A Most Bodacious Vaycay

More Hawaiian holiday moments

No images of the Domestic Surf God surfing were captured in the Hawaiian surf, as I was too busy watching the "grommets" and making sure they didn't get too "scubetubeular" (awesome underwater poundage).

DSG throwing himself into helping his "grommets" in the surf.

"Smiley Style"

"Boss" Bunny!

 Surf lingo was common to many of the people we met in Hawaii.

Granted we mostly spoke to people in surf shops, at the beach, by the beach, about the beach, leaving me feeling like I was in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Dude!

The surf was sometimes "mushburger" and at other times "flushopolis", but there were days when it was "cooking", but it was never "epic".

I was no "Betty" but I managed to balance on a paddle board down a creek with turtles. Smiley hitched a ride on the front and trailed his own organic palm frond boat.   

At Waikiki Smiley danced crazily on the front of my paddle board, but I managed to stay on and look cool.  Until a wave "jacked up" behind me I completely "flailed", "freaked out" and fell off the back, leaving Bunny to ride the board backwards down the thankfully "mushy" wave.  I surfaced to find him and many fellow surfers laughing at my "kook out" moment.

DSG came and swapped my big stable table paddle board in exchange for his "pig" of a hired Mal and left me with the "Groms".  

I struggled in with Smiley holding on to the front of the board, when suddenly his mouth filled, he looked at me with big eyes and vomited a lurid orange spew which drifted by us and blended with the setting Waikiki sun.

In Haliewa the boys picked up a couple of skateboards.

And the locals got into some big wheel action.

Shaved Ice was a favourite island treat

And the waterslides were most excellent at keeping the kids entertained after an all-nighter flight.

It was a totally awesome Vaycay.

 Mahalo for reading.

Aloha Hey

This post is a bit like our holiday to Hawaii, a little rushed.

With one week too play with we decided to avoid lining up with the hordes of tourists to ponder the tragedies of Pearl Harbour, pretend to run from dinosaurs in the great valley, hula along to the swinging hips at the Polynesian shows or fall for the consumerist trappings of outlet shopping.

Instead we went with our usual holiday activities of surfing, swimming and a little souvenir shopping thrown in.

We swam with turtles most days, except at Sunset Beach, where the boys surfed within metres of a sun lounging Monk Seal, named White Spot.

This is the best photo of a turtle I could manage, eventhough they were in abundance.

That dark blob to the left is a turtle watching Bunny and DSG paddle out to the break.

Unfortunately a stomach bug caused sleepless nights and more washing than desirable on holidays. I will carry the guilt of chastising Smiley for not joining in on the holiday party just before he vomited in the garden bed, outside a surf shop. The little trooper downed a blue Gatorade (see mouth) and found a local Haliewa dinosaur to climb on. 

Bunny and I got the dreaded bug the next day and here we are enjoying an orange Gatorade to match the Sunset. 

Noice.

Adventures with Bird Girl

This week we were fortunate to go birding and swimming in Rock Pools with Bird Girl.

Over the two adventures we spotted two baby Mao's and their Mamma Mao's, Samoa's National Bird, which is unfortunately on the endangered list.

This is Uri, he hasn't developed his tail or flying ability yet, but hops around with flair.

We learnt to listen for Mamma Mao calling him by his name "Uri" and his replies of short little mao's.

The boys loved their forest adventure.

Where no tree is just a single tree, but a layering of ferns, orchids, moss and a plethora of plant life.

Once the sound recorders were in place we explored the forest further.

In search of the Temple of the Octopus, the crumbling ruin of the pagan Octopus God. Who it is told made his way up the streams and waterfalls to make a home in a huge piece of coral in the forest.

Next door is a Banyan Tree House.

The tree house was magic

Knowledge was shared

Then it was time to jump in the truck and head to the swimming hole, Samoan style.

The boys swam Queensland rock pool style; jeans and no shirts

Our Sunday Rock Pool adventure turned out to be a little more than the gentle 5 minute walk in the forest and the steep slopes were slippery.  My white dress was not appropriate for this forest adventure.

The sweaty, hot trek through the forest was worth it once you plunged into the freezing cold water of the rock pool.

And the boys went off swords in hand for another forest adventure.