Up at 4am, out of the house by 4.30, arrive at the Honolulu Zoo parking lot before pick up time of 5.10am. Take about 10 minutes to work out how to use the pay machine, things are pretty dark at that hour, thank goodness for our torch!
Picked up by Alex from Ohau Photography Tours a pretty laid back surfer type of guy, there are 5 others on the tour. A couple from Perth, a couple from Atlanta and a girl from NZ. We head to a beach (too early in the morning have forgotten the name now!) to wait for the sunrise and to take photos. Really lovely, a nice breeze from the tradewinds keeping it cool. Some fabulous photos and on to our next location.
This was a great way to get to see some of the lower part of the island. We stopped at Makapu’u Lighthouse, a really pretty spot, didn’t do the hike just in the parking lot (phew!). Alex would suggest settings and ideas for framing pictures.
From here headed down to the beach area by the park, then to Waimanalo Bay a stunning beach with no one else on it, mind you it was still before 8am! From here we headed in land to look at the mountains in the hope that the sun would peek through the clouds and cast light on the mountains, it didn’t. The mountains were pretty amazing as they have all these deep ridges down them. The ridges are made by water. When it rains heavily the water pours down the mountains creating these ridges. It apparently looks quite spectacular in the rain as there is hundreds of waterfalls cascading down the sides.
Stop at a little general store in Waimanalo (which by the way is in the neck of the woods that we are staying in Kailua) for breakfast. Very yummy egg and bacon muffin for me, waffles for Q. Then on towards the city where we go to a little park that has a waterfall for some more pictures. Then back into the van and back to the zoo. Feels as if we have been awake for 12 hours but it is only just gone 10.30am.
We had paid for parking until 12.30, the zoo is very close to Waikiki so we decided to take a walk get a cold drink and Q could get his first glimpse of the madness that is Waikiki. Passed a Cold Stone creamy shop, yay, early, but still time for ice-cream, help cool us down as by now it is scorching. Damn, don’t open until 11am, still 15 minutes to go. Cross to the other side so Q can view the beach, the Royal Hawaiian in the distance, slowly go to the next block, head back, arrive at Cold Stone at 10.55am, sit wait, it opens, we cool down. Bliss, time to head back to the car.
Head home to Kailua, dip in the pool, which to Q’s amusement I found freezing, he found wonderfully refreshing. I dipped then sat in the sun, he relaxed.
Head down to Kailua town, look around the shops, all pretty high end, have a late lunch, early dinner as it is now 3pm. Pizza at Californian Kitchen, with yummy peach lemonade. Not fizzy lemonade, but the old fashioned home made. They had Strawberry, raspberry, mango and peach. I asked our waitress which was the best flavour, she said peach, so I tried it, it was!
By the time we get home it is after 5, relax a little, get everything ready for tomorrows early start. Heat up left over pizza for dinner, go to bed. *sigh* long but good day.