G’bye Oz - Aloha Hawaii

---

So, we continued along the eastern coast of Australia back to Sydney - calling in to the Hunter Valley for more wine tasting on the way. We didn’t call back to Fredos Pie Shop for more pies. Blue skies, sunny deserted beaches and chilly at night in the campervan. Its a good job we got the larger van - even so it is still a squeeze - just to give a feel of the size, the living space would fit into our kitchen 6 times!!!

Australia continued to serve up a surprise everyday - whether Little Bay which is the perfect beach so far - Newcastle NSW which was so beautiful and clean with road directions to Wickham, Hexham, Lambton and even Wallsend - the day we got lost and ended up with a panoramic view down the Hunter Valley with the ocean in the distance across rows of vines.

Our final days were spent on Botany Bay and went to see the spot Captain Cook landed - strangely low key compared to the other places we have visited. Next day we went to Bondi Beach - Ian hired a wetsuit and boogie board and splashed in the surf and got a lot of water up his nose. Just a wonderful place which really does live upto its reputation - lovely walk along the coast to Bronte beach which again was a real treat. In the evening had dinner with some friends in Sydney and ate kangaroo. Really enjoyed chatting with people who live here and hearing their experiences.

So - we have spen a month in Australia and seen a small part of a great country - we have both been knocked out over it and the people. The most interesting point is that it is not a consumer society. There isn't an emphasis on clothes, cars and houses and things - it is more about what you do and in particular life is lived out of doors. It is a different society and yet so familiar to us.

We then had the longest day of our lives. We started off on Friday had a walk on the beach, lunch, dropped off the van, went to the airport, flight delayed and eventually took off at 9pm. We then flew across the date line ( easiest to explain - a day behind and 4 hours ahead - is that clear??) back to 1am on Friday, landed at 9am Friday and had lunch on Hawaii, went to beach and dinner (again) and so to bed - a 44 hour day. It then took us two days to recover!

Hawaii is everything that we expected - cheap food which is good in the diner next to the hotel, blue skies, hot, and full of Aloha. Happy times and people on holiday. Overall we haven't done much apart from beach and going to Pearl Harbour. Spent all day there and really interesting - living history.

Saw a concert of hawaiian music with guitars and ukes and children dancing next to the beach as the sun went down- really great. It is a matriachal society and the band leaders were two grannys that were very nice and smiley but you definitely wouldn't cross.

All in all a great break - and we only came here cos we had a flight left!

In a few minutes we get the taxi to the airport to fly to San Francisco and getting a few more hours back around the globe to the UK.

---

Photos

Little Bay
...the best beach so far and perfect sand surf and sun....

Pearl Harbour
...deck of USS Missouri...ex Gulf War and WW2 where the surrender of Japanese signed

Bondi
...huge waves and a great place...

..rules for life Aloha style
..blow this up to read if you can't see the words...