At the Airport

It's 8 am and we are about to go through to the Gate to wait the last hour before our flight home. you can guess how early we had to leave our apartment 30 miles away in Ko Olina. Returned the "bus" (Hertz girl's description of the Explorer) and checked in easily, through security and emptied our US currrency reserves at a coffee shop
Barring acicdents (and if you can read this there were none), another hassle free holiday. I am particularly pleased that the money I prepaid has been used as a deposit on our timeshare so the week cost us very little (apart from the $10,000 timeshare!).
It is pleasantly cool in Honolulu. This airport is designed to allw fresh air to circulate in most areas - open to the elements. No free wifi though.
Looking forward to testing th ipad's batery life on the 10 hour flight home. Loaded it up with some free shows from itunes.
Aloha

Pearl HarboR

Rose early today and arrived at Pearl Harbor about 8.30 to collect our free timed ticket for a tour of the Arizona memorial. Our tour was to start at 12.40. I nearly didn't bother thinking that it was too long to wait but since it was free .....
Tess was in the queue for tickets to USS Misouri and the aviation museum so we thought we may as well see how much time we could kill.
The Missouri was impressive. Last battleship of the US fleet and only put out to pasture after Desert Storm.
Our guide was an Hawaiian sailor (retired) and he became emotional at several points on the tour which was touching, considering how many he times he must do this tour. Missouri was the ship that witnessed the Japanese surrender ye t lost none of her crew in battle.
Tess always wondered how such a heavy boat can float. It's blueprints weighed 350000 lbs! Young ones look it up.
I forgot to mention that it was cool, wet and windy most of the day so retreating below decks was welcome and a reason we included the Paci fic Aviation Museum in our tour. It was a single hanger run by a NGO and compared unfavouribly with National war memorial so we did not tmarry.

The Compleat Cook

Not sure why they spell it that way but who am i to fly in the face of tradition? All you poor Aussies will be able to do this real soon now, once Americans stop buying ipads, later in May perhaps. Decided to buy the little dock/keyboard gadget for the kitchen. It helps with fingerprints and my typing too.
We had a bit of this and that for dinner and the day was like that too. I woke about 1 am, partly because I had gone to bed too early afte my exertions on Diamond Head and partly anger at the theft of our SD card. Gave me time to catch up on blogging but meant I slept in past the best time to visit Pearl Harbor. Not that it mattered much as we sailed past the exit (not really signposted) and decided then to drive the Paui Hwy. This took us over and then through the spine of mountains separating the southern and north shores of Oahu.
It was a lovely drive yesterday and just as good the other direction. And we had a camera this time. The road lead to Waikiki. After some time wasting cruising for dodgy parking spots the driver decided to park at the vast underground free carpark at Ala Moana, the largest outdoor mall in the ..... you know. Since it was so close Tess thought we should pop in to the Apple shop to see if the case had arrived. Alas, they were sold out so she cleverly suggested purchasing the dock/keyboard for the ipad, noting that any new imac we might be n the future would come with a blutooth keyboard anyway and the dock would work well in the kitchen.
After lunch in Macy's we joined the afternoon traffic on Ala Moana Boulevard and headed west back to Ko Olina. The traffic was slow as predicted but rapid by F3 standards alltough the gas guzzler/Explorer chimed a warning (don't you love them?) that we were empty in 30 miles. This took us off the trusyt H1 west and into suburbia. I have pinched a shot from the net of the scenery we passed. We did eventually find civilization and a Chevron and after some assistance, filled the tank. We then wasted a gallon touring the industrial heart of this area (see pic) before backtracking to our final destination and dinner, made from leftovers from yesterday's prime rib doggie bag.
So a hotchpotch of a day but not unenjoyable.
What do you think of the ipad dock?

Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay

They warn you how difficult marriage or child rearing will be and we ignore the warnings. i was warned about the heat and climbing involved in tackling Diamond Head Peak but I ignored the advice anyway. What is it about the human brain that requires experience to finally prove a reasonable argument? Who knows.Anyway, climbing this State Monument was just as hot and hard as they had warned.
I would like to have featured some of the stunning photos i took from the top of this volcanic crater but some s#$%%! stole the sd card from the camera while our bags were in a security locker at Hanauma Bay. So I have to make do with some shots pinched from the Net. Apologies to all. The snorkeling in this flooded crater was great for the fish although the coral has suffered from years of visitors. It was easier and cheaper than visiting the outer barrier reef although they do force you to sit through an 8 minute video before entry to the park.
But back to Diamond head, so named because foolish and greedy white sailors mistook the calcite crystals sparkling in the sun for diamonds. We set off early but not early enough to beat the heat. Driving has been easy despite warning from Hawaiians of the traffic - must be the 6 and 8 lane highways (each direction) that thy enjoy here. Come to Sydney for traffic misery! So about 10 am we began the ascent which involved a rough path, switchbacks and then steep stairs to a tunnel followed by even more steep stairs and another tunnel leading to a spiral staircase which emerged into an observation bunker. Fit soldiers used to climb this observation post every day until the 70s making sure the Japanese didn't catch them napping again.
More steps before the highest point which I had photographed revealed spectacular 360 degree views over Waikiki and points elsewhere.
A short drive past some of the best homes in Honolulu led to Hanauma Bay and the close encounters with fish and a thief. If you can't trust locker room staff, who can you trust???

Then and Now

Meet our transport on Oahu, a 2010 Ford Explorer. Much more comfortable for touring than the bus we bumped around the island on in 2007. It's the Marriott's chariot of choice. Ours has leather seats, cruise control (disabled), satellite radio (disabled), 6 CD player with speakers everywhere yet a surprisingly muted sound output. Oh, and a mock wood dash that squeaks around the steering wheel whenever we hit a bump. But the ride is comfortable and it does give a panoramic view of the outside world. Much better than the bathtub position of sedans like our Focus in Ireland.
And there is no annoying commentary to spoil things OR boring long visits to pineapple farms so the driver gets his payola while boring his customers with trashy stores (see my 2007 entry below for details). We saw more in two hours than his 7 hour nightmare.
I had a swim at Sunset Beach on the north shore yesterday and a wander through the Weimea Valley before the rain arrived. We also stocked the pantry for our stay, watched the ceremonial lighting of the torches, walked along the shore at sunset and popped a bottle of Verve. We could have been honeymooners!


This is my entry from 2007 after an island tour. It taught me to avoid American city tours if possible.

Bone Breaking Tours* Present ...

Finally back after a loooong day jolting about in the back of this bus. It looked okay, even new and the air-conditioner worked but the suspension! I thought Americans liked slushy soft rides - this was like an unexciting F1 car or a billy cart - for 120 miles. Below is our itinerary with some supplementary information from yours truly.

8.30 Wait uncomfortably perched on wall outside takeaway joint for your coach. Due 8.50 at the very latest.

9.05 Board coach. Looks promising - airconditioning works and not many people. Jovial American Hawaiian driver/guide. Take seats near rear but away from wheels.

9.30 Enjoy the sights of Waikiki’s hotel strip while you pick up remaining guests and then make unscheduled “restroom” break near beach. Men twiddle thumbs.

10.30 FINALLY leave Waikiki/ Diamond Head area behind after looooong and boring discussion of real estate and sticky-beaking. Guide’s patter has lost much of its intial charm.

10.30 Sorry, that was called Kahala - Beverly Hills in Hawaii. May mean something to Erica.

11.00 Hanauma Bay - brilliant surf and snorkeling. Closed Tuesdays for cleaning. Ours was a Tuesday tour. Guide’s commentary is as incessant as it is irritating. Little info and lots of personal anecdotes.

11.20 Halona “blow Hole” Lookout. It wasn’t blowing. Kiama beats it anyway. The twisty coastal road would have been beautifully scenic in our own car but our driver had seen it all before so we shot around every curve. Combined with the race-tuned suspension, photography was impossible. Amplified commentary only added to the misery.

11.21 “From Here to Eternity Beach”. I took a photo for those who liked that overwrought 50’s drama.

11.35 Sandy Beach. Did we stop here?

11.50 Makapu‛u Lookout. This was spectacular. Kualoa range has been used in many film backdrops. See pics. Tess ready to kill driver.

12.00 Waaimanalo Hawaiian Homestead. I know you’ve been in a bus all morning but it’s time for an early lunch. The Church runs this joint which includes Hawaii’s toughest golf course. Food average. Meal purchase not included.

1.00 pm Nu‛uanu Pali Lookout & Valley. Ummmm.

1.20 Rain Forests. Whizzing by the bus so forget about photos. Endure 4th hour of guide’s “commentary”.

1.40 Byodo-In Temple. Admission Included. ($3.00 value).

1.55 Ko‛oalau Mountains. Impressive at any speed.

2.00 Moli‛i Gardens, Macademia Nut & Fish Pond at Kualoa Ranch. Another place only coach groups stop at. Guide knows the family who run it. Another long personal anecdote before we can continue tour. He enjoys it anyway. Drowsy after lunch and constant chat in ear. Some choose to stay on coach.

2.45 North Shore Surfing Beaches. Including Sunset and Waimea beaches. Tour highlight. Unfortunately, due to liability issues, we cannot stop for photos. Whizzing by too fast for photos around corners is at driver’s discretion.

3.35 Pineapple and Agriculture Fields (drive through only). Thank God!

3.55 Dole Plantation. This is another bloody pineapple farm. They must sponsor/own the company. Driver’s humour has worn thin on even the most jovial customers.

4.30 Sullen busload return bumpily towards Honolulu with snatches of information - I think you can see the Arizona - oh, maybe not. Even our Guide has got the hint and shut up. Every one piles off at first opportunity back in town.

$62.50 pp not including tax or gratuity. We were too embarrassed not to give the driver something. He may try too hard but it’s a tough living.

5.15 Return to safety of beach bar area. Order one drink and stay for dinner.

Disappointing. Save the cash and catch public transport or hire a car. It couldn’t be worse. Off to a timeshare promotion at the Marriott at 7.05 tomorrow. Stay tuned for more positive report.

I just enjoy the waves crashing against the shore after sunset on the beach, live music (they played two requests) and dancing and simple dining. Bugger the touring.

* A wholly owned subsidiary of Motor Mouth Tours

Ko Olina

The Hawaiian words are meant to mean "beautiful place". Marriott have certainly spared no expense in creating a picture postcard tropical paradise on this western shore of Oahu. I'm not sure how many people can be housed in the 6 or more towers along the water's edge but probably 5-8000 in summer season. Like any town it has its own marked highway exit, streets, houses and garbage bins but unlike where I live, the bins are never overflowing, the properties are all immaculate, cars stick close to the speed limit and even the median strips are immaculate. Blue Mts council might slash the roadside grass in the summer months but here the enormous staff mow with little victas, rake the grass, blow the leaves away and sweep up any residue so that roads look like rich driveways. There is security on the gate which I have always wanted on Lapstone Hill but apparently Council cannot enforce such restrictions on plains folk.
We told the timeshare presenter we weren't interested in buying into a Truman Show world. We liked a bit of sleaze. We'd stay in Waikiki in a 3 star hotel and bludge dinner and drinks at the 5 star places on the beach. To his credit, Dave modified his spiel accordingly and we ended up buying half a share in Vegas. It's a long story and will require you buying me dinner to hear it.
We fly home tomorrow after our week here and feel as though we have seen enough of Hawaii except for the active volcano on the big island. It is a great place to break the USA-Sydney flight so we may return but not to Ko Olina I think.
I will upload a photo or two from the place soonbutnow I want to write something about today's visit to Pearl Harbor.
Aloha

Recovery Day

After travelling about 50 miles yesterday from Maui to Oahu but taking all day to do it, we stayed at the resort and veged. This resort is enormous - like a manicured, highly regulated and strictly policed suburb. Imagine McDonald's in charge of town planning. But it does have its positives like everything working and well designed. The "Lobby" is brilliant - huge and without enclosed walls so it is open to the constant breeze from the ocean and makes it seem like you're checking in at the Parthenon. Dinner tonight ($70 including tip) was a shared seafood platter - more than enough - in front of a sunset over ocean and through palms, lawn and lots of kids at play. They have lots of pools here for kids but the "beaches" are where we swam. I love the reef fish that swim obliviously about their business. it may be man made but it works.
Tess drew today while i played with the iPad. Lots to explore but generally an impressive device.
It has been difficult uploading video this trip because I have taken it on an iphone without its host so no syncing. Same for my nano. And the ipad will be no better next trip!
Tomorrow we drive to Weimea Bay. We wizzed past it last visit on a tour bus anxious to get to the next paying "sight" so i'm looking forward to a more leisurely visit in our Explorer. Seats enough for 5 hitch-hikers. On Tuesday we have booked a Lou-au with some of our resort "funny money" and Thursday we see Pearl Harbor which should complete our exploration of modern Hawaii. The night sky was beautiful tonight - check a globe and see how isolated the place is. It is a great place to break a return journey from the East Coast but we wwon't do the resort thing again. Still, the Service personnell are almost unfailingly welcoming, drinks are cheap and generous and some of the food is excellent. Worth a visit for many reasons.
Aloha!

iPad

What a great day. It's late and I am playing with my new iPad watching a star trek movie (on tele) in our luxury unit in the Marriott Ko Olina time-share resort. The day started early with a drive to the heliport and my spectacular flight over Maui and Molokai. Then the boring long wait for the flight to Oahu where we collected our enormous ford explorer and headed to the world's largest out door shopping centre on Ala Moana Boulevard. It was packed in the Apple store but I adopted my mother's approach and acted as though I was an important customer who needed immediate attention. I hailed a staff member and said i had booked a personal shopping appointment online from Maui for 4 pm (miraculously we had arrived on time) and he scurried off to check. Despite finding no evidence of my booking (the only spot available had been the day before) he good naturedly served us and over the next 70 minutes (10 minute demo, 60 minute US iTunes account set-up) got my iPad working.
Poor Tess has had a day o waiting - for my heliflight to end, for the plane to Oahu and in the Apple shop. She's pooped. The good news is, gin makes a good substitute for Galliano in a Golden Dream cocktail so we are finally making inroads into our duty free litre of Cointreau - note to self; forget duty free into US as it's cheap here anyway. The bottle tried to leak too and we have one waiting for our return at Mascot so somehow we will have to drink it. The gin seems to be going down without trouble.
Don't you love holidays:))))

Heliflight

Not a hell flight but a helicopter flight. I enjoyed a comfortable 45 minute tour of the mountains and waterfalls of Maui's inaccessible north shore as well as the sheer cliffs of nearby island Molokini. Tess chose not to fly although even nervous flyers woul have held on to their breakfast today. I had eaten little as a precaution though. Americans seem a quiet lot.There were 7 people on board but apart from our pilot who gave a sporadic commentary, I was the only one to speak or ask a queston. Reminded me of our silent table at the magic show. Why the silent treatment??

It was an expensive excursion but gave views you can't see any other way.

We are wasting a few hours in Maui airport before our 30 minute flight, basically losing a day for this short hop, which is annoying.

Returned the Hertz car undamaged and quipped that it was older than I was used to - maybe 2007 or older. Did the job. No dramas on the roads but Honolulu is much busier. l plan to stay out of the city most of the time.

I told Tess that the day would not be a complete loss if we managed to pick up an ipad on our way to the resort. She countered with a macbook air. I suspect we will end with neither although the cost of electronics is trivial by comparison with air tours (US$430 for an air tour down to the big island volcano and $240 for my ride) or Art - tess was tempted by a Dali for $8000 yesterday and the salesman thought we were sold. I am encouraging tess to buy more pencils instead.

I hope the Ko Olina resort will have free wifi as promised as I have lots of photos to sort and upload. We were quite busy on Maui despite not seeming to do much - my hiking shoes remained dry and Tess had just one swim.

The food we have eaten, after careful selection has been very nice but there is still a vast amount of fried food and greens are scarce. Food and drink is cheap though even when taxes and tips are included.

Running out of battery. Still close to two hours to wait. FOr a half hour flight!

Aloha

Maui Musings

Get them down quicky before I forget.

• Great island for surfers although where I tried there were no waves for a body surfer. Place is filled with fit Americans. They still exist.
• Iao Valley worth the one hour visit.
• Haleakala volcano is always shrouded in clouds. Possibly not worth sunrise visit.
• The road to Hana. Consider the fly there, be driven back option. Worth the money. Lahaina had some great deals on otherwise pricey tours so check them out.
• There is not as much to do here as you might think. Folks from Nebraska are probably just happy to soak up the un. We get enoughso nother island may be a better choice.
• Front Street Lahaina is worth several visits.
• More may follow. The relative lack of photos indicates the lack of specatacular photo ops.

Maui Art Galleries

A word of warning, don't visit them. Period.

Tess fell in love with several pieces tonight including a Salvador Dali print we could pick up for maybe $6K plus shipping ($1K).

I liked several works by Anthony Quinn. Never knew what an artist he was - painting, sculpture, wood, you name it.

The sales pitch is impressive - low key so you don't realise immediately that you have been selected. Must have ben my new Hawaiian shirt.Even admitting to being a teacher did not cause concern.

It was fun window shopping along Front Street Lahaina.

'ulalena

Tonight's show from the Maui Theatre (their spelling) in Front Street, Lahaina brings the story of Maui to life using music, dance and chant. It is a cirque du Soleil production so there is some wonderful acrobatics, rolling around floors and terrific sound and light. It lasts 70 minutes.

www.ulalena.com

KUPANAHA

The Hawaiian word for the Magic Show Dinner (white glove service) Theater we saw tonight in our hotel. It starred (I'm quoting the brochure here) World Class Illusionists Jody and Kathleen Baran. Jody is the "magician" and no, it's not a gay act, Jody is like the boy named Sue.
Those who know me will understand the temptation of the combo deal - two shows for $99. Tomorrow's is in a proper theatre in Lahaina and looks like a Hawaiian version of Cirque. Should be good. As was tonight's. Been 35 years since I saw Franquin the Magnificent hypnotise sister Rose and entrance us all with his tricks. Tonight was more traditional illusion but very clever none the less.
We sat at a table of 10. I introduced ourselves and received not a single reply. Conversation did flow like hardening lava (blood from stone is an appropriate analogy) enough to discover our companions for the evening were from chilly states like Nebraska and the one from Grumpy old Men. Pity the act if getting a reaction was so difficult!
Jody had the interesting idea of celebrating those performers who had passed thru before and some of the tricks they made famous - sawing woman in half, levitation, various disappearances, etc.
The usual victims were plucked from the audience including a very tall Canadian called Mike (you needed to be there to get the jokes he made at Canada's expense). He had just smashed someone's watch and made it reappear in a tin of beans when he needed a woman to lace up his straitjacket for a Houdini style escape and guess who he selected?
Tess suffered the double entendres abut Macademia nuts in good spirits and acquitted herself admirably. Thank God it wasn't me. No footage of her moment on stage unfortunately but at least we got a snap afterwards. And this was on just one glass of wine as the Mai Tai was not to her taste.
We didn't do much else during the day except relax, draw (Tess) and play on the Net (24 hour pass) so it was good to experience something very different from back home. Which makes the holiday worth the bill.
Tomorrow I hope to drag the star of stage to Molokini to look at some coral and fish.
Then it's Ulalena in the evening.
Aloha

Hawaiian Sojourn

Rob has left me to type as you would expect under the influence. I wonder what the alcoholic limit is for driving a key board. Today we have mooched and then Rob decided we should really do the American holiday experience and so we went to a magician dinner show. Surprisingly it was fun. I couldn't see how on earth they performed the tricks. The food was ok and the bar was open - what more could we ask for? Well the people at the table we shared were not terribly friendly but that was Ok because I think we had little to share with them though Rob in his normally effusive way tried hard and then for some reason I was selected from the audience to attend to the magician as he strapped himself into a strait jacket (Rob says that is the spelling) or rather I fastened him. Of course lots of double entendres but it was fun. It surprised us how much we enjoyed the evening. Currently we are sitting on the balcony listening to very mellow singing from the open bar area below and to the breaking of the waves in the background. So I suppose all is right in the world or at least this part of it.

Hope all is well. Keep smiling and I look forward to a glass or two with you on our return

Tess and Rob

The Over-Hyped Highway to Hana

Back about 4pm after setting out before 7am in search of Hana on the windy north shore of Maui. Never heard of the fabled ocean road to Hana? Now we know why. The fact the road exists and is open most of the time is probably the most amazing part of it. With its 691 switchbacks and 51 one lane bridges it can take several hours to drive the 34 miles from the village of Paia to the quiet fishing village of Hana at the end of the road. Then back home the same way. There is a dirt road that sometimes is open to enable a circuit but not with our hired Mazda 6. Not surprisingly, the Hana Highway ("we painted a yellow line down the middle then called it a highway") is alo known as the road to divorce. I drove considerately. If you have driven Victoria's Great Ocean Road or even the Seabridge near Wollongong, you have probably seen more impressive coastline but I wouldn't mention it to a yank. I did mention it in passing once but I think I got away with it. The volcanic rock makes for a very different coastline from the soft sandstone of our southern coastline.

If you do ever find yourself in Maui and travel the same road, don't miss the seven sacred pools of Hana. We did.

The Park Ranger on Haleakala (dormant for 300 years) told us about them. They're a short drive beyond Hana. Shame I didn't do proper research beforehand:(

We chucked a uie (?Uturn) rather than pay the $10 entry fee given that already at 6500 feet there was bugger all visibility and his check on the 10000 foot peak showed cloud. "It's best to visit in the morning" he said but ou breakfast companions had risen for the sunrise the previous day and found it cloudy and cold. It's fun to drive up and ride down apparently. The road is magnificent compared with the Hana Hwy and we had decided to attempt it because we were passing it after our early return from Hana. The road up is very wiggly on the map and leads in good weather not only to the crater (can swallow Manhattan) but also Science City. But we stopped half an hour short for reasons mentioned previously. Next visit to Maui we will have more money and we'll fly to Hana, visit the damn pools and fly over the crater on the way back.

Hawaiian Thoughts

1. They my have clubbed Captain Cook to death but the Hawaiians I've met would not make a local Auckland club side. Which makes for much easier conversations.

2. The night sky should be fantastic here, stuck in the middle of the Pacific as we are and with no moon. But the sky is black with only a few unfamiliar specks to dot it.Why is it so???

3. Tess thinks today is yesterday and tomorrow is today. It is weird being almost a day behind Oz.

4. American pizza has not improved.

5. Are hire cars worth the angst?

6. There is NO point 6.

BTW, Tess misses Emma. Apparently I am not as conducive to spending money heedlessly on unnecessary purchases.

Photos will appear by magic when I get the chance.

Rob

Kaannapali Beach Hotel

Hawaii's Most Hawaiian Hotel according to their advertising. Won some awards in the early 90s so perhaps in need of renovation but it does me. I should be putting in lots of extra punctuation like a European language but have not trained this computer yet.

So what do you do on Maui?

1. Look at the sunset. Never disappoints.

2. Listen to Hawaiian music, as we did during dinner and also now as I type. I'm sure it beats watching whatever is on the box, particularly on a sultry night like this one.

3. Eat at least one thing with pineapple in it. Watched an impressive cocktail being transported tonight with dry ice fogging out of a whole pineapple.

4. Watched is the key word - I enjoy watching Americans at play. Generally speaking they behave impeccably. People watching is a major pastime here, like any beach resort.

5. Get married. Hmmm. Too late for us but it sure is popular. And as they say we never look better than on our wedding day it explains the number of trim guests here. Present company excepted. That pinacolada cheese cake was probably a mistake. Especially as Tess only ate one mouthful.

6. How many things do you want to do????

We're off to a free breakfast tomorrow while we figure out the order of our Maui adventures - road to Hana, helicopter trips over the volcanic west, wiggly road trips up the central volcano, checking out the old port capital of Lahaina near where we are staying.

I find holidaying in Hawaii always exceeds expectations because we never know exactly what to expect. And as long as we enjoy nights like tonight I will be a happy Tourist of Oz.

Aloha!

Rob

Waiting in Transit

Back in Hawaii. No free wifi and a NOISY man behind me so we will walk for a while. Have a short flight to Maui before we head to Lahaina on the west (?) coast. Slept for about four hours last night before breakfast at 3am Sydney time. We were excited at our upgrade to business class but Jetstar "Business" should not be confused with those bed style seats on other airlines - I was reminded of a more genteel time, say of 707s with large leather pews and decent legroom. We also had two loos ofr just 6 rows so all up, worth the money.

Watched someting with Hugh Grant about the Morgans. Passed the time until the lamb casserole. We had enjoyed the Qantas lounge before the flight (a first!) and as the beer and good wine flowed freely, it was a pleasant experience compared with most previous flights and, I dare say, with our return in Jetstar coach.

Tess is currently drooling over the galleries on Maui. I am looking forward to a swim in the ocean and later in the week, a drive to Hana - 8 hours return along 650 corners and 57 bridges. Should be fun.

Only 55 minutes till we board! Will save his until I hit some wifi. Did my first post via ipod touch yesterday (free wifi in Lounge). Who knows if and when I post on an ipad?????

Aloha,

Rob

iBlog

Typing on iPod touch in Qantas lounge before flight just for the cheapskate thrill of it.
I want an ipad!
World record (apart from royalty) for checkin and screening:))
Tess likes the Pinot . I like Business class.

Almost Aloha

It sounds less sinister than Day Zero.
Tomorrow we fly (Jetstar business class!) to Hawaii for the holidays. This time tomorrow we will be awaiting our flight to Honolulu thence Maui. Tess has done no research or accommodation booking this time and we have left it up to our Travel Agent to organise much of it. Lucky she is so good. The Net has its limits when it comes to travel I find. For the lazy traveller anyway.
Haven't packed yet. I don't feel the same expectation as last year or 2007. I don't know if that will prove to be a good thing or not. We have been spoilt for trips these past few years. The big trip in 07 was amazing and both the NZ and Leeds/Greek Isles tours in 09 were just as rewarding and trouble free.
Tech wise I plan to take my Toshiba netbook for blogging and the iphone for video, leaving the trusty tape camera behind for the first time. It will be a YouTube and Facebook friendly affair.