Tag Archives: Hawaii

Hawaii Time

We recently got to take another great trip. Like last year, we were back in Hawaii and most of the time was spent on Kauai with a bit of time on Maui at the end. There is no disguising it – Hawaii is a great place to go. Whether it is the beautiful scenery, the activities to be done or the chance to just relax away from everything for a while, it is a great spot.

We did a bunch of stuff while we were there and this is going to drip feed into the blog in the coming weeks. So much to see and report you will be sick of it before too long. However, I will try and intersperse a few other bits into the stream so you don’t feel it is too one-sided. Besides, where are the planes?

Pearl Harbor

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We didn’t spend a lot of time on Oahu but there were a couple of things we wanted to do while we were there. One of those was making a visit to the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor. Since Pearl Harbor is such a pivotal moment in US history, it just seemed impossible to go to Honolulu and not visit the site. Obviously I am not alone in thinking this since the place is very busy and they advise that it can be quite a long wait to get there.

As it turned out, the timing was pretty good. Entry to the memorial is free (there are other exhibits nearby that do have an entrance fee but we didn’t have time to fit them all in). When you arrive, you get a timed entry card that has the time at which the visit will start. Ours was only forty minutes away when we arrived. While we were waiting, there were a number of exhibits to look at that discussed aspects of the attack and also memorials to other aspects of naval operations.

A visit to a war memorial of any sort is usually a harsh reminder of just how much loss occurs. The separation of time and experience makes it easy to lose track of just how much a global conflict does to people. There was a memorial to all of the submarines lost by the United States during WWII. It was a lot of submarines. On each stone was a brief history of the submarine and a list of the crew that were lost with the sub. Reading through the list was a sobering experience. That was going to be the theme for the whole day.

When our time slot came, we headed over the theater on the site. This was the beginning of the visit and included an introductory film that lasted approximately half an hour. This was a very well produced film that provided context for the lead up to war in the Pacific. It included the run up to the attack,the preparations that were in place at Pearl Harbor and the details of the attack itself.

The descriptions of the day and the footage that accompanied it (including film of the Arizona exploding) were so vivid, I doubt anyone in the room was not moved. It was certainly very quiet when the lights went up and everyone started filing to the boat.

The group was sized to fit on one boat to cross to the memorial and to have enough people to be on the memorial without making it too crowded. When we arrived, the previous tour boarded our boat to return. Having seen the memorial on TV many times, it was quite strange to finally see it in person. I guess I often experience this with famous landmarks.

The memorial is a very interesting place. Only one gun turret mount is visible above the surface so this is the first thing most people focus on. Then, as you move around, you start to make out more of the detail just below the surface. there are sections of the deck that are just below the surface that you can make out. (Polarized sunglasses are a benefit on this trip.) There is also still oil floating to the surface from the wreck, even after all of these years. The ship burned for three days after the attack so the fact that there is still anything coming out is amazing.

There was a park ranger on the memorial available to answer questions. While he seemed to enjoy presenting things in a dramatic style, he was a great source of additional information. The introductory presentations suggest that the reason that the crew were left in the boat was because it was a memorial. When he discussed exactly what happened during the explosion, you realize that there really wasn’t anything left to try and find. It was a horrifying end.

This brings me to something I was rather perplexed about. I took a lot of pictures while there (as is apparent from those attached to this post). I wanted to have something to remember the whole thing by. Obviously, everyone was taking a lot of pictures. However, what I couldn’t understand was people taking pictures of themselves on the memorial. I don’t normally ask people to comment but in this case, if you do have any thoughts, I would be interested to hear them.

I am happy to take our picture in front of scenic landscapes and famous cityscapes. However, when visiting a memorial to the death of over 1,100 people, it seems to me that having me grinning in front of it is an inappropriate thing to do. It is like people have forgotten exactly where they are for a moment. The mood on the memorial was generally what you would expect but this just seemed odd to me. Maybe I am out of touch on this.

This was a very interesting visit to make. I am very glad to have been there and would certainly recommend you go if you are in the area. It won’t be something that you necessarily “enjoy” but you will probably find it a very moving and thought-provoking experience.

Diamond Head Hike

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Just beyond Waikiki in Honolulu rises the remains of an extinct volcano. Diamond Head is the most obvious geological feature in the vicinity of the city and is a famous landmark. The crater (not such to be honest whether it counts as a crater or caldera but who is keeping score?) is home to a park. You can drive in to the park through a tunnel and then park up to climb to the top.

We took the advice of the guide books and went early in the day. Given how hot we got, I hate to think what those who went later in the day and had the midday sun to deal with felt like. It is quite an exertion. I don’t consider myself an athlete but I am not too out of shape either. This was quite a climb. There is a trail that is well maintained and the final stages include several flights of stairs – some quite steep.

When we reached the top, we were both pretty relieved to be there. It was worth it since the view across the city was very good. We enjoyed it a lot and anyone who suggests that our extended viewing was an excuse to take a rest can’t prove anything. The trip down was a lot better than the climb up!

Aerial Waterfall Adventure

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One thing you won’t be short of if taking a tour of Kauai is waterfalls. You have an island that has a lot of high terrain and a regularity of rainfall (including the wettest place on the planet) so that means there is lots of water making its way from the high ground to the sea. Sometimes that means taking the quickest route – off the edge.

Some of these falls can be seen from ground level and that is certainly worth doing. However, taking to the air gives you two advantages. First, you are above the terrain and can get a better view of the falls themselves. Second, since you are no longer constrained by the location of roads or trails, you have access to the more remote locations which also tend to be the sites of the more interesting falls.

We saw a lot of falls while we were up in the helicopter. Some of them we had seen on the ground but plenty of others we hadn’t. In truth, we saw so many we lost track of them. In some locations the water was running down in multiple locations so you couldn’t even say which bit was “The” fall. Others were a bit more obvious.

In the end, who cares. They all looked amazing. The scale of the scenery is such that a photograph can never truly convey what it was like to be there but hopefully they provide a taste.

Ziplining

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Recently, I bought myself a GoPro camera. They seem to be ubiquitous these days showing up on TV shows on a regular basis to provide the footage from unusual angles or mounted on fast moving items. They make good cockpit cameras as well and are really very affordable.

As part of the Kauai trip, we spent a few hours riding zip lines at Princeville Ranch Adventures. I took the GoPro along with us in case a good opportunity came up to use it. I was not alone as another person in our group had one. Originally, I had intended to get a head strap for the camera for use on the lines. Unfortunately, I didn’t order one in time before we left and couldn’t get one locally. GoPro stuff seems to sell out very quickly so I guess I am not alone in liking the gear.

As it was, I think this proved to be a lucky break. Since I didn’t have a mount, my only option was to handhold the camera. Since it has a very wide field of view, this can be done without needing too much accuracy in pointing. I could also then point the camera in any direction I wanted. Having a fixed wide view is not always ideal but it seemed to work pretty well.

From the footage I shot that day, I have put together a short video of the ziplining adventure. I don’t think it is going to win any awards and those people I know who are real editors will, no doubt, cringe at the quality of my cutting but it is a vacation memento at the end of the day so I am not going to get too bothered about it. Besides, as Vincent Laforet said in a recent interview, when you need editing done properly, get a proper editor to do it. You can’t do everything!

Here is the video. Hope it gives you a bit of a feel for a great day out.

Waimea from the Air

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For those of you following the posts closely – aren’t you all? – I previously reported on Waimea Canyon as seen from the ground, sometimes while wearing disintegrating hiking boots! I also mentioned that we were going back in a slightly faster form of transportation.

I have posted already about the article I was writing about Mauna Loa Helicopters, the company that we were using for our trip. I won’t duplicate much from the article – if you are interested, you can still see that piece here. Instead, I will just give you a selection of shots taken from the helicopter. We flew across the canyon later in the afternoon so the light was lower and a lot more attractive.

That time of day is also a time when clouds can start to build up so we did get some cloud cover as we flew in. However, that did not detract in any way from how amazing the place looked. Sometimes high overlooks provide a vantage point that doesn’t look too dissimilar from the view from a helicopter when you are flying in the canyon. However, I can assure you that the variety of views and the sights that are inaccessible from the road are one of the things that makes the flight so worthwhile. Having no doors only enhances the experience (and the photography!).

We spotted a number of locations we had seen previously. The rocky outcrop we came out onto was one we could see and the full falls that we had been near the top of were so much more impressive from this angle.

If money and time were no object, I would try this trip a number of times and at different times of day. There must be an ever changing variety of effects to see given the chance!

Waimea Canyon

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The Grand Canyon of the Pacific – that is one of the names that is given to Waimea Canyon on Kauai. It is a dramatic geological formation that runs through the middle of the island. The drive there is not a short one but it certainly is worthwhile. The scenery is dramatic and there are plenty of good locations close to the road from which to take it all in.

Over and above the easily accessible areas, there are plenty of hiking options available to take advantage of and, despite the fact the peak of the tourist season had passed, there were still a lot of people taking a walk through the wilds.

Our hiking activities did not necessarily go according to plan. We had picked a couple of trails that we wanted to explore, one before lunch and one after. We got to the first trail quite early as a result of starting out from the hotel promptly. There was an option to drive the first section if you had a 4×4 but we skipped that and trekked off. After the track ended and we were on the trail itself, we descended the hillside. All of this descending is one of those things you can’t help but be aware of when you know you are going to be coming back up the same way!

A little while later one of my boots suddenly felt like something was stuck on it. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Instead, the sole of the boot was coming away from the rest of the boot. No option but to turn around and head back to the car. The climb back up was just as I had imagined it would be. Meanwhile, the second boot was starting to disintegrate as well. These were boots I had owned for many years but hadn’t used for a while. I guess the material had aged and couldn’t hold together any longer. The separation of the sole got worse and we headed back up and one sole was gone by the time we reached the car and the other was almost done.

A change of shoes and we now went for a second effort. The time we had taken meant the sun was a bit higher in the sky and the temperature was a bit higher. We passed bits of the sole of my boots as we went and then got into new territory. Eventually we came out on an exposed area of rock with some excellent views of the surrounding canyon. A bit more of a descent and we came to the top of some waterfalls.

The return trip was a bit more effort than we were really ready for. The climb up was a steady effort but the higher sun was now making us a lot warmer. That, combined with having already made a round trip for part of the hike, meant we were feeling absolutely wiped out by the time the car came into welcome view. A short drive to a cafe and we ate and drank like we hadn’t seen food and drink for days! Needless to say, our enthusiasm for the second – harder – hike had waned and so we spent the rest of the time checking out overlooks closer to the road and enjoying the views from there.

Some of the overlooks had been bypassed on the way up but checking them out as we went back down the roads was very worthwhile. Some stunning scenery and some better views than from the very top of the canyon. We also watched a few of the touring helicopters which was part of our plan for the following day. I shall tell more about that in a coming post!

Evil Frigates

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Early in our visit to Kauai, we paid a visit to the lighthouse and wildlife refuge at Kilauea Point. We were there to see the lighthouse and the surrounding coast but the wildlife element was an interesting addition. There were tons of birds in the area. Along the cliffs we saw a lot of Red Footed Boobies. These are a pretty decent sized bird that is akin to a small albatross. The boards also mentioned the presence of frigate-birds. These weren’t close in but appeared to be out towards the lighthouse.

Once we got out on the peninsula on which the lighthouse sits, we became a lot more familiar with the frigate-birds. It turns out that they are something I have seen on one of the TV nature programs that the BBC produces in great detail every five years or so. Frigate-birds are a prehistoric looking creature. Their wings make them look like a pterodactyl and their beaks have a most evil looking hook on the end.

The thing that the TV show explained and that we got to see in action is their preferred method of getting food. The boobies head off out to see to catch fish. They bring the fish back in a pouch in their throat and then use it to feed the chicks. The frigate-birds are not so interested in making much of an effort so they hang around and wait for the boobies to return. They then attack them trying to make them spit out their catch. Nice, huh?

Anyway, we got to see this at close range. The frigate-birds would pick a target and go for them, sometimes in pairs. The attack would continue for some time as the boobies tried desperately to get out of the way. If they got close enough to the shore, that seemed to be good enough and they could get back to their roost. Otherwise, the frigate-birds would be pretty tenacious. Quite something to witness at close quarters!

Surfing in Paradise

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If I were to ask you what sport you would associate with Hawaii, it might depend on your age as to what you choose. If you are a bit older, it might be ocean going canoeing (is that how you spell it?) that you think of, perhaps accompanied by the theme to a 70s TV police show. However, if you aren’t in that group, your choice is more likely to be surfing.

Did I go surfing while in Hawaii? Ah, no. Did lots of other people go surfing while we were there? Oh yes. Half the vehicles we passed seemed to have a board on the roof or so it seemed. There were plenty of places to try your skills since most beaches seemed to have breaking surf in some areas. The large numbers of reefs might, of course, make some of those areas a touch risky.

Anyway, I didn’t spend a lot of time tracking down the surfers. Instead, we saw a bunch of people closer inshore not always on full surf boards. Here are some shots of the action we saw. One day I will have to make more of an effort to go out and shoot some surfing since it makes some great shots!

Na’Pali Coast

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One of the most stunning areas of the island of Kauai is the northwest coast, known as the Na’Pali coast. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on your point of view!) this part of the island is really hard to access. There are no roads that go out to the coast. There are hiking trails to get you there but these do require a fair amount of commitment on your part if you want to get there.

You can get boat trips to take you along the coast. These trips are not particularly cheap but they do appear to provide an interesting experience. We chose not to take one on this trip. Originally it was part of the plan but the week was starting to get a little overloaded and this was supposed to be a vacation.

We did, however, have a plan for seeing the coast and this, I would suggest, is probably the best way to see it. Go by air! There are many helicopter operators on the island that provide sightseeing flights. You can research which ones are of interest to you and why. We went with Mauna Loa Helicopters. They have smaller aircraft which we could charter for just ourselves. No need to share the ride with anyone else. Also, they are one of only tour operators that provide flights with the doors off. This certainly makes for a better photographic experience.

The tour covered the whole island but here I shall focus on the Na’Pali coast. You can choose the time of day for making the trip and this coast was the primary reason for me choosing a later afternoon flight. We had a 4:30 departure from Lihue and the flight lasted a little over an hour. Sunset was about 6:30 so, by the time we reached the Na’Pali coast, we were well into the gorgeous light.

The time of day can be a bit of a lottery since clouds can build up later in the day. Indeed, while we were further inland, there was a lot of cloud around that flattened out the light in some areas. Once, we reached the coast, however, the sky was clear and the light was gorgeous. To drop across the coast and see the beautiful scenery was a stunning experience. While I was shooting a lot on this trip, I did make the effort every once in a while to put the camera down and just soak in the outstanding views.

We ran along the coast and explored some of the deeper canyons and valleys that were on the coast. We saw the rock formation known as the Cathedrals. There were isolated beaches accessible only from the water and lots of cave along the rocky coastline. We even saw one of the tour boats. That was great because it reminded you of the scale of everything you were seeing.

Kauai is a beautiful island and the Na’Pali coast is one of the most beautiful parts. If you are there, I strongly recommend and aerial tour. It may be expensive but, if you have made the effort to go that far, don’t miss out on this experience.