Round to the ends of the earth....or at least the end of Oahu

Before Christmas (I know, I'm way behind) we rented a car and took a trip around the island. Our main idea was to get out of town and away from the crowds. We also wanted to hike to the north west point of the island called Ka'ena Point.

There used to be a road that circled the whole island, but this part of it has fallen into disrepair and is no longer accessible by vehicles. Even four wheelers have a hard time getting through some area, and now the final point has been turned into a nature reserve and sanctuary. We started the hike at the Dillingham airfield side.
This photo is as you first set out



From what I can gather, there are two main reasons the area is now a nature reserve and sanctuary. The first is that the dunes, which once covered large parts of the coastal areas in the islands, are now in danger of disappearing because of tourist building and development along the shoreline. The dunes were lovely - and they also protect inland areas from the crashing surf - the waves in this area can hit 50 feet in the winter!

The other is that it a nesting ground for the laysan albatross...and yes I had to stop and recite a little of Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge when I saw them, though the only part I can remember these days is:

Water, water everywhere
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, every where
Nor any drop to drink.

I think Mr Clatworthy, 3A1 (?) at Alderman Cogan would be proud that I can still remember that much 30 years later!

The albatross have a huge wingspan. According to http://www.nhptv.org/NatureWorks/laysan.htm it is over 6 feet.

They were a beautiful sight soaring through the air, but quite ungainly once they made land. Not surprising really since the website also indicates that the birds only come to land to nest: they usually spend their time at least 30 miles out at sea. So for the first five years or so, the chicks never come to land. We had timed our visit with their nesting period, and it was pretty cool to see them swooping around overhead and squawking to each other from the nests. We even had to duck a couple of times as they seemed to be coming a little too near! Unfortunately this photo doesn't really do them justice, but if you click on it, you may get an idea of how long the wing span is.




This photo is of the nests...again if you click on it, you should be able to see the birds a little more clearly.





The hike was about 6 miles round trip. It was pretty easy going and mainly flat; but the huge pot holes and ruts sometimes gave us problems because they were so big to get around and so muddy! It was great to get out and get wind blown though. Just what we needed. The views from the point were also gorgeous. These are looking to the south. Next time we want to try the hike from that side.






We were also fortunate enough to see some whales blowing off in the distance for the point and are now hooked on trying to spot the every time we go out. It is a pretty amazing sight to see them blow and then flip.














The rest of the day was pretty stormy, though we had a great lunch at Pizza Bob's in Haleiwa as always, and got to see some good sights off the road that we wouldn't have reached if we had been on the bus. The last photos were taken on the windward coast on the way back down to Honolulu. We know know why it is called the "windward" side - it was ferocious!

Kung Hey Fat Choy...

Yes, I know it's a little late, but Kung Hey Fat Choy to everyone.... "Happy New Year" in Cantonese.

It is now the Year of the Ox. According to the trusty local news in Hawai'i, it should be a bullish year as it is the year of the ox under the earth element. The ox is known to be tolerant, able, and patient and can be relied upon to complete the task in hand and to remain loyal. Next year is the year of the tiger, a year of unpredictability, so we should work hard this year and prepare for the next!

Apparently Barack Obama is an Ox, born under the element of metal. Earth Oxes are the most hard working of us all: workaholics who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. They have the strength of metal. Hopefully that means he will do a good job!

I am a Horse. I get on well with Tigers, Rams, Roosters and Dogs. I am, however bored by the Ox, who appears to the Horse as a stick-in- the- mud! I was also born under the element of fire and found the following piece from the http://chinatownhi.com interesting:

The Horse likes to have the support and encouragement of others despite the fact he/she can't stand petty rules and regulations. If he/she feels you are behind him in his endeavor then you can point the way and criticize all you like, but if he/she feels you are not trying to support him/her then he will become defiant. He/she can be a tireless worker and enjoys a challenge. Success is very important to the Horse. It can become the foremost item in his/her life and can be an obsession. Sorry to say, the business executive who works till he/she drops is most probably a Horse. Should the Horse fail at his/her work, unlike the Dragon who will bounce back, the Horse will recover slowly, if at all. Remember, to the Horse, success means everything and to fail is a humiliation. The Horse is conservative with his/her money and manages it well. He/she enjoys traveling and loves exotic places. During some stage of his/her life, he/she may live abroad in order to have a different life experience. He/she will be at ease with this as the Horse is an adaptable being who enjoys having variety in his/her life. He/she may even try several different careers on for size before he/she selects one that offers him/her the challenge and variety he/she requires. He/she will excel in any job which calls upon him/her to interact with people. He/she will like school only if it is challenging and ever changing. Routine and boredom will cause him/her to make drastic changes in his/her life.

I also thought the tiger description was Nick to a T: he is a Water-Tiger

The Tiger adores a challenge and competition. He/She is prepared to take risks in business as well as his/her love life if something catches his/her imagination. He/She will risk everything for what attracts his/her fancy. He/She will not be bound by convention or the dictates of others. It is not surprising to see the Tiger cast off his job , position or marriage in order to go off and do what he/she wants to do. The Tiger has a restless nature and will experience freedom at all costs. Once the Tiger has acquired this new life, new romance, new thing that was so tantalizing to him/her, he/she will soon tire of it and cast it away. It is imperative for the Tiger to continue having the feeling that he/she is free to do as he/she wishes. He/she loves challenges and sometimes the "getting" of the thing he/she has gone after is the best part of the experience for him/her. The chase is the "thing". Once the thing has been "gotten" the allure is no longer there. The Tiger is so impulsive that he/she himself/herself regrets his/her own impulsiveness, but he/she cannot help himself/herself. He/she is quick to act on those yearnings which engulf him/her. It is difficult for the restless Tiger to enjoy a great deal of success because he/she never sticks to anything long enough to accomplish the goal in which he/she sets for himself.

Because of constant change in his/her life it is a good thing that he/she is adaptable. He/she has an adventurous spirit and doesn't want to settle in one place for any length of time. In the early stages of life, The Tiger most likely will change career paths several times, his/her jobs, his/her residences and his/her romances. The Tiger is surprisingly honest and forthcoming in his/her dealings with the people in his/her life. He/she will not sneak out of a job or relationship. He/she will confront the people to be told and tell them he/she is moving on. He/she sees nothing wrong with this behavior and thus is not ashamed of living his/her life according to his/her own wishes. Courage comes into play again as the Tiger faces life head on. He/she hates any sort of hypocrisy or falsehood and doesn't see why people have to lie to each other. He/she can be rebellious especially against any form of petty authority. The Tiger never avoids his God-given right to stand up for himself/herself and express his/her opinions. If someone must be confronted, the Tiger doesn't shirk his duty from lack of courage. This tendency can make him/her a natural leader and his/her adaptability could make him/her a natural for the armed services if he/she could avoid feelings of rebelliousness for authority. Very few are to found in the military due to the failure of the Tiger to obey orders.

The Tiger is independent and rarely asks help from others. He/she does not like to give others credit for his/her accomplishments and doesn't suffer from false humbleness. He/she is too honest for that. He/she is generous and a little too much of a spendthrift. (a little, I say?!)

And here is our compatibility rating:
Horse & Tiger The optimistic personalities of the Horse and the Tiger make them a good pair. They each need independence and understand that need in the other. As lovers they will flourish. Their overall compatibility rating is 90%.

Hanakapi'ai Falls, Kauai

Well, I haven't been keeping up with the blog very well the last month or so, but here is a video Nick shot of the waterfall we hiked to on the NaPali Coast in Kauai last weekend. It was about 8 miles there and back and the scenery was spectacular. The hike was fairly tough: very up and down and VERY wet - our boots are still covered in red mud! I had a muddy bum when we finished too after I preferred to do one steep downhill sitting down rather than risk slipping and going over the edge! I will upload more photos soon...