The Humpback Highway

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Sure the Big Island is the biggest, but you can't have a biggest without a second biggest. Step up to the plate Maui. While she's less than a quarter the size of the Big Island, some of the driving times are extensive enough that you still get the sensation of a road trip whilst navigating the rental around the island.

I mentioned in the previous blog how all sealife should be high tailing it straight to Hawaii due to its temperate aqua living conditions. Whales, specifically Humpbacks, being smarter than your average ocean dweller, have tuned in to the message, if the numbers we bore witness to are any indication. The body of water between Maui, Lanai and Molokai plays host to God knows how many of these doyens of the deep. At any time of the day from any vantage point along Mau's west coast, you don't need to be over supplied with patience before baring witness to these guys going through their paces.

Step back a century or two and no whale worth his blubber would dare poke his dorsal fin above the water line for fear of being on the receiving end of a dirty great harpoon between the L4 and L5, whaling being the financial lifeblood around these parts.

Stepping straight back to present times and the Humpback has managed to survive that onslaught and is flourishing while still providing an economic bonanza for any number of operators eking dollars from tourists frantic for a close-up geek. These days Humpbacks are a far juicier commodity alive than dead, which is great news for Humpbacks.

I don't know why they even bother migrating. Seems like a decent enough gig wallowing around off Lahaina, munching a few fish, swooning with Humpback chicky-babes, plus some light entertainment via the occasional breech then giggling at the chorus of "OMGs" from the tourist boat fifty meters abreast. Yep, reckon I'll tender my bid now for reincarnation as a Maui Humpback, although no migrating for this lazy pup - come May and it's see yuz in six months fellas.

For us simple landlubbers, the incessant blustery trade winds (no surprise this is the windsurfing capital of the cosmos) can drive you away from the coast, which isn't such a disaster on Maui. The Big Island boasted Kilauea, the frothing live version of a volcano. Maui has Haleakala, the Grand Pooba of the dormant variety.

Following the script of my previous venture here in 1979, the biting temperatures were ignored for the near obligatory sunrise viewing of the Haleakala crater at a tick over 10,000 feet, along with seemingly half the tourist population of Maui. There's a snippet of circus involved but peering beyond the multitudes towards the visual confectionary was a near ethereal moment.

Adrift from the visitors centre and the sunrise show, solitude is but a hike away. Having learnt the lesson of missing the opportunity to descend into the bowels of Kilauea, 'twas a case of "not this time skipper". It's a sumptuous yet casual 6 Kim, plus interest, amble down to the crater floor on the hike we chose, the trudge back up a hell of a lot more taxing. That "up" phase meant that our chicken, avocado and tomato roll on the edge tasted all that much sweeter due to the calory burn.

Humpbacks and hiking, that's my contribution to the Maui Wowee. Whaddya got for our faithful readers possum?

Unfortunately no visit to Walmart this blog. One does exist on Maui but there doesn't seem to be the same clientele. Close to our apartment is a town called Paia which I have really loved. Not only do they do a great coffee but I also feel right at home in my Birkenstocks and unkempt beach hair. It is what I imagine Byron Bay of the seventies felt like. But Paia has been discovered and is changing according to the locals. I even managed to buy a new swimming costume with a contemporary Byron Bay price tag. A tad more than I expected, double actually. Be wary when buying a two piece, look for two price tags, one on each piece. After Gary picked up his jaw over the cost, we washed our cares away with a few aperitifs during a very civilised happy hour starting at 4.00.

Maui has been wonderful, except for a lack of surf for Gazzy, which is fine by me as we get to travel over the island playing tourist. Sunrise at the volcano was freezing but worth the discomfort and the walk down into the crater also amazing - I think my legs will appreciate the exercise. Today, our last on Maui, we swam at a little white sand beach with whales in the background and a resident turtle wallowing a few meters away.

Penny

One last point of "interest". When a guidebook or tourist brochure mentions a beach of "salt and pepper sand", I have a translation according the book of Yeates.

Salt and pepper sand, aka, DIRT!

More images at:

www.colvinyeates.zenfolio.com

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Photos

Haleakala crater
Above the clouds

Haleakala crater
The sunrise show

Paia
Windsurfing is king at Hookipa Park

Haleakala crater
Sticking it's head through the clouds

Honolua Bay
The unridden wave is now an extinct species here.

Haiku
The Tuk Tuk Thai lunch shack.

Halemau'u trail
Watch that first step, it' a doozy

Hana road
Waterfall from above

Hana road
And from the side

Comments

[Krellers]

The Garden Isle awaits!
Today is the day. Hope the island lives up to expectation. Can't wait to read about it :-) BnW