Friday 18th April

We woke early and took a airport shuttle to the terminal to catch our flight to Honolulu with American airlines (who are poo by the way not flying with them again). As we approached the islands you could see the waves and beaches, the clear water and palm trees and the SUN. We landed and picked up a rental car a Chevrolet HHR (Hawaiian hot-rod) and headed off for the north shore and our accommodation. Along the way we passed mountains and pineapple plantations and after passing some famous surfing beaches we soon arrived at our place for a few days Sharks Cove rentals and checked in with the nice owner John, we also booked to stay there again when we got back from Maui as the place was cool.

We took our time and unpacked, settled in and went and done some shopping at Foodland (a chain of shops on the islands). Towards late afternoon we headed over to the beach, Corinne sunbathed and wolfie went snorkelling in the mini lagoon we had in front of us, there was all sorts of big and crazy colourfully fish in there including these weird pipe fish thingies AMAZING!!!!Later in the evening we got some food and watched a little TV watching the bright green geckos running up and down the walls.

Saturday 19th April

We drove up the coast a little today heading off to explore the east coast of the island with the intention of working our way around to Waikiki to see about tickets for the kokua music festival. A little way up the road we passed a stand selling fresh fruit we stopped and bought pineapples and papayas. The Beaches and mountains we passed provided some amazing views the type that pictures don't due justice. Late into the afternoon we passed through a tunnel and onto the highway to take us to Waikiki and found our way to the Waikiki shell where the kokua music festival was being held featuring Jack Johnson and a few other artists. Unfortunately we weren't very successful in getting tickets so we headed back off up to the north shore to relax for the evening.

Sunday 20th April

Another day and off the kokua festival, we tried again to get tickets and spent 1½ hours trying to park up. Giving up we headed off for a quite part of town where there were loads of parking spaces and some waves to be had.Corinne sunbathed and wolfie paddled out into the warm waters, across coral reefs and after 20 minutes of so was amongst the waves. Wolfie got speaking to an English couple shell and Nathan who were on holiday in the islands; we got some tasty looks from the locals and even spotted a Hawaiian monk seal (which are very rare, less than 1400 left in the wild). After a while out surfing Wolfie came back in passing a green sea turtle on the way and got a bit worried about sharks then having passed both of the things the big ones eat.

Anyways after some tea (very nice crab cakes) in a beachfront restaurant/bar type place we went and listened to the concert on the grass at behind the shell. It's what everyone does who can't get tickets for the show. It was a clear evening with a warm breeze and we lay on the blanket listening to the tunes that drifted over the fence, watching the moonlight palm trees sway in the wind.Around 11pmish we drove back up to our accommodation and chatted for a while before going to bed.

Monday 21st April

Not far at all from where we were staying was the Dole plantation - a big pineapple plantation, we grounds to visit and some attractions to experience. We arrived late morning and started off with the maze which was the biggest in the world in I think 2006 according to the Guinness book of records. It was sooooooooo hot and after finding 7 out the 8 stations we were drained so 'referred to the map' to find the last. To cool down we both had a pineapple Mr. whippy ice cream very nice, and had a look around the air conditioned shop. Next was the pineapple express a little train that takes you on a mini tour of the working plantation and gardens, you get to see all the little pineapples waiting to grow up and to be ready for picking. We learnt that a NICE RIPE pineapple is all in the weight and not the colour, a healthy pineapple should be heavy meaning it's full of juices.

Into the afternoon we spent some time looking around Haleiwa the main town on the north shore. We went for a look around the surf museum, art shops and off course the really cheap clothes shops!!! We stopped off again at turtle beach on the way back to the house to see who was out and then had some tea.

Tuesday 22nd April

Last day of the first week on the north shore and we lazed about really taking in some more of the local sights, eating lots more pineapples and just doing nothing.