Day #4 Oahu Grand Circle Island Tour - Hotel to Rabbit island

I was first to wake up, big stretch

hey Maddie, rise and shine, it's almost time to go

The weather outside was a little questionable, but it would hopefully be cooler.

We went downstairs with a bit of time to spare, prefer to be early then late anyway.

It wasn't long before our mini bus arrived, we were confirmed passengers and given this sticker - to help identify which tour we belonged to  - in hope that we would not get lost or left behind.

 

Maddie and I got to share a seat, there were 5 left after big people.

All strapped in.

But not for long, it started to rain, and we were still at our hotel waiting for others so we took a look outside.

Maddie was so craving to sit on the back seat. There ended up being two couples of big people,it was easier to stay where we were. We decided to pick the right side of the bus (when looking out the windscreen)

we were going round the island anti clockwise so we needed to choose to have best view of ocean or mountains, we chose

ocean.

We were on our way.  Rodney was our driver and tour guide, he was very funny, but also had a lot of interesting information. We would make several short stops along the way between longer stops. 

It was pouring, as we drove pass Waikiki beach

but it had stopped momentarily for us to get out here just passed the lighthouse keepers place to enjoy the view.

There was a plaque to Amelia Earhart - a female solo pilot. "The first person to fly alone from Hawaii to North America, January 11 1935"

We did get rained upon here and went back in the bus pretty quickly.

 

 

the view from the other side of the bus - traffic and mountains,

we also drove through a housing estate full of gigantic houses that take up most of the block they are on. I wondered if Rodney was trying to sell us some?

 

We were heading for Hanauma Bay

Ths mountain had a walking trail on it visible from the road, but looked like a jolly hard trek, almost going straight up. 

 

Hanauma Bay. A popular snorkeling location, it is set in a crater that is at sea level. If we ever go back to Oahu this is one of the things on our list to do.

 

 

 

 

It was so beautiful. 

Back on the road again, and our window ocean side seats were paying off.

 

 

 

 

Whales migrate around the islands, we did not see any though, but we stopped off at this Blowhole.

 

 

Watching

 

Watching, there it is whoosh

Did you get that Catherine?

No, you guys were in the way.

Up the coast 

This was just near the blowhole, a little beach

 

Rodney said this was the movie location for a scene out of "From here to eternity". Apparently the boy and girl were kissing on the sand just where the water comes up.

All I could think was that they would have gotten sand in their pants.

 

Sandy Beach 

 

Makapuu Lighthouse. It's there I promise, the tiny exclamation mark half way up the cliff.

Rabbit island. Rodney described it as looking like a snakes head. Apparently they were breeding rabbits on it at one point for food, but no body wanted to eat them, so it was abandoned, and the rabbits removed.