Early arrival in Honolulu, we were scheduled to dock at 7am. I got up at 6am to watch us arriving and had breakfast later. Our tour did not leave till 9.15.
We were going to see Oahu's East Side and Pali Lookout where King Kamehameha I forced hundreds of opponents to jump to their death from the cliffs in 1795. This win allowed him to unite the Hawaiian island under one king.
Our tour started with a drive by Waikiki Beach. A beautiful crescent of white sand, imported from Australia! There is lso a statue of a famous surfer who was born here. We continued along this beautiful coast and enjoyed glimpses of the ocean and beaches as we went.
Our first stop was inside Diamnd Head, an extinct volcano. It got its name by British sailors in the 1800's who mistook the glittering crystals in the lava rocks for diamonds. The crater itself is huge, several km's in diameter. It is now home to many different birds and trees, some of the birds are also common in Australia. The Indian Myna Bird, a pest and very aggressive, brought in from India at some stage, and the Spotted Dove, a nice gentle pigeon. There are others too, but these I saw in several places through Hawaii. The outside edge og the crater housed several bunkers with cannons used during WWII. Not all of them pointed the right way when Hawaii was invaded!
Further along the coast we stopped to have a look at a blowhole and beach. This sandy beach is the most threacherous in Hawaii because of currents and rips, plus sharp rocks etc. that people cut themselves on and need help to shore. The Blowhole was cute, the winds were not coming in the right way for a very good display, but I think Kiama's is better on a good day.
We drove on to Ulupo Heiau a sacred site built during the 1400's as a sacrificial site and built of rocks and is flat on top. The road wound its way up to the Pali Lookout. It is a very windy place 300m above the sea. Here King Kamehameha fought his famous battle. Now there are a few dozen chooks who live here and a dozen cats. One chickenhad a couple of small chicks, another halfgrown ones. One of the cats was bit the worse for wear with a sore leg.
As we left to return to Honolulu a shower started, but by the time we reached the outskirts of town it had stopped. I arrived home for lunch and in the afternoon worked a bit more on my cross stitch. It was nice and quiet with most people on tours or out exploring on their own or shopping to boost the local economy.
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