Hawaii Part II

On Monday morning we took the truck (large bakkie) which the Wheelwrights were lending us and drove along the Kamehameha Highway which runs along the coast of the North Shore. We passed Hukilau Beach, Malaekahana State Park, Turtle Bay Resort Beach, Kawela Bay, and then came to Sunset Beach. We stopped and went walking along the beach. It was so beautiful. The water was the perfect temperature too. Cool and refreshing, but not cold. The beach part was sloped a fair amount, but I presume that is what produces the huge waves during the winter time. The were some pretty cool looking beach houses there too. I picked up some shells and thought about how much my gramps would love to be there and I wished he was. We then headed back to the truck and drove on.

Rob - Sunset Beach

So pretty but huge drop off producing big waves

I felt so happy to stand in beach sand smelling the ocean air

Being at the ocean makes me happy

We drove until we came to Waimea Bay (passing by Banzai Pipeline). That was really beautiful too. The bay is at the end of a valley, called Waimea Valley, which is a lush green rainforest. We walked along the beach and enjoyed the cool breeze coming off the water. The waves were all dumpers and so there was just one swimmer out there. We then drove up Waimea Valley and went on a 1 mile walk. The plant life was pretty and really tropical. They even had a chocolate tree. Rob was getting bitten alive by mosquitoes and they weren't coming near me. Some really nice tourist from California gave Rob two sachets of repellent to use. After we walked about a mile we came to a waterfall which fell into a decent size water hole about 30 feet deep. We decided to swim up to the waterfall. The water felt freezing at first, but within minutes it was great! The current from the waterfall was strong and took some real effort to swim through it. But it was really refreshing and we stayed in for a long time.

Waimea Bay

Sanding in the water coming out of the valley flowing into the ocean

The life guards hang all the things found on the beach on this tree.

Waimea Bay from the parking lot

Waimea Valley

Along the Waimea Valley mile walk

It's a rain forest! So pretty!!

Along the Waimea Valley walk

At the end of the walk

Swimming by the waterfall in the Waimea Valley

We then walked back to the truck and drove back to Laie to get some food. We drove around a little more (I think as far south as Kahana Beach - see the map above) and then decided to go snorkeling at Shark's Cove, which was right before Waimea Bay. The water was a wonderful temperature and so I had little trouble getting in. Shark's Cove is sheltered by the coral reef and so there are no waves and hundreds of fish of all different kinds. It wasn't very deep but it felt like another world below the surface of the water. It made Rob and I really want to go diving at some point. 

Shark's Cove

Surf shop along the highway

In the evening we had dinner with the Wheelwrights and a short Family Home Evening where I was asked to give the lesson. We talked about the Priesthood and I think President Wheelwright was surprised by how much I understood and said, "I think we'll have you come give a devotional on the Priesthood!"