A day at the Outrigger Canoe Club, Waikiki Beach

Joined friends Frank and Sandi at the beautiful Outrigger Canoe Club on Waikiki Beach for scrumptious brunch (that stretched into lunch) and spent the afternoon on the beach swimming, chilling and enjoying all that is Waikiki!

View from our table of the club's private beach, the main beach and Honolulu in the distance.


Outrigger canoe, outrigger with sails and colourful yacht in the background.



Mark, Sandi & Frank at brunch.


Surfers in the waves just off where we were sat.


Four man outrigger canoes.


Beach we spent the afternoon chilling out on.


Another day in paradise!

Polynesian Cultural Centre

A day at the Polynesian Cultural Centre, representing seven islands of Polynesia. Learnt a ton and was loads of fun as well. Not to mention all the cute island guys!

Learning to make fire in replica of Samoan village.


Kids learning song with coconut shells.

Using husk from coconuts to start fire.
Amazing how all parts of the coconut find a use.


Tree climbing demonstration - he shot up really quickly...


And was quite a funny guy as well!



Traditional dance of the Maori.


Maori long canoe - capacity for about 36 people!


Rafts make their way along network of rivers in the centre, also used for floats procession at midday.


Traditional dress of Hawaiian Royalty.


Maori


Fijian


Tahitian dancers who knew how to shake it!




Traditional Hawaiian Nose Flute - no kidding! Really impressive.


Awesome Tongan drummers.


Samoan fire dancers in the evening show, unbelievable!

Surfer's Paradise - Hale'Iwa

Spent the day exploring the beautiful town of Hale'Iwa on the North Shore with Sandi - laid back surfer vibe, great little restaurants and shops you could get lost in for hours. Also drove through a sugar mill town and saw more of the gorgeous country side along the way!

Surf store, North Shore

The Hawaiin Alphabet only consists of 12 letters, including all the vowels. Lots of fun trying to get your tongue around some of the words!

More beautiful mountains in the North

Oldest bank in Hawaii, cool building though.

"I-SMILE" Pink Chevrolet. Oh so cool.

On the way back. The small gap between the mountains is where the Japanese planes came through undetected by radar when they attacked Pearl Harbour.

Chinatown Markets & Dancing Hula Dolls

A day exploring Honolulu. The streets and markets in Chinatown were buzzing with people browsing shops and vendors selling everything from fresh papayas to bamboo steamers. The afternoon around Aloha Tower, Market Place and the Maritime Centre.

Live frogs for sale for cooking!

All types of fresh fruit on sale.

Live catfish for sale as well!

Longest damn beans I've ever seen.

Giant crabs.

Aloha Tower, downtown Honolulu.

Aloha wear for sale.

Hula doll shaking her green plastic booty.

Amazing reef fish by the peers in the harbour.

Restored sailing vessel in the background.

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (or Reef Triggerfish) - national fish of Hawaii!

Maritime Museum