Tuesday, 30th September 2014 - Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

 We were still sailing when we had breakfast this morning, so had a good view of the islands as we approached Maui.
The ship anchored off shore and we took the tender across, thinking we would have a look around before it got unbearably hot. But it was already very humid and by the time we had found a post office and stopped to write messages to the grandchildren it was very sweaty. They will just have to put up with a very hastily scribbled note this time.
Lahaina is a pretty little town - a bit like Byron Bay in a way. All handmade souvenirs and organic type shops built in colonial/plantation style. No building is allowed to be higher than a tall coconut tree so no high-rise condos or glitzy buildings here.
After we had walked the length of the waterfront in both directions (quite a long walk as it happens) we caught the tender back through the heavy surf and surfers to the boat and air conditioning. Our balcony is on the land side at the moment so we have lovely views of Maui while we read.

Looking out towards Lahaina

In a way a lot of the islands remind us of Banks Peninsula - little if any vegetation and very brown, although the mountains are probably more mountainous than the Port Hills. The other thing that has struck us is how very blue the sea appears - like writing ink from primary school days, similar to the caldera around Santorini.

May give the formal dinner option a miss tonight and sit up on deck to watch the scenery we are passing until dark.

Monday, 29th September, 2014 - Nawiliwili, Kaua'i, Hawaii

Last night, being our first on board we were not quite sure what to expect. Dinner was open and no set seating. We were almost dumped down at a table with a variety of people including one couple we had met at the lifesaving drill who live in Bathurst (opposite the St Pat's playing fields you pass just before turning into Eleven Mile Drive.) They were nice enough but you don't travel all the way to the USA to sit with people from Bathurst. But there was only one seat available so we were given a table to ourselves. Luckily there was some nice grilled fish with papaya and mango salsa on the menu so we enjoyed dinner. Probably a bit of a mistake to go up to one of the entertainment lounges afterwards, but enjoyed chatting with the husband and wife team providing the music as we comprised the entire audience and they were from Vancouver and quite interesting.
The ship sailed overnight (which is a bit of a pity given we are here to see the passing scenery) and we woke to stunning views of oil refinery tanks and dock buildings.
We hadn't bothered booking an excursion (visit to a coconut processing factory or pineapple history museum, anyone?) but noticed while we were having breakfast, a steady stream of shuttle buses ferrying people to beaches and shopping centres.
Given the lack of suitable formal wear we decided to jump on the KMart shuffle and I managed to find a pair of black evening trousers for about $20 that should suffice. Still a very disappointing shopping experience and so different from what we remembered but that was 27 years ago and we were living in Christchurch at the time so may have viewed the shops differently - or maybe we have been spoilt in Australia.
Very poor internet signal at the moment. More later ...
Spent the afternoon reading and swimming then taking in the view from the top deck when we started the next leg of the journey at 4.30.
Dinner tonight was at our assigned seating - having booked early, requested and been promised a table for two, we were somewhat pissed off at being put at a table for 8. Of the 8, three were Chinese who don't speak English ( but do giggle a lot), the couple from Bathurst (she works for the mapping dept, he is a semi-retired road line painter) and a quite interesting dude called Roger who lives on Maui.
So there you go. We may or may not bother with the formal night tomorrow and we have no excursions booked though table mate Roger says Maui has an interesting history.

                                                                       Passing scenery

Sunday 28th September - Honolulu Hawaii

A quiet overcast and occasionally rainy day. We don't have to check out of the apartment till midday which is good and we can go straight to the boat then, anyway.
I don't know what the likelihood of WiFi is on board though I suppose there are computers for hire, so I though t I would put up a short post now and expand it later if I can.

                                                 Differing views of Honolulu

As suspected if they can charge you for it, it's available - at a price and boy do they charge for WiFi. But at least it is available.

It was a fairly simple procedure getting to the ship which is docked in Pearl Harbour. Although we were an hour or so before boarding time we were sent straight through onto the ship in plenty of time for lunch. After that a few minutes wandering revealed the pool, the theatre, the library and the internet room with the bonus of someone there to help with any problems.

We are enjoying seeing how seriously the yanks take their security and have just enjoyed a display of precision formation flying from the air force. Quite spectacular. You would' t want to deviate from your flight plan if you were one of those pilots!

This is a small ship - only 600 or so passengers and very "country manor house" in style - lots of dark wood panelling and big armchairs. 

Tonight's excitement is lifeboat drill at 5 but we might not get any dinner as I appear to have forgotten to pack a dress. I have the shoes, handbag and jewellery to go with it but just no dress. How stupid can you be. Still looking for a shop will add some focus to on-shore time tomorrow.

Our home for the next few days.

Saturday, 27th September 2014 - Honolulu, Hawaii.

Following last night's spectacular sunset, we were treated to another light show at 7.45 pm. Although I had known there were fireworks on a Friday I had thought they were off the main beach and we would miss them as we do not overlook Waikiki itself. However it turns out they are the climax to a Friday evening dinner show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village directly opposite our unit. So for once we were in a prime position. Sadly my fireworks photo taking skills do not measure up to those of my brothers as can be seen below. (I must try and work out how to use the zoom. I'm sure there is a zoom there somewhere).

So lots of entertainment and, going by the noise drifting up from the streets below, lots of revelry around, just like Manly on a Friday night.
This morning we woke to leaden skies, but the overnight rains do seem to have taken some of the humidity out of the air. The clouds gradually dispersed through the morning, the bands and marching teams came out in full force to celebrate the Aloha Flower Festival and the "trumpets" ( or should that be "trumpers"?) resumed their positions lolling around the pool in the Trump Hotel just opposite.

             Trumpets lolling around the pool (middle right) at the Trump Hotel.

Geoff had always wanted to go to the pink palace (I think it is the Royal Hawaiian) on Waikiki so we headed there for lunch. Interestingly it is very similar to the Grand Pacific in Fiji in that old colonial way but with nothing to recommend it beyond that.
Still we had a pleasant enough lunch peering through hundreds of  beach umbrellas to the sea.
Obviously the sea was the afternoon drawcard and after that we decided to return to the Shore Bird (thank you Hamish) for a final farewell drink.

 So what are our thoughts? This is actually quite important/interesting if you were dying to go to Hawaii for a holiday.
Don't.
The Gold Coast, Maloolooba, Fiji

and heaps more places in Oz are just as nice/much better and oh so much cheaper.
But we always wanted to come back and we are glad we did. We won't need to again.
We have enjoyed our stay here - it's a lovely apartment - and tomorrow we move on.

Americans seem to anticipate Halloween as far in advance as Australians do for Christmas.



We have visited the hotel of 27 years ago and checked out all the lifts but no sign of Glop.
Glop is gone.
Farewell Glop!

Friday 26th September, 2014 - Honolulu, Hawaii

As Hamish pointed out, it was the ShoreBird Bar (not the Sandbird) I was referring to in last night's post about karaoke.
We wandered a bit further along the beach for lunch yesterday, ending up at the Terrace at the Halekulani Hotel which is much more upmarket than where we are staying though we probably have much more space and better views for quarter the price which makes me happy.
Lunch was pleasant but nothing to blog about (a sandwich) so then we visited the local ABC, Waikiki's expensive answer to an upmarket 7/11 and finally made it to the beach for a swim in blissfully lukewarm water.
It cooled down quite noticeably by early evening so we were able to sit out on the balcony, apparently referred to as Lanai here and watch the yachts enjoy a sunset sail.
All very picturesque.

                                                 Sun setting over Waikiki.

Thankfully this morning we were not rudely awoken by hotel employees, so had breakfast on the Lanai then set out to tackle public transport and access the shopping centre.
The bus across the road took us right to the far side of Ala Moana shopping centre then it was just a couple of blocks walk to Walmart where we thought we'd get a huge choice all in one place. How wrong we were. But as Geoffrey pointed out Walmart was a concept that worked well a couple of decades ago but isn't working now. So we found the bus again and headed home.
Surprisingly, the restaurants round here - or at least those we have ventured into, which aren't many - don't seem to do seafood like Sydney does. Lunchtime offerings are mainly sandwiches and hamburgers. But we found some exceptionally good fish and salad in the end.

                                                            First the red ...

                                                            .... then the purple
More swimming then time to retire to the balcony for the late afternoon/evening sunset spectacular.
We are expecting great things of this evening.

                              We watched as this ship cruised through the setting sun

Thursday 25th September, 2014 - Honolulu, Hawaii

Dates are a bit confusing as we left New Zealand on Thursday morning and arrived here on Wednesday night having crossed the international dateline en route. So now we are having Thursday morning again.
The flight from Auckland was long (8.5 hours), but actually not nearly as tedious as we had been anticipating. In contrast to LA airport, entry to the USA in Honolulu was quick and easy. The online visas all worked perfectly, we were photographed and fingerprinted and Aloha! that was it. Despite the AustPost travelsim not working and therefore my phone being useless, we were able to ring the hotel and find a taxi. Because we are staying in a condo managed by Outrigger hotels, they had to send someone over to let us in. Hard to see where exactly we were in the dark so was good to find in the morning that the apartment does look out over the sea - though not down over Waikiki Beach to Diamond Head as I had thought, but up the other way over Fort de Russy and further round to the port and airport and the building is right on the beach so quite handy.
We decided to go next door to the Outrigger Reef hotel and find something for a late light dinner and ended up at the SandBird Bar - a big open air bar and grill on the beach that we enjoyed visiting last time we were here about 27 years ago. It's much the same but unfortunately has karaoke every night. Drunken Japanese renditions of Unchained Melody are not the most enjoyable musical accompaniments to dinner.
So it was fairly late when we got to bed and we were not thrilled to be woken shortly after 7 by a loud continuous knocking on the door. The landline phone in the unit was apparently not working which meant they hadn't been able ring and get my credit card details off me last night, so they had sent someone to fix it. Very disconcerting when you're still in bed asleep.
Today we're just mucking around but will tackle Ala Moana shopping centre tomorrow.
In the meantime we're tracking down Glop!

                                         
                                             View from window taken in a hurry

Revival - 25th September, 2014; Auckland, New Zealand

Taking the long way round to Hawaii, we flew into Auckland late last night. The hotel was just across the road which made things a little easier - no looking for taxis.
We flew with Air New Zealand (hence the Auckland stopover) on their economy works passage which promises you a spare seat in the middle and access to the Koru Club lounge - essential for those of us who make an art form out of arriving at airports super early. Plenty of time to play with the pancake machine.
The next flight is a long one so I might have to watch Finding Nemo again. I finally watched Frozen all the way through on the Trans-Tasman sector so now understand the story but not necessarily the popularity of the movie. Nor can I work out why all the little girls are obsessed with Elsa when Anna is the obvious heroine. But who really cares.
More worrying is that rain is forecast on all four days we are in Honolulu. That would be a pity.
No pictures today. The inside of the lounge here doesn't warrant one.