Honolulu and Big Island

Hello everyone.

I'm back again with the next stage of our travels. It all comes to an end next week with our last stop and return home ready for Christmas festivities.

However, this time, I am reminded of that crazy day(s) when we crossed from Auckland to Honolulu and the International Dateline. It was a very long day, and my brain still can't deal with all that time travel. 

We were exhausted when we arrived in Honolulu, but somehow needed to stay awake for most of another day. Our hotel was across the road from the zoo, so that seemed a good place to while away an hour or two. It was very hot, and I'm sure the animals had better sense than we did as they found shelter from the heat. I was still able to take a few photos before we headed back to the hotel and collapsed for the evening.

We also visited the small aquarium that was not too far away.

We also visited. I found this sea dragon quite fascinating.

As we were only in Honolulu for a short time, we used the hop-on, hop-off buses to make the most of our time, including a visit to Diamond Head crater.

We also enjoyed walking along Waikiki beach and seeing the towering buildings along the skyline.

Of course, the one place we had to visit in Honolulu was Pearl Harbour.

Our first stop was at the Arizona Memorial, which is erected directly over the place where Japanese war planes sank the Arizona on the 7th December 1941. There is a small viewing area where you can see part of the Arizona itself, still in its watery grave, which holds the remains of so many brave sailors who lost their lives that day. I found it profoundly moving and shed a tear.

Above is the USS Missouri. On our visit, we were able to see the signed documents of Japan's surrender, signalling the end of World War II.

This was a memorable but very sobering day, but I'm glad that I was able to visit.

From Honolulu, we journeyed on to the largest of the Hawaiian islands, known as the Big Island.

The condo we stayed at was amazing, and I would have happily stayed there for the rest of the holiday.

The following day, we drove across the island from one side to the other to visit the National Volcano Park. Yes, this is also the place where the Kilauea volcano has been erupting over the last few weeks with great gusto. It is one of the world's most active volcanoes. We were there for only about 10 days before its current eruptions, and you can see the steam rising from vents in the crater.

On the way back to our condo, we also stopped at Rainbow Falls for some more breathtaking views. The falls got their name because, on a sunny morning, you can see rainbows in the mist thrown up by the waterfall. Sadly, it was late afternoon by the time we got there, but it was still spectacular to see.

We spent the rest of our time on the Big Island relaxing and enjoying the beautiful and varied scenery.

Next week will be my final holiday post. 

Have a good week everyone, while I try and get on with some Christmas preparations instead of dreaming of our next adventure. 

B x