Farewell North Shore, Mahalo for the Memories
Coming to the realisation that today was our last full day on the picturesque, laid back, cruisy North Shore filled us all with a tinge of sadness. Who knows if we’ll ever grace these beautiful shores again?
After perusing the many “What To Do In Oahu” brochures we’ve picked up along the way, we realised we had pretty extensively explored the North Shore and all it has to offer. One thing we were yet to really experience though was a good snorkel. Although we had donned the snorkels quite a few times, it was really only turtles and a handful of fish we’d seen and we were yet to set eyes on the colourful marine life that was apparently lurking around Hawaiian waters and that we’d heard so much about. We were tossing up whether to go to Hanauma Bay or the ‘secret spot’ we’d been let in on by our new found friend at the Breakers Restaurant (which he did say was just as good as Hanauma Bay) or the reefs opposite Foodland at Waimea which we’d also been told were well worth a look. We scanned some Trip Advisor reviews and decided we’d stay local and check out what there was to see here. We would leave the afternoon free in case we hadn’t been satisfied with the offerings and still needed to travel to Hanauma Bay to have our colourful fish cravings satisfied.
Our first destination, just opposite Foodland at Waimea, proved more than a bit challenging to get out into. Deceptively strong waves were breaking on us in regular intervals as we clambered down the moss covered, very slippery rocks. The rocks were not only slippery but also sharp and Ross and Adam both suffered some minor casualties in the form of cuts. I was having some significant issues with my goggles filling up with water and I think I sucked in half the Pacific Ocean through my snorkel which kept dunking under the waves! Our efforts at finally getting out past the rocks were rewarded with some up-close encounters with three large sea turtles. They have such cute faces up close and really do look like ‘Crush’ from Finding Nemo, almost smiling at you. Adam got some fantastic footage with his GoPro as the water was super clear – you could see down below you for miles! The descent down to the water proved a bit too hairy for Maisy so Sam sacrificially stayed dry with her and took some great photos from atop the rocks, especially of the turtles.
Just to the left of the spot we were in, there was a beautiful white sandy beach, about as wide as Shelly Beach, so not very big. There the water was just as clear – completely transparent so you could see every grain of sand beneath it – and just a short distance from the shore there was a rocky reef literally filled with the amazing colourful fish we’d been searching for! We were all snorkelling together and every few seconds someone would pop their head out of the water exclaiming “did you see that one?!” (although it sounded more like “dd eeymmm seeee tttt nnn” ‘cause we all had our snorkels in). Ross and I have snorkelled on the Great Barrier Reef and these fish were easily rivalling what we saw there. There were huge bright red fish with vibrant blue stripes, tiny fluorescent coloured fish, angel fish, fish with bright blue lips and yellow stripes! It was awesome! The only thing we found noticeably different to the Barrier Reef was that all the coral and rocks were not quite as colourful here. We saw some exquisite coral with undulating tops and some gorgeous thin tree-like coral but the colours were fairly monochrome, which actually had the effect of making the fish look even more spectacular. It was amazing to be able to see all this so close to the shoreline! I must admit I was a little freaked out by a massive eel and flippered my way quick smart back to the beach after that!
Ross and Adam continued to snorkel while Sam and the girls walked around the rocks which jutted right out into the water and had a great view back over the beach. Toby and Maisy had a ball playing in the clear shallow water and Keryn and I caught up on some reading. This beach was such a find!
After lunch it was time to spend one last time pounding the pavements of the beautiful, historic surf town of Haleiwa. Well actually Keryn and I were the only ones pounding the pavements, taking our final stroll down the main street, checking out all the shops and boutiques. The rest of the gang hired some stand-up paddle boards for a couple of hours and ventured out under the Anahulu Stream Bridge and out into the breakwater. After some refreshing sun showers the weather was perfect and they all had a lot of fun! The plan had been for Keryn and I to meet them there after a quick look around the main street and maybe have a quick go on the SUPs but… my how the time flies when you’re looking in shops (we had a lot of trying on to do!) By the time we eventually turned up they were packing up and getting ready to take the boards back! Molly, Georgia and Chelsea were having a slippery old time on their board, wobbling and all falling off into the stream on the way back. It was funny to watch! The afternoon’s activities had made us all thirsty (shopping is hard work too you know) so we grabbed ourselves a ‘shave ice’ and quenched our parched throats. They were delicious and hit the spot nicely.
Georgia had been the mastermind behind the idea of having a Talent Show tonight, though the idea was taken up most enthusiastically by Maisy as well. The late afternoon was spent rehearsing and fine tuning acts and the anticipation of the big night was palpable! God gave us one more AMAZING Turtle Cove sunset over the sea and Molly set a record by taking 130 photos of it. If we put them all together we’ll get some time lapse photography happening!
After one last cook up in our Turtle Cove kitchen, trying to eat everything left in the fridge – a task Toby leapt on with enthusiasm – it was time for the big show. Furniture was moved to make way for a makeshift stage, props were brought in and the MC, Chelsea, was in position. We were treated to an array of brilliant acts, including a second-to-none rap dancing item from none other than Ross A Jones! Several dance acts (most of which seemed to include Maisy) were very impressive, particularly the ballet performed by Keryn, Ebony and Maisy and Sarah’s vocal guitar solo was something to behold. Molly and Sam also participated in the dance acts and Chelsea and Georgia’s carefully choreographed and rehearsed rendition of the “Car Wash” was truly magnificent. The final act, an improvised ballet by Georgia to Coldplay’s “Paradise” was frankly far too good for the level of competition we had set. She was far too good and made us all look a lot worse than we were! The only very conspicuous absence from the line-up was a certain Mr Adam Gallagher a.k.a Party Pooper, who insisted he was doing his bit by dutifully watching all the acts and applauding accordingly.
With check-out at 10am tomorrow morning we are now endeavouring to get some order back at Turtle Cove, washing towels, putting things away and searching under beds for lost things. It will certainly be hard to leave this place! Waikiki here we come!
