Week06

Week 6, Day 36

Canmore - Calgary <map>

125 kms

We sadly said farewell to Ron & Margaret after breakfast, and made the shortish journey back to a hotel at Calgary Airport. This was a brand new (4 month old) hotel in a newly developed airport industrial district. Charlotte (our GPS) didn't have the street in her database, so I chose the nearest street she did have and figured I could see the hotel from there. Well, it sort of worked! We ended up going cross country over a very rutted dirt road (sorry, Mr Hertz) but finally got there.

We decided to go for an early dinner somewhere locally, then fill the car's fuel tank in preparation for dropping it off at the hire car depot prior to checking in the following morning. The first bit (dinner) worked out OK, but when we came out of the restaurant, the sky to the east was black and the temperature had dropped about 10°. Hmmm. We checked out the hire car return at the airport and proceeded to the nearest petrol station. As we pulled up, the wind started howling, dust blew up everywhere, and it started raining. Maybe the weather gods were telling us it was time to leave? We got back to the hotel, by which time the temperature had dropped to about 5° and it was blowing (found out later) at about 40kts (80kph). The fun for the rest of the evening was watching a 'For Lease' sign on a nearby warehouse slowly demolish itself by stages - 'or Lease', then 'Lease', 'ease', 'se' and finally nothing.

Week 6, Day 37

Calgary - San Francisco <map>

Flying Time: 02:50

A quick breakfast, then off to return the car and check in. It was a bit on the cool side (1°!), the wind was still howling and there were funny white fluffy things throwing themselves at the windscreen. It was really time to leave!

The flight was pleasant, and this time (unlike the flight into Canada) there was very little cloud after we crossed the US/Canada border.

Fault Line anyone?

Believed to be part of the Haywood Fault Line north of San Francisco.

San Francisco CBD

A night in a hotel, then our flight to Honolulu and connection to Kauai.

Week 6, Day 38

San Francisco - Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii <map>

Flying Time: 05:00 + 0:45

After a not-too-onerous flight, we transited Honolulu and ended up in Lihue. We grabbed another hire car and headed off to the south of the island to our unit.

Parking at the resort reception - it's like being back in Nth Qld

We decided to check out one of the local 'food trucks' for dinner with a little Hawaiian flavour.

Not too bad!

Not as drastic as it looks. This food truck was actually recommended in the WestJet in-flight magazine as one of the top 4 on the island. The owner (the lady with her back to the camera) was chuffed when we told her that her truck had featured in the magazine.

Week 6, Day 39

Poipu - Waimea Canyon - Poipu <map>

80 miles (130 kms)

Today's trip was to one of the wonders of the island, and shows what erosion can do when nature puts her mind to it - Waimea Canyon.

Waimea Canyon (AKA "Grand Canyon of the Pacific")

Waimea Canyon Falls

Looking down onto the Na Pali coast from Pu'u O Kila Lookout

You can only access this part of the coastline by boat or helicopter - there are no roads here.

Native White Hibiscus endemic to Kauai and the area around Waimea Canyon

The trip back to the unit was via Waimea Village to visit our old friend, Capt James Cook, RN.

(Left) Plaque for 'Discovery' of Hawaii and (right) Capt James Cook

Interesting how times change. I suspect that these days this 150th anniversary plaque would be phrased a little differently, and may even have acknowledged the fact that Polynesian seafarers actually 'discovered' and settled the Hawaiian Islands about 1000 years before Cook arrived.

Week 6, Day 40

Poipu - Wailua Falls - North Shore - Poipu <map>

113 miles (182 kms)

Considering that Kauai is only 40kms wide and 30kms from north to south, we've certainly been racking up the miles!

First stop today was a lovely little set of falls a few kilometres off the main road around (part of) the island.

Wailoa Falls

Next stop was a lighthouse and wildlife reserve on the most northerly point of the island, Kilauea Lighthouse.

Kilauea Lighthouse and National Wildlife Refuge

There are 3 sections to the refuge and they exist mainly to protect the breeding sea birds from feral wildlife. The headlands in the photo above have been fenced off.

The Hawaiian state bird, the Nēnē or Hawaiian Goose.

The nēnē is considered 'vulnerable' by wildlife experts. It is thought that when Capt Cook arrived, there were about 25,000 geese in the islands, but by 1952 this had dropped to 30 birds thanks to predation by imported mongooses (mongeese?), pigs, cats and dogs. Breeding programs in Hawaii and at Slimbridge in the UK have brought the population back to about 2500.

Great Frigatebird at Kilauea Lighthouse

Further around the coast, the road stops as the terrain of the Na Pali coast blocks any chance of circumnavigating the island. For those with adventurous souls (and strong legs and backs), a walking trail runs a further 11 miles along the cliffs.

North Shore of Kauai

Week 6, Day 41

Poipu - National Tropical Gardens - Poipu <map>

17 miles (26 kms)

A quiet day today. We drove around to the 'National Tropical Botanical Gardens' (NTBG) thinking we'd have a wander around, and found that it was actually a bus tour with very informative guide through two different properties that were previously cane farms. The NTBG are a not-for-profit organisation that run 5 gardens (1 in Florida, 1 on Maui and 3 on Kauai) for scientific research, conservation and education. The two properties we visited were the McBride and Allerton Gardens. The McBride Gardens are mainly for research, while the Allerton Gardens are more artisitc

McBride Plant Laboratory

Inside the laboratory, and ... our knowledgeable guide, David

Some of the beautiful orchids

One of the 'Garden Rooms' in the Allerton Gardens

Part of a row of 6 Moreton Bay Figs that featured in the movie Jurassic Park

Massed bromeliads outside the original gardener's cottage

Week 6, Day 42

Poipu - Heli Ride - Poipu <map>

29 miles (46 kms) by car

After a little urging, and not a little trepidation, Sue agreed to a helicopter ride over the island. While the island is only 40kms by 30kms, 80% of it is inaccessible by car. This is due to both the terrain as well as areas closed off to the public by land owners. Despite putting forward an erudite and comprehensive argument for a 'doors off' ride, we settled for one with doors.