December 12
Our last day. How quickly the time went in Hawaii. We were able to check out late so planned another trip to the beach and a little shopping.
We were in the right place at the right time to see Santa come to town ‘Waikiki style’.
There were some hula dancers and of course photos with Santa.
Then a few last pictures around the hotel before heading to the airport.
December 11
Had to pack up and change hotels today – unfortunately just for our last night. Just before we left we discovered a small market behind our hotel with fresh fruit & veggies. I took pictures down wile Gerry took pictures up. Also one last view of the canal and the mountains.
Luckily we were able to check in early to the new hotel which was right on the beach. So down to the beach we went!
We enjoyed the sunset sailing so much the first time we decided to do it again. It was a little bumpier, cooler and windier but still wonderful. This time the sail that was up was actually in use!
And another beautiful sunset.
December 10
New Zealand has wonderful lupins and Hawaii has wonderful Hibiscus – the state flower. We had seen them from the bus in backyards, along the highway and in the parks so I was really pleased when we ventured out to the Dole Plantation and found them in the little botanical garden. There were red, yellow, orange, pink, purple, white and variations of all of them. I managed to photograph a few of them!
Our guide through the botanic garden wove a little bracelet for me using a long leaf from one of the trees. (We had been talking about wheat weaving.)
December 10
Today we decided to revisit the Dole Plantation by city bus. It was about a 1 1/2 hour drive but we saw sights we hadn’t seen before. It was really interesting travelling down the major highway in a city bus.
One of the reasons we had wanted to return was because there was a small botanical garden to see.
There was also a little tour through the plantation and ‘pineapple growing’ was explained. One plant will only produce 3 pineapples and that process takes almost 5 years.
Our guide through the gardens had mentioned that we were really close to the North Shore again so we thought we’d carry on and have another look at the tall waves. They weren’t quite as high as a couple of days ago, but they were still pretty awesome.
Stopped for lunch in Haleiwa as she had also mentioned that no trip to the North Shore was complete without a stop for ‘shaved ice’. So after lunch we looked for the store she told us about – Matsumotos’s and tried out this North Shore specialty. In reality it is a snow cone with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom. It was pretty good! As you can see from the photo, there were a few others who thought the same. Good thing there was a bench outside the store. (The policeman with white gloves was directing traffic through an area of construction.)
Then it was a really long trip home – about 3 hours but again interesting as we went places we hadn’t seen before. And of course you can’t go to Dole and come home without a pineapple!
December 9
At one of the true Hawaiian shops we were in, the clerk told us of a place that we mustn’t miss. It was the Marine Preserve at Hanauma Bay that we had seen on the circle tour & had wanted to return to. He talked of going there as a kid and swimming with the fish and said to be sure and get there early as there is a limit to the number of people that are allowed in. We took the city bus to get there – very easy. It dropped us off at the top where the information center is. Everyone had to sit through a 20 minute video that explained the need for preservation and what they have done so far.Then we had the option of walking down (and up again) or taking a little tram shuttle. Walking down was relatively easy, a little steep but there was a pathway.
The bay was formed from a volcanic crater and had a very uneven bed with lots of coral and places for fish & even turtles to hide. (A wonderful place for another snorkelling adventure.) It was a really nice sandy beach with palm trees and beautiful water.
We had decided that today would be the day for a sunset sail and it was a beautiful evening for one. The ocean was really calm and the sky was clear.
And the sunset was gorgeous!
December 8
This was a morning for the beach and we were there before 9 a.m. I know… you are thinking that is awfully early in the morning for me! But we had places to go in the afternoon! We had fun playing in the waves and soaking up the sun.
After lunch we headed to downtown Honolulu to take a tour through the Royal Palace. It was too late in the day to join a guided tour, but we had an option of doing an audio one. It was very interesting to learn a little of Hawaii’s history and see how the Royals lived. The audio presentation was very entertaining with excerpts read from old letters and journals that talked about dances or other special events that people had attended. No cameras were allowed inside and we had to wear booties over our street shoes. The two floors open to the public had just been finished in the last couple of years – up until then it was just a pretty place to look at from the outside.
December 7
We were just going to tour the island using the city bus, but several people recommended that we take a circle island coach tour first. The city bus trip takes about 4 hours and because of the surfing competition and the big waves on the north shore, we knew it would take longer than that. The highway is quite narrow as it goes through the surfing beaches and it was very congested.
We started at the viewpoint at Diamond Head then drove past the really expensive houses.
Next was Hanauma Bay, a nature preserve. We could only see it from up above, but it looked so beautiful we decided we’d return on the city bus.
Then on to see the blow hole and some islands just off shore. On a clear day you can see the mountains of Maui, but it was cloudy so no view. (Some of the photos make it look as if it was a really nasty day, but it wasn’t – just cloudy.)
Stopped at the Valley of the Temples and toured in and around the Buddhist temple.
Then we stopped at Kualoa ranch for lunch and a tram ride up to a viewpoint where we could see the island called Chinaman’s Hat.
Then on to the Big Waves! At Sunset Beach, Pipeline and Waimea. There were surfers out in the water and that competition going on. Lots of interesting sights as we travelled slowly along the narrow road. Even found my favourite place!
Stopped at the Dole Plantation – another place we knew we would return to on the city bus.
Last stop was at the Pali lookout. By now we were about an hour behind schedule so it was getting dark and the view from the lookout was limited. We did see where the old highway went. Reminded me of the highways in New Zealand. SO glad we weren’t on it!
December 6
Dad had talked about the Sunday church service on the beach so we thought we’d have a look. First a long walk along the beach to get there. There was lots of activity for 9:30 on a Sunday morning.
The church service had hula dancers, a very talented singer, a couple of speakers and sunbathers on the beach.
In the evening we went to Germaine’s Luau about 45 minutes out of Waikiki – or “about 15 Hawaiian minutes” as the guide on the bus said. Lots of good entertainment and good food. We sat with a couple from Sydney so we also had lots of good conversation.
And another wonderful Hawaiian sunset.
December 5 (again!)
We left Auckland on the 5th and arrived in Hawaii on the 4th – about a 9 hour flight. It was Air New Zealand – very comfortable and they looked after us well. Gerry liked it as it was a daylight flight, good weather and not too cloudy so at times he could see the ocean. Didn’t arrive in Honolulu till about 9 p.m. and caught a shuttle to our hotel. About an 1 1/2 hours later, we were the last people dropped off.
Spent Saturday walking around Waikiki just looking. (A Starbucks on almost every corner.) Rode on a free ‘shopping trolley’ that took us about 4 miles out of Waikiki to a touristy store. We took it to just see the area, but managed to find a few things that we ‘needed’ in the shop.
Did a little grocery shopping as our hotel room has kitchen facilities but our first supper had to be at Tony Romas – not sure if it was the same one the Smiths’ & the Hawkins’ frequented in the 70’s, but it could have been and we were definitely thinking about them. Then we wandered back towards the beach as there was a Hula Show scheduled. By this time – 6 p.m. – it was starting to get dark so you can see some of the Christmas lights in the photos.
Saw one of those spectacular sunsets that Mom always talked about – had to walk along the beach of course! The hula dancers and band were very entertaining and after dancing to Hawaiian music they ended the show with Christmas music.
December 4 & 5
After a few last looks at Akaroa,
it was back to Christchurch. Stopped in Cathedral Square – my first pictures hadn’t turned out that great so I got a couple more of inside the Cathedral. This time the Christmas tree was decorated but there was no one playing the organ.
The trolley was decorated too and a grandpa was trying to explain things to his grandson and then trying (unsuccessfully) to get him to smile for a picture. There was a band playing jazzy music in the square and they sounded a LOT better than they looked!
Our plane didn’t leave till 7:30 so we toured some more around Christchurch. Went out to the pier at Brighton where there was a fellow doing some sand art that you could really only see when on the pier.
It was very windy & cold and the water must have been really cold but there were some kite surfers out there and a few fisherman on the pier.
As we left we saw some really interesting sculptures just along the side of the road in the grass you’d have to walk through to get to the beach. One was even a work in progress. Turned out the art studio was across the street.
Then off to the airport car rental return and overnight in Auckland.
In the morning after standing in a queue for about 90 minutes just to check in and then in security for an hour, we finally headed off into the wild blue yonder. (This is one airport you don’t arrive at an hour before your flight!) Last views of the coffee selection I was quite getting used to, of Auckland, of an island (perhaps Tonga) and of a wonderful sunset along the way…
December 3
We are just an hour away from Christchurch at a little village that was first settled by French emigrants. Another twisty, turny road up & over and down & around a mountain or two. (And we have o go back the same way!)
We explored on our own this time. Good thing it is a sleepy little town.
Then we settled in for a quiet evening first relaxing on the deck of our motel room – listening to the bubbling stream just outside the door.
We are re-packing suitcases as it is time to fly out from Christchurch tomorrow to Auckland. Then from Auckland to Hawaii on the 5th.
December 2
That 200 km trip took all afternoon. We stopped at several points of interest along the way. One was the Moeraki Boulders.
We also stopped for lunch at Moeraki. The only reason I opened the door was because the parking lot was full and the advert had said that '”bookings were essential”.
Once inside I knew all was well. Stained glass windows, wonderful stained glass & metal artwork over the bar and a very fishy menu! When the specials were being explained to us the hostess paused to run out to the fish shack to see if the fishermen had brought in anything different that would then be available for the menu!! Gerry had bread and dips – I had a seafood chowder that was almost too seafoody for me!!!
We checked in to a wonderful little motel – about 12 units – that was more like a B&B. The rooms were shown to us so we could choose which we would like, there were fresh flowers on the table, a jug of water chilling in the fridge and muffins were delivered so we could have our ‘afternoon tea’. (Stay at the Ambassador Motor Inn next time you are in Oamaru!)
We then booked a bus tour that took us around town (complete with commentary about the historic precinct),
a view from the lookout,
then to the yellow-eyed penguin viewing area – we were quite a distance away from the sea but the penguins climb high up the banks and we were lucky enough to see several very close up (as well as a seal on the sandy beach),
and finally to the blue penguin reserve. Here we sat & watched the penguins come in from the sea and travel up to their nesting places. No photos were allowed here but we saw over 100 penguins come in. They expected at least 150 (they actually counted 183) to arrive during the evening – they come to land at dusk – after spending the day out fishing. (It is prime breeding time so they come back to land to feed the chicks.)
We went back the next day to take a few photos of the area where the penguins came up out of the sea, the little houses they were heading to and where we had been sitting to watch.
Then it was back on the road again.
