Mahalo...

Marla took us around on the last day in Hawaii. Thanks Marla! We spent the morning doing a tour of Bethel which was nice and cozy and as usual ran into some people that Love knew kekeke.


Then went for one last dip in Kailua Beach Park where you could go snorkeling or hire kayaks. We hire kayaks and after some furious paddling to a little island off shore, we decided to let the gentle waves carry us back to the beach. A nice way to finish off our trip.

It was really nice to catch up with Marla, Mike and MJ, Linda, Jean, Myra and Tessa on the last day. Spending time with all these nice people really made the trip for us! Thanks for taking the time to show us around and spend some time with us. Hopefully you guys come visit us in Autralia!

Halema'uma'u

Volcanoes National Park has a great crater rim drive you can do around the Kiluea caldera. We went for a walk around the rim and into the Kiluea'iki crater. This volcano has been erupting since 1983 and as you walk through the crater you can see steam from rain water still pumping out of cracks in the ground.


Completely by accident we hitched onto a guide hike along with one the park rangers in the Volcanoes National Park. He took us around around and into a crater while telling us about how it formed, some of the wildlife, what he did when he was a kid, etc, etc...all very interesting. He told us some interesting stories too about the legendary tales surrounding these volcanoes.

The crater we walked through was once 800 ft deep but erupted explosively and filled up half of the crater. If you had been here for that you could have seen 1000ft high ejections of lava into the sky (safely). If you look at the photo at the top closely, you can see the silhouettes of people at the bottom. The photo below is of a wedding that took place during one of the eruptions this century, with smoke pluming into the sky in the background.

Fresh Lava

Helicopter was the only way we were going to see lava so we splurged a bit to do a tour over the active volcano. It didnt take long to get over the Pu'u'O'o eruption site and boy was it worth it. We had the option of having the doors taken off the helicopter Vietnam style and the view was incredible. Lava flowing like rivers of molten rock, streaming out of a number of vents in the side of the volcano. In the top of the actual volcano you could see steam billowing out of the top like a giant chimney.


When you are over the flowing lava, the heat just radiates like when you're sitting in front of a fireplace. As you approach the volcano, you can see the path the lava has taken through the forest. Incredibly there are still people living in areas which have been cut off by the lava. Some have even moved in as soon as the lava has hardened and built structures to live in. Its amazing to think that the whole archipelago was constructed in this destructive manner.

Crusty Lava

Next we were off to the Big Island. Larger than all the other combined, this island still grows as the fresh lava reaches the sea. We stayed at a great place in Hilo where the owner, John, seemed to know just about everything there is to know about the Big Island.

There are heaps of waterfalls on these islands, the largest being the Akaka Falls just 30-40 mins north of Hilo. To the south However is where it gets interesting, when you head toward the Volcanoes National Park.


Until recently lava flows had been flowing all the way to the sea but have not made it that far for a few months. However this has allowed them to pave a makeshift road on top of the freshly hardened lava. Its quite strange as you drive along the road, all of a sudden you are confronted by a wall of lava which has just forced a path to the coast.


The lava itself forms some really interesting patterns as it gently meanders along and hardens in places, making ripples and all sorts of interesting shapes. As you look up hill you can also see the destructive path it has taken, obliterating trees and houses whereas some parts it hard left untouched. There is almost an eerie feeling because of the lack of any vegetation and it almost feels like you've come here after armageddon.

House of the Sun

We woke up at 2:30am to drive 10,00ft up a volcano in darkness. Theres a terrible feeling you get in your gut when youve only had an hour of sleep but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Haleakala was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Its a strange sight to see the headlights of a procession of cars driving through the darkness at a insane hour of the morning but after close to two hours of driving up the volcano, you reach the top of the caldera. Theres a sense of anticipation as you wait with a hundred other people in complete darkness with the air temperature hovering at about 4 degrees celcius. As we waited for something to happen you start thinking about how nice your bed would be right now....but then you start to see the faintest hint of light. It is so gradual that you can barely tell the light is getting brighter.


After a little while you find yourself above the cloudline with the outline of a blanket of cloud appearing off into the horizon. Then a shimmer of light appears on the cloudline. The sun rises in a spectacular display of orange sunlight and then the shadowy crater of Haleakala reveals itself. The immensity of this caldera makes you stare in awe of the destructive powers that must have at one time torn this volcano apart. You realise you have been standing on the edge of a crater kilometres in diameter. Having such a magnificent landscape revealed in the way it was is something I will never forget. Well worth getting up at 3am for.

Maui...

After spending some time with the Yeda's and some of the nice people in Aina Haina congregation, we moved onto Maui, the Valley Isle.

Alot of famous people seem to have properties in Maui and who can blame them for wanting a piece of paradise. With median house prices in Maui at about US$900,00, I think I'd be happy living in a shack on the beach :)


The nickname Valley Isle comes from the dramatic landscape that is visible from most parts of the island. Whenever you are in the central corridor of the island you feel the presence of the 10,000ft Haleakala Volcano to the east of the island and to the west you can see deep valleys, ridges and steep cliffs of another volcano whose name escapes me right now...

We spent our first day in Maui driving the road to Hana. Very windy, very tight but a great drive to see the island. There is nothing much in Hana itself but a great place to stop is the Seven Pools just past Hana. A rivers flows down through a series of pools which you can swim in explore all the way down to the coast.


We did a Luau in lahaina in the evening which was also a highlight. The history of Hawaii was played out for us in the form of traditional dances to the beat of drums and other traditional instruments. Meanwhile you can stuff yourself with a buffet of traditional island foods. Theres something mesmerizing about the fluid motion of a hula dancer gently moving to the sounds of a single ukulele or a chorus of drums.

UH Warrirors

We'd always wanted to see a live game in the US and Mike and MJ must've read our minds! The Warriors are University of Hawaii's football team and have a huge following. College sports here have a bigger following than any sport back home and the way the games are presented are incredible. Cheerleaders, a 200 piece marching band, mascots, gymnasts...you name it they got it.

They got a pretty good team at the moment too so it was cool to see them give Colorado a whooping....and Colt Brennan, you couldn't give a star quarter-back a better sounding name either.


The stadium they playing in is a very interesting one as well. The more square-eyed people would notice that this was the stadium featured in Lost where Desmond and Jack meet. During some hours wasted on Google Earth, I noticed that the stadium looked like a baseball stadium in the aerial photos, whereas I looked totally different when we saw the football. What the?!?!?! Then I discovered the answer. The stands MOVE! Until recently they could float the stands on a thin cushion of air and move them into different configurations. One for baseball and one for football. They only recently locked it into the football configuration because the machine kept breaking.

Americans spell "Harbour" without a 'U'...

Ive always had an interest in wars in recent history, so Pearl Harbor was a treat. Its always interesting to visit places with deep historical meaning and to visit the place where the USA got its first taste of World War 2 was a highlight. There is a museum which has heaps of models, diagrams and exhibits detailing the attack and also a short film they show you which tries to take you back to that day in 1941.


Fortunately we went on a day which wasn't too busy so we didn't have to wait long for the ferry out the memorial. A free shuttle boat then takes you out to the USS Arizona Memorial site which is a large floating memorial from which you can look down into the eerie water, with the sunken USS Arizona only a few feet under the water. Parts of the ship still stick out out of the water. The memorial contains a wall with the names of all the men that went down with the ship, whose bodies still lie entombed in the ship. Its incredible to think of the destruction and loss of life that that happened in one short day. 10 ships including 6 battleships were destroyed, 2,333 killed and 1,139 wounded. Quite a sombre reminder of all the people that died in the war.

I like warm beaches...

Just to the east of Honolulu is this little bay where the water is crystal clear, warm and the wildlife aren't afraid to say hello. You can hire snorkeling gear and swim in the calm, warm, reef-protected bay. A nice way to start off the holiday.


JR came and picked us up and we took a windy ride in the back of his truck back to Waikiki. First impressions of Waikiki were mixed. The presence of some large pipes all over the place alerted us to the fact that the sewer system had taken a hit recently. A strange familiarity came up seeing so many high rise hotels along the beach front, but the ever present hills and valleys in the back drop always reminded us that we were in Hawaii. The crystal clear water at such a busy and well used beach front shows how well the natural features of this place have been looked after. It seemed to rain briefly (like for 10 minutes) every day we were on Oahu, which was a good thing because it would cool things down a little and would always leave us a nice rainbow to gaze at in the back drop of our hotel.


For a long time Waikiki has always been a place of relaxation, especially popular with Hawaiian rolyalty in the 1800's and the mix of sun, surf and location makes it a great place to relax. With so many tourists flowing into the area as well, there is heaps to see, do and eat during the evenings too.

Aloha!

Well this is somewhat belated since were back home already but heres to finishing things you said you would do....even if its late.

Anyhow.... WOW!!!

Hawaii is awesome! I'd always thought that Hawaii was kinda overrated. You always hear so many people rave on about it...but now that I have experienced it, I got to say its something special. No wonder everyone talks about how nice this place is.

Waterfalls, volcanoes, dramatic ocean side mountains, crystal clear waters on a soft carpet of sand, the list goes on. Some of the nicest scenery you could see...and some really nice people too!


This is the view from Pali Lookout (about 30 mins from Honolulu) looking towards the windward coast of the island of Oahu. If the jagged mountains look familiar, you've probably been watching Lost. Much of it was filmed in and around Oahu.


After a full thursday in Sydney and then a 9 hour flight, the first day was a killer. But well worth the bleary-eyed car ride to see Oahu. The north shore of Oahu is very picturesque. As you drive around the bays you can just imagine the way these islands forced their way out of the ocean in an explosion of rock. Each winter the north shore serves up huge world famous waves for you to contemplate breaking your legs on. We even made it the assembly hall to see John and Christie Wong. Thats our car in the background slowly oozing out coolant. Thats what happens when you got the air-con running in a car with 5 people in 35 degree weather. Nice. Shaved ice at Matsumoto's was a nice stop! Thanks to Myra for picking us up from the airport and taking us around!

Here we go again!

Were going to Hawaii!!! It's only for a week and a bit this time but it's gonna be awesome. Surf, sun, mountains, lava, etc, etc.... 1 month to go.

Hmm...what to see....

There is never a shortage of places to go in Rome. There are fantastic plazas and heaps of fountains scattered all through the city which are a hit with the nightlife/tourists.... and the sights! Just to mention a few, Circus Maximus, the Forum, the Colosseum, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza del Popolo, Campidoglio, Trevi Fountain...get the idea. You have to spend at least a week here! The cobblestone roads add a bit of atmosphere too. Just watch the cars on the road. Btw....dont except too much from Circus Maximus. Its a great place but theres nothing actually there. Just grass. Make sure you bring your imagination with you ;) Another thing about Rome was all the people selling loot on the streets. Prada, Armani, Gucci...you name it...you can get it for $10. Theres heaps of guys that have a keen sense for where the police are selling this stuff on the street. Funny thing is...when the police come around youll see a whole pack of them pack up and get outa there in a flash. The weather was fantastic too. Nice and hot. Theres these little fountains everywhere that apparently is just a constant stream of fresh underground water too, so if you get too hot then you can wash your feet, wash your face and cool off. Anyways....my trip ends here unfortunately. Its been a great trip. Weve seen more than we thought we could have. The boys went off to Greece after this and me....back to sunny old Sydney.

Might and Power

Before any of you look at the date on this post.. I know. Its been months since we got back home but for the sake of completing this blog for this trip, Im finally going to add the last few days.


For those of you that like history or the impressively grandiose, Rome is the city for you. Paris is probably the most ascethically pleasing city we went to but Rome is probably the most impressive. Huge monuments, statues of all the Roman heroes and structures dating back thousands of years are just a few of the things youll find in Rome.

Its almost a mythical city that has its roots buried thousands of years in the past. The number of structures and building that have stood the test of time is amazing.

The Colosseum was a big highlight. You can just imagine the masses of people and the incredible violence that occurred in this place. The sheer enormity is amazing too. The first time you see it is one of those defining moments on a trip like this. Something you never forget.

Another favourite was the Monument to Vittorio Emmanuele II. An enormous flight of steps, flanked with winged lions and two bronze 'Vittorie', leads to the altar of the Italian land. It shows high-reliefs by Angelo Zanelli, in the middle of which, you can admire the Rome statue. In the middle of this monument there is the gigantic equestrian statue of king Victor Emmanuel II. In terms of sheer size and grandeur, I can hardly think of another building that matches it (except for maybe the Colosseum). By the way they are literally down the road from each other. You can see one from the other.

Firenze

We stayed a night in Florence on the way to Rome. Florence gave us a feel for what Italian cities are like. You get a feeling that everything has been around for a long time. The cities aren't like Sydney with big towers and lots of glassy facades. Its much more organic which I can only really attribute to the stony, marbley look of the place. Everywhere you go there are reminders of the rich cultural background of this city, which are highlighted by the numerous museums that we failed to get to. So much cant be said of their football team though (haha...kekeke).