Kaua'i

Wailua Falls

Kauapea "Secret" Beach with View of Kilauea Lighthouse

Kalalau Valley

with Ohia Lehua Flowers in Foreground

Humpback Whales off Na Pali Coast

Nēnē (Hawaii State Bird)

at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Returning to New Zealand

Hawaii - Big Island

On the "Big Island" of Hawaii, we enjoyed staying in the bottom level of this luxurious tropical retreat. It featured an outdoor kitchen, and we ate avocados and papaya from the property.

Our Place

One night, we had my sister and brother-in-law over for dinner. They were also on the island-- celebrating their first wedding anniversary. Here we are preparing filet mignon, shrimp kabobs, and salad.

Making Dinner

Can you find the lizard?

The Big Island is the largest, youngest, and most volcanically active of the Hawaiian chain. As we speak, a new island--called Loihi--is forming below the sea's surface. But don't pack your bags yet; it's not expected to emerge for at least 10,000 years.

We spent a day in Volcanoes National Park, where you can drive across vast swaths of lava flows and formations.

Sea Arch at Volcanoes National Park

For the last several years, Jeremy has been working on climbing the high points of all fifty US states. On the Big Island, he took a special trip to the top of Mauna Kea, Hawaii's high point.

Jeremy on Mauna Kea

Sunset on Mauna Kea

Jeremy's 36th birthday fell during our trip. He decided to celebrate by a day of bird watching, followed by a pizza dinner at Costco, wearing his new Hawaiian shirt.

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

Oahu - Pearl Harbor

As part of our upside-down world, we have traveled to the United States for vacation. Realizing our tenth wedding anniversary was just around the corner, we decided to celebrate with three weeks in Hawaii.

In our ten years of travel, we've visited several tropical locations, but this is our first time to America in the tropics. Hawaii has Safeway, Wal-mart, and (to Jeremy's great delight) Costco! We have enjoyed purchasing our familiar treats, and I have at this point had my fair share of Tostitos and cheese dip, Wheat Thins, and Fig Newtons. It is also funny to be able to speak freely in the grocery store without causing other customers to turn around to see who the American is. Disturbingly, Jeremy really wants to drive on the left, but there have been no close calls.

Our first stop in Hawaii was the island of Oahu--home of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. Friends of ours--from the job I left back home--have taken a temporary assignment in the Honolulu area, and we were able to stay with them for the week. They even gave up their master bedroom and bathroom for us! We enjoyed spending time with them and learning about life on America's tropical state.

A highlight of this island was visiting the solemn memorial and active naval base at Pearl Harbor.

We didn't go out to the actual USS Arizona Memorial. The boat shuttle was not running due to severe gale winds. However, we were able to view the resting place from a short distance.

USS Arizona Memorial

We also visited the USS Missouri--the site of the Japanese surrender in WWII. Now decommissioned, the ship was active in WWII, Korea, and the Persian Gulf; it currently serves as a museum.

USS Missouri

As an added bonus, we were able to watch a submarine pull into port while standing near the Missouri.

Sub Coming In

We also got to see F-22 fighters fly over several times. Wow.

F-22 Raptor