We were up early yesterday as we were driving upto the North Shore to check out the surf scene up there. This part of Oahu is famous for its big waves and I wanted to explore some of the beaches although perhaps not go out on my little boogie board myself!
The drive was again rather stressful to start with as we had to drive on Highway 1 and 2 which in parts are 6 lanes and busy. But as we left Honolulu behind and got onto the 80 and then the Kamehama Highway it all became a lot more laid back. We drove along past mountain ranges with our rooftop down- even though it was raining at times. The views were spectacular as we drove past pineapple and sugar cane plantations.
After about an hour we reached Haleiwa which looked like a Wild West town and very picturesque. However, we decided to head straight through as we were on a bit of a mission to fit things in today and had left a bit later than we meant to.
So then we drove on to the fabulous stretch of beaches with a first stop at Ehukai where the professional surfers were putting on a bit of a display. This is the home to the world famous Banzai Pipeline surf spot and it was awe inspiring to watch as these crazy dudes tackled the big waves. Mind you this is only later Summer and it’s only in Winter that you get the really huge waves that this place is famous for. There was a small crowd gathered here to watch the daredevil display and we were perched on a ridge of sand which was being eroded away..maybe most recently by the hurricane?
We then drove further along the coast to Sunset Beach. Here there seemed to be a lot of people off tour buses admiring the view but very few people in surfing. It was very idyllic with its bendy palm trees.
By now we were feeling like some refreshment so we drove back into Haleiwa to the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice store. This place has been serving this Hawaiian speciality since 1959 and today it was teeming with tourists queuing up to have their share. We queued too and watched as the machine shaved the ice then a lady mounded into a dome and then two men poured our chosen flavourings over it. Along the way it was quality checked for shape and flavouring. We had a Hawaiian obviously which was pineapple, coconut and banana. It is basically a Slush puppy but very acceptable.
We then had a quick bagel to share at the Konos cafe (quirky surfer dude place with a chicken on the table. Yes….an actual rooster). That’s normal here right?
Then we joined the by now very slow line of traffic making its way along the beach coast road. Very hectic on a Sunday afternoon.
We drove back along to Sharks Cove which Jane had discovered as a good snorkelling spot. It was very weird…it’s basically a pool surrounded by a lava wall and inside its very shallow but you can snorkel and see wonderful sea life. Why on earth they want to live here with all these big footed boobies is anyone’s guess. But despite the crowds we still had a lovely time spotting lots of different fish. At one point it was raining and there was a rainbow overhead. Perfect!
To finish off our day we drove into the Waimea Valley Park and had a quick look back at the beach..very beautiful and then made our way back home through the busy roads and rain.
When we got back it was late , we had acquired an amber warning light on the car , which we ignored and we were completely exhausted. All that surfing!
So of course it was now time to go out shopping at the Sheraton for Mike’s Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirts. Lucky boy. We had dinner tonight at The Yard House where Jane drank a half yard of ale and I had another Lava Man (my new favourite). And we then picked up pudding ..ice cream from Glacé…I had the most delicious Coconut Ice cream in a cone and Jane had Salted Caramel in a bowl which got very messy! Even their spoons were shaped like surfboards which seemed an apt end to a splendid day.
Where shall we go to next? 