Hawaii - sun, surf and good fun!!

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We left Auckland midday Saturday and landed in Honolulu the previous night. It was a bit weird thinking about it, but brilliant that we had the whole of Saturday to look forward to! We had no problems going through customs with our tent, and were greeted by friendly faces at passport control (the first for me in the US). Once we had collected our bags, we made our way to domestic arrivals and waited for Duncan to arrive. Fortunately his flight arrived an hour after ours, so we did not have long to wait.

We spent that night in an airport hotel as we were picking up our rental car from the airport the following morning. By the time we arrived at the hotel it was quite late, so we would have to wait for the morning to catch our first proper glimpse of Hawaii.

After picking up our car we headed for the North shore, which is where we would be staying for the week. It did not take Billy long to adjust to driving on the righthand side of the road. We were staying in a garden cottage which was across the road from the local beach called Velzyland. It was a beautiful location, except that it was not really a swimming beach due to all the rocks, but we enjoyed watching the surfers and catching many sunsets.

I have to admit that we did not really get up to much in our week - it was a designated relaxing break. Our cottage was perfectly situated - a mere 5 minute drive from Pipeline and Sunset Beach and a further 10 minute drive from Waimea Bay. Billy and Duncan were in their element, and i was just happy to follow suit.

We spent the majority of our time at Waimea Bay - we soon learnt to get there early, as it filled up very quickly. It is a stunning bay which at times get big swells and thus BIG waves. Billy and Duncan had a fabulous time body surfing, whilst i had fun watching them catch the waves (as well as watch some inexperienced bodyboarders get thumped by the waves - it was highly entertaining). I did brave the waves once, but then i saw a ray swim past me and that was it - i was out like a flash.

There was great excitement on one of the days when the waves reached 15-20 feet. It was incredible to watch the experienced surfers catching the waves, and something i think we will never forget.

The weather was very changeable and we had light showers most days and very strong winds. But that did not stop us from having fun -we enjoyed bodyboarding (in the calmer waves on the other side of the island), we did a bit of cycling around the North shore and of course strolling along the beach - it was perfect. One of the days we even drove around the island, and saw beautiful coastlines and dramatic 'Jurassic Park' mountains. The sea is a beautiful turquoise colour and so clear - we even spotted a few turtles swimming.

We spent a bit of time at Pipeline as well, but it is not a swimming beach and definitely NOT for the inexperienced. We had fun watching the local surfers (they are very brave as far as i am concerned). The waves were amazing to see, and we could not get over the size and force of them. Unfortunately most days the waves were normal size, but we count ourselves lucky that we got to witness the mighty waves.

But the highlight for me was watching the Humpback whales in the distance. I would sit on the beach (whilst Billy and Duncan were being battered by the waves) and watch for the spouts of water being shot up from their blowholes. I was even lucky enough to see one jump (in the distance). It is calving time for the whales so they are quite close to shore, and i was captivated. When we went under water we could (at times) hear then calling to each other - the beauty of nature never ceases to amaze me.

Our last day in Hawaii was spent around Honolulu. We visited the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbour, and got to see the wreckage of the USS Arizona, which was one of the many US battleships bombed by Japan in 1941. After an informative 20 minute documentary on the history of Pearl Harbour, we were taken out by boat to see the wreckage - which lies in shallow waters. It was a bit eerie, but a wonderful tribute to the lives lost that day.

We also managed a hike up Diamond Head Crater, which was a fairly steep climb to the rim. But we were rewarded with a magnificent view of Honolulu, Waikiki Beach and the Pacific Ocean (we even spotted a few whales in the distance). We then made our way back down (which was just as strenuous) and explored Honolulu and Waikiki Beach before watching our last sunset in Hawaii. It was good to see Honolulu as it was how i imagined Hawaii to be, quite touristy, but with a wonderful island vibe and atmosphere, cruise liners in the distance and locals playing music along the promenade. But a few hours was enough for us, the North shore is the part of Hawaii that we will always remember with fondness.

Next is LA and Las Vegas, and we are pleased to continue the fun with Duncan.

I have selected a few photos and will try add some more later. We may struggle to find internet access especially in the National Parks, but we will try update our blog as often as we can.

Sending our love to you all.

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Photos

Waves in Waimea Bay
It is hard to demonstrate the size of the waves.

Warning flags at Waimea BAy
The shorebreaks could come crashing down with such force at times.

Looking good on Diamond Head
That's Honolulu in the background

Comments

[Carryn]

Wow - thanks!!
Thank you for the lovely post!! I really enjoyed reading about Hawaii and the North Shore and Waikiki and the whales and the waves!! It sounds wonderful!! Glad you are having a great time =)

[Ali]

Fantastic photos!
Hi Sandra and Billy, loving your blogs and have been to many of the places you're visitng. I've been to Honolulu as stayed with Air force family on Pearl Harbour so did the Arizona war memorial too and Waikiki beach. Amazing waves!! Enjoy the rest of your trip, love Ali x

[Marilie]

Looks soooo nice. How I miss the sun now!!!! Happy Easter to you all! Love. M