First Stop: Hawaii!

Hawaii makes a perfect rest stop on the way to New Zealand. Because the New Zealand semester does not start until mid-February, my family and I took advantage of the extra time by spending a week on Kauai. I’m all packed and ready for my semester abroad, but why not enjoy a little R and R in this island paradise:

This photo was taken on the hike we went on during our first full day on in Hawaii. We spent most of the time there trying to see all of the different parts of this small island, from the rainy north shore to Waimea canyon, where we also, unfortunately, experienced rain. We also spent some good quality time at the various beaches in Poipu, the area where we stayed. We saw humpback whales, spinner dolphins, and monk seals all from the shore. On land, the creature we encountered most often was the chicken. Wild chickens (blown from their coops during a hurricane) have overrun the island. And as our tour guide said “they have no natural predators on the island, not even humans. We get our chicken from Cosco!”

In addition to fresh fish, we ate a lot of tropical fruits, including coconut, pineapple, star fruit, papaya, rambutan, banana, passion fruit, guava, and dragons eye.

Of the many things we did, the highlights include a morning bike ride all around the Poipu area and Koloa town, which included a delicious break for shaved ice. Another highlight was the guided trip we took to “secret falls”. In a group, we kayaked up the Wailua River about 2.5 miles and then hiked in another mile to a waterfall and swimming hole. The water was COLD but it was a journey well worth the view at the end.