills in a series of pools which one could normally swim in. When we visited there had been flooding and dirty brown water cascaded over shiny basaltic rocks. It was pleasant to wander along the coast a way before getting in our vehicles again and continuing on the ever-narrowing cliff-hugging highway - until even the most adventurous of us realised we probably shouldn’t be on this road in a rental vehicle! Our return journey was made even more precarious when small tourist buses taking passengers down that same way, met us! We eventually had a late lunch at Hamoa Beach. The girls went off and found the nearby caves and caverns which cost $12 to go through and they thoroughly enjoyed the features they found on that visit. We went as far as the small local airport then returned home via a different route. We spent $25-$30 for a very nice pub meal with live entertainment that evening but were home by 8pm.

6th October: Twelve hours later we were again setting out on the Hana Highway. We had seen t-shirts saying “I survived the Hana Highway” in the local shop, but for Kiwis it wasn’t too bad. At least it is all sealed these days. (Those t-shirts were not quite as cryptic as some on Kauai that sported cockerels saying they were Hawaii’s National Bird!) Alas, our girls had a car malfunction on the way back along this highway. They pulled in to a little village at Nahiku with smoke pouring from under their bonnet. A local stall-holder with the only phone there allowed us to make contact with the rental company, who said “drive on and we will give you a new one at Kahului.” We wondered whether the huge amount of leaf foliage under the bonnet could have been part of the problem? One of the investigative locals had actually spent time in NZ when he was in the US Army many years ago, so some memories were rekindled for him. Our coffee drinkers decided the coffee shop here actually made the best cup they had tasted in Hawaii. And two of us bought gifts from the little shop so our stop had not been in vain.

After vehicle exchange and lunch we set off inland to drive up the interior Haleakala Crater Road. What a grand drive that was. This was a really good highway zig-zagging and steadily climbing up to the visitor centre at 7,000ft. We continued on (in perfect weather) to reach the summit at 10,023ft! The temperature had dropped to around 61 degrees F up there. We were all totally impressed with the native Silversword (‘ahinahina) displays in the alpine garden here. Such a brilliant silver leafed plant stood out in its stark alpine environment. A different Metrosideros spp was also flowering. We saw introduced Chuckar quail wandering around. We didn’t see Nene, the native Hawaiian goose which also frequents this place. But we humans wandered around the tracks provided taking in views and pointing out distant features and trails one could take. The red-hued Haleakala Crater was covered in small cinder cones, mostly from fairly recent eruptive incidents. Anne Wilson was excited to once again see this territory where she and her husband had walked nearly thirty years ago. A team of horse riders returned from their trek and all ten horses were loaded on the back of one truck to take the windy road back to their ranch. We all enjoyed this visit immensely.

I was commenting on how some of the native dry forest land on the leeward side of the mountain reminded me of some Australian countryside. Back down near sea level our next accommodation was Aston at the Maui Banyan, situated on a long coastline road where we definitely felt we could have been in Australia. This accommodation was a bit more convenient than the last, for although somebody slept in the lounge, each apartment had two bathrooms. It was also a short walk to the beach or local shops which provided good meals and services.

7th October – Snorkel Trip to Molokini and Lanai Islands:
This was a pre-booked trip with the Pacific Whale Foundation (a non-profit organisation) where a continental breakfast and BBQ lunch were part of the charge. We checked in at 7.45am on a perfect day. We joined 140 others as we boarded our vessel “Ocean Voyager” in Ma’alaea Harbour. We motored away to the island of Molokini where, horror or horrors, there were hundreds of people already snorkelling inside the sheltered waters of this crescent moon shaped island! But all was well, by the time we were ready, the next door folk were due to go. It wasn’t such a good snorkelling place as the water was quite deep and we were asked not to go too near the rocks beneath the steep cliffs. High above these cliffs dozens of Great Frigate Birds were nesting. These eventually lifted to fill the air with dark shapes swirling en masse over a low saddle on the island. Once we were all brought on board again the local experts gave illustrated talks as we moved off to our real treat of the day at Lana’i Island some distance away, nearer Molokai Island. Here the snorkelling was excellent. Anne and I came upon a whole ‘wall of fish’ feeding together. Yellow and Convict Tangs, Trumpet Fish, and Parrot fish of truly amazing colours were before us. This group inevitably broke up as we called over other swimmers. We also came upon the largest Moorish Idols we had ever seen, smoothly gliding along a coral ledge. I liked Rob’s tale from here. He saw two octopuses below and dived down, causing them to change colour instantly. When he stayed there a little while they obviously felt very uncomfortable and the first one shifted, reached out one tentacle to its mate, suckered onto one of his tentacles, and they moved away to another rock ‘hand in hand’! The experiences at Lana’i made this trip a most memorable one. The young scientists and guides on board were all pleasant, polite and helpful. A Hawaiian native named Tyler was very genial and came back to chat to us Kiwis as he had once been down under with a school rugby team (his teacher had been a New Zealander). He told us those Samoan and Tonga guys were wonderful off the field but boy were they monsters to play against! (He was only a slightly built young man.) I remembered I had a bird pin in my camera case and when he told us he and his girlfriend wanted to come to New Zealand I gave him a kea pin and told him he had to promise to get down south to its territory when he came. I got a big hug when it was time to leave the boat.

We came upon a huge pod of Spinner Dolphins on the way home. They provided great pleasure for everyone on board as they ‘stood on their tails’ out of the water and twisted around during their displays. Whales were often sighted on this trip when they visit the islands from December to May. The crew of this boat were also interested to hear about our own Maui dolphins, and the fact that the North Island was called Te Ika a Maui by Maori.

We rounded off our exciting day with a meal at the popular Mexican restaurant just along the road. I had a calamari salad with real lemon tasting lemonade for $20. Back home on this very balmy evening, Rob had us looking for frogs in the garden before we went inside. Another pleasant interlude under a sky-scape full of twinkling northern hemisphere stars.

8th October: After yesterday’s trip we drove north to circumnavigate the north-western tongue of Maui Island. On the winding coastal road we admired green valleys and wealthy homesteads with grand views. We stopped to admire a huge wooden giraffe sculpture – mother and baby – made from monkey-pod tree wood. This road was sometimes one way and sometimes we were unable to stop where we wanted. We did get to see some local viewpoints and in one place I dutifully bonged a large ‘bell rock’ sitting lonely beside the roadway. Did I imagine I actually hit one place where I got a dull clang?

A nice part of this day was a wander through the old whaling town of Lahaina. Most of us visited a gallery where one New Zealand article was held in high regard in the office – a small statuette of ‘Lonely Dog’. This character (by an artist tied up with Weta Workshops) is featured in a popular cartoon series in the USA. I particularly enjoyed a chat and poking about amongst old whaling relics, scrimshaw pieces and the like at ‘Whalers’. Kathy and Anne discovered the most historic part of the town and welcomed the shade of an enormous banyan tree planted over a hundred years ago for the shelter of all citizens. We also discovered a very nice beach park where we enjoyed a pleasant swim on the way home. It had been another good day. To round it off Kathy and I sat at Kihei Beach across the road and watched the sun go down.

9th October: Another flight today – but on a small fixed wing aircraft. The guys at Kapalua West Maui Airport were teasing us about the small Piper Navaho Chieftain as it flew in from Honolulu. Rob, the pilot, was confident and jovial. We would have a good flight across to the island of Molokai today – and we would all have window seats! (On some of our inter-island flights we got stuck at the back where there wasn’t even a window.) On Molokai we were to have a tour of the Kalaupapa peninsula which had been a leper colony in days gone by. The odd shape of Molokai is evident from the air. Most of the island featured a high landscape with deep verdant valleys but on the far side 2000ft high sea cliffs (reportedly the highest in the world) prevented much access to the low-lying peninsula formed by a different volcanic eruption. A very steep zig-zag track for man and mule was the only means of access for people from one side to the other, apart from sea and air travel. We were dropped at the small airstrip and told our guide would be with us within half an hour. We were immediately on ‘island time’. A very tall lighthouse stood away to our left, and a very serious guard dog stood watch to our right. Eventually a large yellow school bus arrived. We were pleased to see this traditional style vehicle was still in use all over Hawaii. But this one was especially for our tourist trip. Norman had official business to do inside the airport building, so invited us to sit on board. We read the notice to passengers above the front window. The last line held a message that our parents would be told of any misdemeanours! A contact with heaven? That made us oldies all laugh. But not too loudly! In this place of religious history where their Father Damien had been made a Saint recently – perhaps anything was possible!

We were given good information as we rumbled around the tiny village and were invited to see historic photographs inside places. There were still some citizens living here who had been patients with Hansen’s disease in the early days. About one hundred folk live in the two villages of Kalaupapa and Kalavau. We were respectful of where we were and enjoyed our packed lunches on a wide grassy strip near the rugged coast. The locals were gearing up for the first anniversary of Father Damien’s sainthood. A special treat for those living on this lonely Hawaiian outpost. We were intrigued to see a poster about a modern movie ‘Molokai’ with top-rated film actors featured (including Sam Neil). We felt the copies they had for sale may not have worked on our NZ equipment but will be keen to see how this history is presented. Father Damien had been an amazing man of his time. Apart from his parish duties and infinite caring for his patients, he developed a sophisticated fresh water system, making flumed timber pipes to cross valleys and tricky terrain to get to the compound. He also almost single-handedly built the first church on site in the 1870s. This had a more modern stucco-coated addition in the early 1900s. Sadly he developed Hansen’s disease and died of complications while living on the island. He was a Belgian man and his remains were eventually exhumed and returned to his home country.

We were back in Maui around 3pm and had a swim at a local beach park (with lifeguard on duty) on the way home. There we enjoyed the company of turtles once again. Six days had really whizzed by on Maui. My lasting impressions are of that fantastic landscape up at Haleakala and of those vast areas of friable red soil being lifted off and carried away in the strong wind. We didn’t hear what would replace the sugarcane which is no longer a viable crop anywhere in Hawaii. Personally I thought palm oil trees might be better here than cutting down Bornean rainforests, but I’m not sure if water would be a problem on Maui.

10th October – Off to Kaua’i:
6.45am: We were off back to Kahului Airport, first leaving our rentals at the depot nearby. One of our two flights had an extremely rough landing with the plane slewing awkwardly in the wind. I was looking forward to seeing more native birds on this island as there were no mongooses on it. In the distance rugged green hills poked sharp peaks skyward, and we learned that being the oldest of this chain of islands it had had perhaps hundreds of thousands more years to weather and change, and many valleys featured high waterfalls and sizeable rivers. Our resort was set near the Wailua River where the bridge was being reconstructed. The local Lydgate State Park was a wide grassed strip along the rough sandy shore coastline. It had lots of concreted pathways and picnic areas. School children had playgrounds and sports grounds alongside a huge pavilion for dancing and singing performances. I was very impressed about how well the locals could use this area and the specially erected sea pool for safe swimming at the foreshore. I was to take early morning walks, watch sunrises and chat with tourists and locals alike as they fished, walked dogs or just exercised in the beach park. Early morning prayer groups were also using covered seating areas. A truly cosmopolitan mix out in the warm early morning air. Golfers had a smart course nearby.

11th October:
Kathy’s early morning worry had been what time the local rooster would start crowing. I almost giggled out loud when on this first morning we were woken by a hen cackling after laying an egg! Out on the lawn I watched as the cutest little Chestnut Mannikins (another import) lifted and landed in small drifts like tumbling autumnal leaves. I discovered a very large snail in the pool area and the sports field was dotted with white egrets. The inevitable doves and pigeons cooed and carooed and the dreaded common mynahs put in an appearance. All non natives. Further along I discovered brightly coloured red male Northern Cardinals with their lesser painted pink-red females.

At 9.30am we met and decided to drive up the northern road. Kauai has only a couple of routes with most of its land mass unreachable by road. We could see much healthier farming valleys on Kauai with rich taro plots and cattle in old sugarcane paddocks. We discovered wonderful golden sand beaches with many tourists all hoping for parking spots at the best. That was more like the promoted Hawaii posters! In the lovely little township of Hanalei we looked at an 1834 church being refurbished. It sat alongside a typical old mission station building with quite a large primary school next door, all set amidst coconut palms with amazing rugged green mountains in the distance and golden sandy beach not too far away in front. Right at the end of this northern circuit we could see an enormous cavern being explored by tourists. We were unable to find a park nearby. We had been watching a parking area and wondering why somebody was exercising control over this. Turns out he was waiting for a helicopter and had two passengers to be picked up from a tiny fenced off square beside this place.

On our way back home we called into a very famous bird sanctuary area at Kiluaea Point. There is a lighthouse on the peninsula where ruggedly steep cliffs drop off to a small stony bay. Red-footed boobies wing in to land in roosting trees, small shearwaters, Great Frigate birds, Red and White-tailed Tropic Birds and Laysan albatrosses are all seen here. Our biggest thrill was to have two Hawaiian geese (Nene) appear close behind us. Such a smartly decorated bird with such a cute beak makes a worthy national bird. This is a bird related to the Canadian goose, but is much smaller, and has now been mainly pushed back into the high country.

12th October: There was no sunrise this morning but as usual I was out in the warm tropical air. We had a 9am pickup to go and kayak the Wailua River. This trip had been booked from Auckland and one that I had done regular weight training for knowing I did not have great upper body strength. Another two young couples were in our group. Elvis, our guide, got us all into kayaks and set us off across the wide tide-affected Wailua River just above the bridge. We then paddled up river for two miles. At one point Elvis paddled alongside Kathy and me and asked if we had kayaked before. I admitted my lack of experience but I’d ‘been working on it’. He said “Well you seem to know what you’re doing”. Yeah – I was getting it right! Using a single paddle in a Canadian Canoe on the Wanganui River was a different technique.

Keeping more or less together – sometimes we hauled in - we marvelled that we were actually moving inland even though we weren’t paddling! Eventually we entered a side stream (north fork of the river) where foliage closed in around us – red kayaks, green foliage and reflections all very picturesque. Elvis hauled us into a tight space surrounded by tree roots. One at a time we had the comical task of contorting our lower bodies in order to get over the edge of the kayak and land in water up to our thighs, not knowing what our feet were hitting at the bottom! And not upsetting the kayak! A struggle up the slippery tree roots to get on terra firma ensued. After all boats were secured we walked a short distance to discover we had another deep muddy stream to cross. A thick rope invited us to use that but the water was actually deeper there. We felt for Adele. Water was above her middle as she moved across. Undeterred (we were in the tropics) we moved smartly along the dry forest walkway. We had been warned this could be very muddy and slippery but Hawaii was actually having a long drought so there had been no rain and the track was easy in boat shoes. Elvis pointed out some local trees and plants as we went, including the ‘miracle plant’ Noni from India, its knobbly unattractive fruit reported to contain all sorts of good medicinal compounds. We were aware there were other walkers on the trail but nobody could believe how many folk were at the end point – the 130ft Uluwehi Falls with a swimming pool beneath them. Still we found a rocky seat and brought out our turkey rolls and drinks provided by the company. Our guide had brought along a fresh coconut, had shown us how to get into it, and we dutifully ate up all the delicious meat. Elvis was amazed. He said Americans usually just tasted one bit and no more because it wasn’t processed!

Some of our lot ventured into the pool beneath the falls. Some of us enjoyed the company of the birds around us. We returned to our kayaks over a different path. The young couple from New York was delighted to be walking through head-high buffalo grass which provided an intrepid feel. Elvis pointed out that area had been completely devastated by a big flood just four months ago and had completely regenerated in that short time. Joan discovered a gorgeous little green gecko here. Just as we were getting into our kayaks again, I recognised a White-rumped Sharma on the other side of the bank. I knew this bird from my experiences in Borneo. The paddle downstream against a head wind (as expected) was tougher but Kathy and I had no problems at all. There were crab traps and fish traps set in this river; we dodged their buoys as we passed. At one stage I had my camera focussed on a pair of Hawaiian ducks near the shore when one of the young couples came steaming past us, leaving me with a photo of foliage. Oh well, I did get a good sighting of these native birds. Next hazard was to face into wakes caused by speed boats and water-skiers. Before too long we all gathered safely at the appropriate spot before some grand river homes, and moved across the river to our wharf together. While the men were dealing with kayaks I had scrambled into the back of the van and was proudly commenting “There you go. That was a good excursion. With effort, we oldies can do anything”. Elvis overheard this and responded “You sure can. And you can come with me anytime.” Cheers, Elvis! And for the record there were no sore shoulders afterwards either.

We’d all earned our evening meal that night. Food at the restaurant on site was very good. We usually had our table set up on the verandah where a planet which we think might have been Jupiter was always visible. Often strange gargling noises came from the frogs or toads in the water feature area.

13th October: Rob and Anne had booked a dive down Poipu this morning. The rest of us had decided on a helicopter overview of Kauai because there was so much that couldn’t be seen from the road. This was a superb flight. As usual Kawaikini Peak (5234ft) was in cloud. (It is reputedly one of the wettest places in the world.) There were many hidden valleys beneath sharp sculptured cliffs and spurs. We got a birds-eye view of the wonderful Na Pali cliffs on the north-western coast. We saw immensely tall waterfalls leaping down into deep gulches. We saw tall tree-fern regeneration after slips – just as we would have seen in New Zealand. We flew over and down into the famous Waimea Canyon. Wow! This is ten miles long and half a mile deep. We were later to see some of these attractions from the road, but nothing could compare with what we saw from above. We were very pleased to have done that sight-seeing trip. Back at the office we were able to purchase a video of our flight. Rob and Anne enjoyed their dive although they were equipped from a van and dived off a beach so it wasn’t as spectacular as some they had been on.

Later in the day we all drove south. We recognised the Tunnel of Trees we’d seen from the helicopter. We passed by the historic township of Koloa which we checked out on our way home. We made it as far as an exciting blow hole called Spouting Horn. There was a long line-up of tourist stalls to pass through here. There were a lot of jewellery pieces generally in Hawaii but my choice from here would have been some beautifully crafted underwater theme pictures, made up in different woods which highlighted fish and corals. Exquisite work. Alas, my travel bag weight was already heavy.

One incident we all smiled at in our car concerned a fire engine. We had seen firemen at a station proudly polishing a red engine as we passed by. Up to then we had only seen bright yellow engines so we gathered it was new. When a siren wailed behind us on the way home we were quite jubilant for those firemen – they were able to get out there in their bright shiny new red engine. ‘Little Flick’ must have been a happy little fire engine! Another curious thing we saw were small groups of political supporters standing waving flags on the sidewalks. They were just a distraction to homeward bound drivers. We wondered how their being out there could change anything for their senator’s chances.

14th October – A Tramp in the Wilderness
Once again we drove south and around to the west, to turn inland and follow the scenic Waimea Valley Road. We noted the western route proudly proclaimed ‘Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range Facility’ at its end! (We’d heard a little about US military and US politics from the young people on our kayak trip.) We were early to drive up to various lookouts over the fantastic Waimea Canyon and valley areas, but so were many other tourists. It was great that Rob and Anne could get good views of the canyon and the Na Pali cliffs. At the end of our journey we parked at one such lookout, and then determined to walk up a track to a high point. This was more like tramping in New Zealand – especially the high clay bank scramble to reach the top spot. Anne and I sat in the shade and watched with delight as a native flycatcher flew in and checked us out. He was really cute with little whiskers by his beak. I think he was a Kaua’i ‘Elepaio juvenile. Kathy told me she saw a yellow bird nearby which was probably a native honeycreeper. Because some of the track was a little tricky Anne and I left the others at the top. Alas, we missed a junction and were soon high-tailing it downhill on board walking. Even though we commented we didn’t remember this much board walking, it was so easy we just kept going. We were hearing birdsong in the trees around us, although could never see any birds. By the time we had decided we really were on the wrong track, we met a couple and were told we ‘definitely needed to head back up there’ to go to the carpark! So off we went, uphill this time, but at a good speed because this track was shaded; until Anne called for a rest because her legs had done a lot of work in that dive yesterday! After a good 15 minutes we discovered the junction, but we still had a way to go across the clay escarpment to the carpark. We guessed that one car would have taken most off to the nearby Koke’e café and museum for a late lunch – made later by our little escapade. We felt like chastened schoolgirls awaiting our punishment as we saw good old Rob waiting for us. The others knew just what we would have done as they started on that same track themselves until Kathy reined them in! I had never enjoyed a toasted sandwich so much as that day. Two other couples shared one – my complete one of two sections was demolished with relish!

Evidence of the mixed historical heritage of Kaua’i was around us as we drove home. What with American missile facilities, Russian Forts and a memorial commemorating Captain Cook’s discovery of these islands in 1778, it is a wonder that the native Hawaiians and things Hawaiian have survived at all. Historic places tell of whaling and whalers of mixed race, Japanese citizens, Chinese migrants, and workers brought in from the Philippines. Along with all these foreigners over the centuries they have brought in all sorts of foreign plants and animals, many now hated pests and weeds. Visions of vast swathes of large-leaved fruit salad vines smothering forest trees, and wily mongoose come to mind. It is estimated that 30-odd new species turn up in Hawaii each year.

Although sugarcane is no longer viable, one of my favourite memories is that of a paddock full of green, green sugarcane where we could just see the ridges of the backs of black cattle with snowy white cattle egrets atop them! One guide told us 95% of all produce is now imported. Even pineapple plantations are no longer profitable, but macadamia nuts (originally from Australia) are grown. Large eucalypt plantations are growing on the Big Island, but it won’t be economical to cut them down at this time in history. Tourism now must play the biggest part in Hawaii’s economy but cattle ranches still feature high in Maui. There appear to be many talented artists live in Hawaii. We saw, and visited, a number of galleries. Unfortunately USA citizens who retire here have the dilemma that their children and grandchildren cannot afford to visit often. These islands are the most distant from any land mass in the whole world and require expensive flights. There is always a glitch to living in paradise! It didn’t take us long to compare and appreciate our own bit of paradise. (♥NZ)

While away we had the usual tipping dilemmas with recommended amounts being as high as 15%. We just got on with it with what cash we had. However, we met some very friendly people, and I felt safe everywhere I wandered. At the airport I had one kind lady show me how to turn a copper cent into a tourist souvenir using a machine installed there. She produced the two quarters for me to do it! I chose a Monk Seal picture because we didn’t get to see one.

Our return flight took over 9hrs against a head wind. I was amazed at the amount of high altitude turbulence experienced as we droned on through the dark. We finished a light meal near midnight and were woken around 5am to have breakfast before our 6.30am landing in Auckland. The best thing about this trip was that we were all delivered safely. Right at the back we were aware of rattling in the kitchen and the low voices of staff chatting to keep themselves awake. In Anne’s case, she was quite lucky to survive whole, as she had a ‘mad woman’ sitting beside her who wanted to get out of her seat frequently and once woke Anne by standing on her arm on the armrest! The woman had made some loud exclamations during the night, but the singing of a hymn upon landing topped off a very eventful night for Anne. My bag coming last off the escalator, and being sent to the longest queue after the speed of using my digital passport didn’t help this tired passenger, but my Paul was there to meet us as promised. (♥)

Rob & Pat (who had succumbed to, but was recovering from, that viral health problem again) went on to San Francisco, as did Joan and Adele. Joan and Adele will spend time with Joan’s sister; Rob & Pat will journey on to the Grand Canyon, New York and the British Isles to catch the All Black tour tests there.

We can all say we had a jolly good time in Hawaii and are delighted to have been able to explore so many places. We had twelve flights and visited or snorkelled near seven islands. Our thanks go to Joan for all her organisation, but most of all we want to say ‘THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS’ to our intrepid drivers, ROB, JOAN, SHEILA and ADELE. Driving on the other side of the road in vehicles wider than anyone was used to was never going to be easy - and then there were all those other challenges that happened along the way!

HIGH FIVES TO ALL OF YOU!

Aloha from Patsy 26 October 2010